Rudd Government’s ABC Learning response embarrassingly hollow
Thu, 6th November 2008
Mrs Sophie Mirabella MP
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth
The Rudd Government’s response to the looming disaster in the child care industry in Australia following the appointment of administrators to oversee ABC Learning’s operations is severely lacking, Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare, Women and Youth, Sophie Mirabella, said today.
“Despite the Government promising that they had a ‘contingency plan’ for ABC Learning, Minister Gillard’s response to today’s announcement from ABC Learning has shown that their plan is disappointingly nothing more than hollow spin,” Mrs Mirabella said.
“Even worse is that the Parliamentary Secretary for Childcare, Maxine McKew, has once again gone into hiding on this pressing issue.”
“There are a number of important questions that need addressing. Australian parents whose children are enrolled in ABC Learning Centres need answers,” Mrs Mirabella said.
Ms Gillard and Ms McKew must answer the following questions:-
If ABC Learning Centres do close where will parents stand in relation to the advanced fees they may have paid because if parents use direct debit then their fees are paid 2 weeks in advance?
Will parents receive a refund for these fees or will they join the bottom of a long list of creditors?
Will the fees be increased?
What sort of notice will parents be given if their centre is ear marked for closure?
Are the jobs of the more than 16,000 people employed by ABC Learning safe?
Are their wages and conditions secure?
What will happen to the number of staff? Will staff numbers be reduced to save money?
Will services be maintained at the current level?
Is their a list of closures of individual centres? if so which ones?
“These are the questions the Rudd Government should be answering but thus far has failed.”
“It is high time that Minister Gillard and Parliamentary Secretary McKew answered these questions, otherwise their promise of a ‘contingency plan’ for ABC Learning will be shown to be nothing more than empty rhetoric and another broken promise.”
“Australian ‘working families’ whose children are enrolled at ABC Learning demand nothing less,” Mrs Mirabella concluded.
