The Albanese Labor Government’s $5.4 billion Cheaper Child Care subsidy has been exposed as poor policy with skyrocketing fees and no relief for Mallee’s child care deserts, Member for Mallee Anne Webster says.

Families across Mallee have told Dr Webster of their inability to access child care, which renders any taxpayer funded subsidy useless.

However, the Albanese Labor Government’s ill-thought out support is also being swallowed by rising fees for families that do have access.

“Goodstart Early Learning operates four centres across Mallee and have increased their fees by nearly 8 per cent – which they say funds increased wages and increased operating costs,” Dr Webster said.

“Nationwide, fees are reportedly rising in some cases by more than 15 per cent, piling pressure on Australians during the cost of living crisis – the benefit of any subsidy in these situations is quickly erased.”

The situation in Mallee remains dire for parents trying to access child care, which has a flow-on effect for the workforce, which is experiencing severe shortages in sectors such as health, aged care and teaching.

“In Parliament recently I read a letter from a desperate mother in St Arnaud who is unable to return to work as a teacher because there are no places available for her children until 2025,” Dr Webster said.

“This situation is perverse when so many regional communities are crying out for teachers, nurses and others, most of whom are younger mothers that simply can’t get back into the workforce due to not being able to access child care.”

Dr Webster said Labor’s ‘one size fits all – policy on the run’ approach has failed Mallee mums and dads.

“Billions of dollars in subsidies makes for good, quick headlines – but where was the mechanism to prevent that subsidy being eaten up by higher fees and the answer to towns with no childcare?” Dr Webster said.