• Early Childhood Educators receive a 15% Wage Increase

On Sept. 12, the Albanese government introduced a bill to give early childhood workers a 15 percent wage increase, with a total pay rise of $155 (US$103) per week by December 2025.

“Early educators have been advocating for this for years. There are now 30,000 more early educators working today compared to when we took office. This legislation will encourage more individuals to stay and re-enter the workforce as early educators,” Education Minister Jason Clare announced to the House of Representatives.

If the bill is passed, a typical early educator will see a pay increase of at least $103 per week starting in December of this year.

“This translates to approximately $7,800 per year for a typical early childhood educator,” Clare added.

He emphasized that this bill is critical for those who left the sector due to low wages as it provides them with an opportunity to return.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighted that the wage increase would assist in retaining current workers and attracting new employees to the early childhood sector.

“Australian families trust our early educators with what is most precious—our young Australians,” he said.

Clare also mentioned that the legislation aims to alleviate the financial burden for parents and carers.

Throughout the funding period, early education and care centers will be prohibited from raising their fees by more than 4.4 percent. This restriction will be in effect until August 2025.

This cap ensures that families can benefit from affordable childcare while also supporting the workforce with fair wages.

Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly noted that the government had taken lessons from past experiences where childcare subsidies led to price increases.

“That’s why we’ve linked this to a price cap, to ensure that every bit of that 15 percent increase goes directly to these educators,” she clarified.

In Clare’s address, he referenced Early Childhood Australia CEO Samantha Page, who described the pay raise as long overdue and expressed joy at the government recognizing the professionalism of educators.

He added that an increase in early educators would result in improved access to care for children, enabling more parents to re-enter the workforce and enhancing the economy’s productivity.

Despite the bill’s introduction, the debate was adjourned and will be continued at a later date.

However, while the Opposition agrees that workers in the sector deserve an increase in pay, they raised concerns about Labor’s plan and labeled it as a “temporary solution.”

“It’s only a short-term payment proposal, and from what I understand about the government’s plan, there is no provision for continuing that payment in the future,” commented Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Dutton also did not confirm whether the Coalition would commit to extending the payment in the event of a Liberal victory in the election.

“We need to assess the financial situation at the time,” he remarked.