It is the fourth of five key policy demands the Greens leader will outline before polling day.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has repeatedly said he won’t do a deal with the Greens in a hung parliament,and it’s unlikely Labor would agree to the Greens demand of no new coal or gas projects.
But the Greens believe Albanese will have to negotiate with them to pass legislation if Labor secures a minority government and that some of its otherpolicy priorities,which include more affordable housing and adding dental and mental health into Medicare,could be open for negotiation.
Labor’s policy is estimated to cost $5.4 billion over four years. The Greens’ policy would cost an extra $2 billion to $2.9 billion a year,according to the Parliamentary Budget Office,with an overall cost $18.9 billion over three years to 2024-25.
Bandt said that “Labor should learn the lesson of Medicare,once something is universal people love it and won’t let anyone take it away. We can do that with childcare”.
“Childcare is too expensive,which restricts women’s choices and puts families under financial pressure.”
The Morrison government unveileda $1.7 billion childcare package in the May 2021 budget in response to Labor’s policy and particularly targeted families with more than one child in childcare,with the most help to low and middle incomes families earning $130,000 or less per year.