The cost and difficulty of getting childcare has kept women out of the workforce and placed enormous pressure on family budgets. The Greens’ policy of making the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share would allow a shift to free childcare, along with universal access to early childhood education for all three- and four-year olds.
This commitment to critical early childhood education is part of a vision that all Australians have a right to free education. We need to end the out-of-pocket fees for our public schools and invest in our future by returning to genuinely fee-free TAFE and undergraduate university degrees. The same principle of making the billionaires and big corporations pay their fair share would support this, as well as allow us to move towards 4% of GDP being spent on research and development. In addition, expanding the number of apprentices on Government-funded projects will ensure we train the next generation of trades workers and give young people more pathways to a secure career.