Sussan Ley offers Albanese support to overhaul Australia's child care system after horrific sex abuse cases

West Australian

06-07-2025

Opposition leader Sussan Ley has pledged bipartisan support to fast track urgent childcare reforms after horrific cases of child abuse across Melbourne.
The Education Minister has vowed to introduce new reforms allowing unannounced compliance checks at childcare centres without a warrant within the first sitting fortnight of Parliament when it returns on July 22.
The legislation push follows charges against Joshua Brown for dozens of child sex offences and would also give the Government power to strip funding from centres that fail to meet safety and quality standards.
In her step away from the previous stonewalling approach of former Liberal government, Ms Ley has written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to show her support for radical new laws to help protect children.
'I want to work constructively and collaboratively with the government. This subject is too horrible, too awful, too upsetting and it is making the community so angry and distressed,' she told 7NEWS.
'We're ready to start this today. Children need to be protected.
'Clearly there are loopholes in the system which allow predators to prey on children.' and it is just so horrific.
'This is above politics. I want to sit down with the government and work on something straight away.
'So that when they bring legislation into the parliament as they have said they will do, we are ready to pass it without no fuss.
'I've written to the prime minister to offer my full support and collaboration.'
New legislation will give the Government stronger powers to act against childcare providers that fail safety standards or commit fraud, such as banning them from opening new centres, and cutting off subsidy access among other measures.
Education Minister Jason Clare told 7NEWS on Sunday the Opposition was being briefed on reform efforts and has welcomed Ms Ley's offer of full cooperation.
'When Parliament returns this month, I will introduce laws to cut off funding to centres that aren't up to scratch,' he said.
'This is the big weapon that the Australian Government has to wield here. I welcome the Opposition's support for laws that strengthen child care regulation.'
Shadow Education Minister Jonathon Duniam is working closely with ministers to develop the legislation and ensure its swift passage when introduced to Parliament.
The scale of the government's election win on May 3, securing a 51-seat majority in the House of Representatives, means it no longer relies on Coalition support to govern and only needs the Greens' cooperation to pass legislation in the Senate.
Ms Ley said the party had reflected on its past positions, dubbed the 'Noalition', and was taking lessons from the devastating election result to better serve the public interest.
'The tone I want to set from the first is that we have listened to the Australian people. And that we do want to be collaborative where we can be, where we need to be and where it is in the national interest,' she said.
'My offer is all about respecting the safety of children and putting them front and centre.'