Labor wins second term, early learning reform to continue

The Australian Labor Party has secured a second term in government following the federal election held on Saturday, 3 May, winning a majority in the House of Representatives.

Led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Labor’s re-election follows a campaign focused on cost-of-living relief, education, health and continued investment in early learning.

In its first term, the Albanese Government introduced a suite of early childhood reforms. These included increased Child Care Subsidy (CCS) rates for more than one million families under the Cheaper Child Care legislation, the removal of the annual subsidy cap, a legislated Three Day Guarantee of access to 72 hours of subsidised early learning per fortnight, and a federally funded 15 per cent wage increase for early educators through multi-employer bargaining.

The result enables the Prime Minister and his team to continue their early years agenda, with further reform likely as the term progresses.

Speaking during the final leaders’ debate, Mr Albanese identified universal child care as a key legacy he hopes to deliver in government, describing it as essential national infrastructure.

“We’ve already put measures in place. In this term, we will get rid of the activity test, deliver the Three Day Guarantee for child care, which has now been legislated, and boost infrastructure,” he said.

“We want the universal provision of affordable child care, so that it is as natural to have your child access child care as it is to access a public school.”

Further coverage of what the election outcome means for the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector will follow.