Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Hansard source

Notwithstanding the fact that some of those examples which I have provided are so ridiculously silly that they would almost make you cry with frustration, they are genuine examples of excessive regulation. We, on the other hand, are serious about reducing unnecessary red tape and helping to ease the cost pressures on families. And we have started to do that. We have removed the need for childcare centres to obtain individual supervisor certificates, and we are working with the states to reduce some of the overly burdensome regulations which surround staff-child ratios. I do not hold out any great hope that those opposite are going to have any interest at all in the deregulation process that the government is undertaking, but we hope that some of our new senators—some of our new colleagues in this place; members of the crossbench, for example—will have a very serious look to ensure that child care is flexible and affordable for all Australians. Indeed, I note that my new New South Wales colleague, Senator Leyonhjelm, commented— (Time expired)