25th Aug 2011 – Representatives Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget Measures) Bill 2010 - Consideration of Senate Message - Agree to the amendments

The majority voted in favour of a motion put by Labor MP Kate Ellis "That the amendments from the Senate be agreed to."

The four amendments had been agreed to in the Senate and related to the indexation of the Child Care Rebate limit.(Read more about these amendments in the related supplementary memorandum. ) Ms Ellis explained that these amendments ensure "that the most disadvantaged children in Australia also have access to our massively expanded childcare budget".(Read the whole debate on the amendments in the House of Representatives here. )

One member, Nationals MP Tony Crook, rebelled and crossed the floor to vote 'aye' with the Government.(Read more about what it means to cross the floor in our FAQ section. )

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced to set the maximum per child amount of Child Care Rebate ('CCR') to $7500 per annum and suspend indexation until July 2014.(Read more about the bill in its bills digest and explanatory memorandum, both available here.) The CCR is a payment that assists eligible individuals with the cost of child care fees for care provided by an approved child care service. Capping the CCR in this way is a savings measure to offset some of the costs created by the National Quality Framework for early childhood education and child care.

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