Three Days of Subsidised Childcare passes, Royal Commission opposition & Closing the Gap updates – SNAICC in the News

Three Days of Subsidised Childcare passes, Royal Commission opposition & Closing the Gap updates – SNAICC in the News

The week of 10 February 2025 covers the passing of the Three-Days of Subsidised Childcare guarantee legislation, continued Royal Commission opposition and the Federal Government’s Closing the Gap annual report and implementation plan.

The Early Childhood Education and Care (Three-Day Guarantee) Bill 2025 passed in Parliament this week, ensuring all parents can access at least three days of subsidised childcare per week, regardless of work or study commitments—effectively removing the activity test. By removing the activity test, the Labor Government’s reform significantly improves access to early learning, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle welcomed the changes, calling them life-changing for thousands of children and families. She said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early childhood services, alongside families and communities, have long advocated for this reform. The removal of the activity test will enhance access to culturally safe, high-quality early learning services, supporting better school readiness and contributing to long-term positive outcomes, including reduced youth crime.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has renewed the Coalition’s call for a Royal Commission into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities this week— however, the proposal has gained little support. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro questioned its necessity, citing a lack of specific police reports to justify an inquiry and instead advocating for strengthening existing child protection efforts. SNAICC, along with a growing number of organisations, strongly opposes the proposal, stating that children’s safety should not be politicised or used to advance a political agenda. In a joint statement, SNAICC said that the calls for a Royal Commission lack credible evidence and perpetuate harmful stereotypes about Aboriginal communities. The statement urges the government to focus on investing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations and to commit to the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and the Closing the Gap priorities and reforms.

The Albanese Government has released the 2024 Closing the Gap Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan this week, detailing efforts to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Catherine Liddle spoke on the need for genuine partnerships between governments and community-controlled organisations, saying that meaningful change requires sustained investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-led solutions. While welcoming developments such as the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, she raised concerns about gaps in youth justice, child protection, and suicide prevention, calling for better coordination across interconnected issues.

A key initiative within the 2025 Implementation Plan is a new policy to cap grocery prices in remote communities, ensuring essential items like flour, milk and baby formula are priced at metropolitan rates. With food costs in remote areas often significantly higher—up to 40% more for nutritious goods—the policy aims to reduce cost-of-living pressures and improve nutrition. Catherine Liddle welcomed the initiative but cautioned that pricing reforms alone won’t close the gap. She reiterated that true progress depends on long-term investment in community-controlled services and genuine collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to address systemic inequalities.

For complete coverage, find the news stories linked below.

Topic: Three Days of Subsidised Childcare guaranteed for all families

Following the passing of the Early Education Three-Day Guarantee legislation, parents will now be guaranteed at least three days of subsidised childcare per week, regardless of their work or study commitments, marking a significant step towards universal childcare access in Australia.

The new Early Childhood Education and Care (Three-Day Guarantee) Bill 2025, introduced by the Labor Government ahead of the upcoming federal election, removes the activity test requirement—the previous criteria that determined how much subsidised childcare families could access—for the first three days of childcare each week. By eliminating this barrier, the legislation ensures more equitable access to early childhood education and care.

Labor, with the support of the Greens, successfully passed the bill through the Senate on Thursday afternoon. The process was expedited with the Greens’ backing. Senators David Pocock, Tammy Tyrrell and Fatima Payman joined Labor and the Greens in voting in favour, while the Coalition and Senators Ralph Babet, Gerard Rennick and One Nation opposed the bill. The legislation passed without debate and is set to become law before the federal election—well ahead of Labor’s initial timeline.

Minister for Education Jason Clare said in an initial announcement statement last week that the three-day guarantee is the next step towards building a universal early education system and ensuring that every child has a great start in life by guaranteeing that more children have access to early learning and are more likely to start school ready to learn. Dr Anne Aly, Minister for Early Childhood Education, spoke on the importance of scrapping the activity test—which she said has excluded children who would benefit the most. The three-day guarantee, she said, is intended to ensure that every child, regardless of background or location, has access to the transformative benefits of early childhood education and care.

The activity test has required parents to work, study or look for work for at least 16 hours per fortnight to access subsidised childcare, which was capped at 72 hours. The removal of this requirement aligns with recent recommendations from the Productivity Commission, which found that the activity test disproportionately disadvantaged families in need of subsidised childcare without significantly boosting workforce participation. The new legislation forms part of a broader childcare reform package, which also includes a $1 billion investment to build and expand 160 new childcare centres nationwide.

The reforms are particularly significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, who have long faced barriers in accessing subsidised early childhood education. SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle welcomed the changes, describing them as life-changing for thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. She said that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled early childhood education and care sector, along with families and communities, had been calling for this reform for years. The removal of the activity test, she said, will improve access to culturally safe, high-quality early learning services, ensuring better school readiness and contributing to long-term positive outcomes, including reduced youth crime.

The passing of the Early Childhood Education and Care (Three-Day Guarantee) Bill 2025 is expected to particularly benefit families earning between $50,000 and $100,000, potentially saving them an average of $1,460 per year on childcare costs.
The three-day guarantee will take effect from January 2026.

For complete coverage, find our Media Release and news stories linked below.

Topic: Royal Commission into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has reaffirmed the Coalition’s commitment to a Royal Commission into sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities this week.

Speaking in the Senate after the tabling of the Closing the Gap Annual Report and Implementation Plan, Price criticised the Albanese government for not prioritising the matter, contrasting it with the Coalition’s pledge to launch an inquiry. She accused leaders who oppose the royal commission of ‘failing those children’ and claimed that significant levels of abuse remain unreported. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has committed to establishing the royal commission within the first 100 days if elected.

However, the proposal has faced lukewarm response from leaders, with NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, leader of the NT Country Liberal Party, saying she had not received any specific reports from police that would justify such an inquiry. Speaking to ABC Alice Springs, she acknowledged the seriousness of the issue but questioned whether a federal inquiry was the right approach, saying that the Royal Commission has certainly not been put to her that such an inquiry is necessary for the government to invest time and energy in. Instead, she suggested that the Northern Territory continue to focus on existing law enforcement and child protection efforts rather than diverting resources to a national enquiry.

SNAICC, along with a growing number of organisations and individuals, has strongly opposed calls for a Royal Commission, stating that children’s safety should not be politicised or used to advance a political position. In a joint statement, SNAICC said the calls for a Royal Commission have been made without credible evidence and that such proposals play into harmful, negative stereotypes of Aboriginal people and communities.

The statement also highlights the fact that child abuse is a widespread issue affecting all Australians, not just Aboriginal people, with the 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study revealing that the majority of Australians (62%) have experienced at least one type of child abuse or neglect, with domestic violence, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse being the most common. The statement notes that more than 33 child protection reports have been produced since the Bringing Them Home Report in 1997 and, instead of another inquiry, SNAICC advocates for evidence-based solutions developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations. SNAICC has published the annual Family Matters report for many years, which details Aboriginal-led solutions to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up safe, loved and protected.

The joint statement concludes by urging the government to take the most effective action to protect children and uphold their human rights is the investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations working to support children and families wherever they live, committing to the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and to Closing the Gap priorities and reforms.

For complete coverage, find the Joint Statement and news stories linked below.

Topic: 2024 Closing the Gap Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan

On Monday 10 February 2025, the Albanese Government released the Commonwealth’s 2024 Closing the Gap Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan, detailing ongoing efforts to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The Annual Report and Implementation Plan detail the Federal Government’s commitment to close the gap in collaboration with peak bodies, states, territories and local governments. The 2024 Annual Report details the Government’s actions over the past year to implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, with a focus on job creation, economic empowerment, housing improvements and safety initiatives in remote communities. According to the report, in 2024, the Albanese Government launched the Remote Jobs and Economic Development Program, creating up to 3,000 jobs, and expanding the Indigenous Rangers Program with 1,000 new jobs, including 770 for First Nations women. The government introduced the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy, passed legislation to boost Indigenous Business Australia’s role, and built over 200 homes in remote communities to reduce overcrowding. Key health and legal advancements included expanding PBS medicine access, opening dialysis units, and funding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services. Additionally, over 300 enrolments were made in the First Nations Health Worker Traineeship Program, and initiatives to support family violence prevention and community-led justice reinvestment were strengthened. The Government also expanded the Connected Beginnings program to 50 communities to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s early years.

The subsequent 2025 Implementation Plan sets out key targets to address cost of living pressures, improve food security and drive economic empowerment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Plan outlines plans to reduce the cost of essential products in remote stores, upskilling local staff in nutrition, building or upgrading laundries in 12 remote communities and strengthening the Indigenous Procurement Policy to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. Further investments include boosting the Indigenous Business Australia Home Loan Capital Fund, establishing business coaching for women entrepreneurs, increasing access to culturally safe mental health support, and expanding services for family and domestic violence prevention. The plan also focuses on extending the Territories Stolen Generations Redress Scheme, digitising First Nations media collections, building 270 new homes in remote communities, improving maternal care, and increasing First Nations health care positions.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Government is working in partnership with states, territories and peak organisations to Close the Gap. He highlighted the record funding in health, education, and housing, along with an $842 million investment to fund essential services in remote communities. Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, noted that the Albanese Labor Government is focused on creating jobs with decent conditions in remote Australia, addressing housing overcrowding, supporting healthy children and safe families and implementing community-driven responses to address crime. She added that in 2025, the Government is building on these investments, focusing on easing cost of living pressures in remote communities, advancing the economic empowerment agenda, and improving living conditions and wellbeing. She said that through the Joint Council on Closing the Gap, the Government is creating systemic change to improve the way it works with First Nations Australians, the Coalition of Peaks, and state and territory governments to ensure that policies and programs are community-led and self-determined.

Pat Turner AM, Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, said that closing the gap is not just policy but a deliberate effort to improve the lives of First Nations people and future generations. She stressed that while the full impact of the changes will take time, the National Agreement has already shown results, with improvements in areas such as the proportion of First Nations babies born at a healthy weight and the increase in land and sea under Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander control. She pointed out the importance of evolving systems, policies, and governance to ensure successful implementation and hold governments accountable for strengthening working policies and changing those that fail to meet the needs of First Nations people.

Speaking to the media this week Catherine Liddle pointed to the importance of genuine partnerships between governments and the community-controlled sector to close the gap. She acknowledged areas of progress, such as the National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People, but stressed that true, large-scale change requires a commitment to properly invest in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Catherine said that the cost of living in remote communities remains a significant issue and that addressing this, alongside investing in community-led services, is critical. She also raised concerns about the lack of genuine commitment in some areas, such as youth justice, and the need for better coordination to address interconnected issues like child protection, suicide and justice system. Catherine said that the success of closing the gap relies on a commitment to work alongside communities, ensuring that policies and services are tailored to the needs of communities.

For more details, read the Commonwealth Closing the Gap 2024 Annual Report and 2025 Implementation Plan here.

For complete coverage, find the news stories linked below.

Topic: Price cap for grocery staples in regional and remote communities

The Australian government announced a plan this week to bring grocery prices in remote communities in line with those in metropolitan areas.

As part of the annual Closing the Gap statement, the policy will set prices for approximately 30 essential items—such as flour, milk, rice, fresh fruit and baby formula—at the same level as city prices in over 76 remote stores across Australia. According to reports, groceries in remote areas are frequently significantly more expensive than in cities. In the Northern Territory, for example, a standard basket of groceries costs 26% more in remote stores, while a nutritious selection of goods costs 40% more.

Malarndirri McCarthy outlined the government’s plan to implement price caps as part of its Closing the Gap strategy. She explained that the initiative aims to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures on people in regional and remote communities, where food prices are frequently double those in metropolitan areas. McCarthy noted that supply chain disruptions caused by extreme weather events, flooding, and road closures contribute significantly to higher costs in these areas. Aside from affordability, McCarthy stressed the importance of improving nutrition in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, which have high rates of chronic health conditions like kidney disease, diabetes and rheumatic fever. She said that better access to affordable, healthy food is a vital step toward addressing health disparities.

Catherine Liddle praised the government’s positive step towards addressing the high cost of essential items in remote communities, recalling her own personal experience in 2012, when her cousin spent $76 on basic spaghetti bolognese ingredients. However, she said that such changes will not close the gap unless they are part of a larger commitment to invest in community-controlled organisations and work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Catherine pointed towards systemic failures that contribute to the challenges that remote communities face, such as limited access to services and support for children and families. She said that when governments truly collaborate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations, the outcomes are more sustainable and impactful. While the pricing policy is a positive step, Catherine said that long-term success necessitates increased investment in services and support systems that are tailored to the unique needs of communities. She reinforced that government actions alone will not close the gap; it will require genuine collaboration, community leadership, and a long-term commitment to addressing the root causes of disadvantage.

The announcementof the price caps is part of the government’s broader Closing the Gap efforts with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committing $842.6 million to improve essential services in remote communities.

For complete coverage, find the news stories linked below.

Topic: Are You Waiting for Us to Die? – The Healing Foundation’s new report

Are You Waiting for Us to Die?, a new report released this week by the Healing Foundation, reveals that only 6% of the recommendations made in the Bringing Them Home report, which was published nearly 28 years ago to support Stolen Generations survivors, have been fully implemented.

On the 17th anniversary of Kevin Rudd’s Parliamentary apology to the Stolen Generations in 2008, the Healing Foundation released the Are you waiting for us to die? Report this week, calling for immediate changes to allow elderly survivors of the Stolen Generations to live their lives with dignity. The report calls for immediate improvements in support services, including equitable redress, access to family records and culturally appropriate health and aged care. The report, which draws on consultations with survivors and organisations, as well as analysis from the University of Canberra, outlines 19 new recommendations as part of a National Healing Package. These recommendations include reparations, rehabilitation, family tracing, education and accountability. Key findings show that only five of the Bringing Them Home report’s recommendations have been clearly implemented, while 45 remain unaddressed—meaning that only 6% of the recommendations have been implemented in 28 years.

Shannan Dodson, Chief Executive of The Healing Foundation, said that with survivor numbers declining every year, an urgent response is required from all levels of government, police, churches and other responsible entities. She said that survivors continue to be denied access to their own family records and that culturally safe, trauma-informed aged care and health services are crucial. Professor Steve Larkin, Chair of The Healing Foundation, noted that the new report offers practical policy solutions to some of the significant challenges facing survivors and their families. He pointed out that Stolen Generations survivors have specific, complex ageing needs, and many avoid seeking necessary services due to fears of re-traumatisation.

The Healing Foundation’s report calls for coordinated action from all political parties, governments and organisations to implement real change and practical solutions for survivors. The report also highlights the ongoing trauma experienced by survivors, with many human rights violations still unresolved. It calls for a comprehensive National Healing Package, including reparations, family tracing and reunions, formal apologies from police and churches, and continued support for Stolen Generations organisations providing culturally safe, trauma-informed care.

Professor Larkin said that the failure to act on the Bringing Them Home recommendations over almost 30 years has caused further trauma and distress for the Stolen Generations and their communities. He stressed that now is the time for a comprehensive and systemic response to address survivors’ pressing and complex needs. Catherine Liddle said the report emphasises the failure of multiple governments to implement report recommendations and that the report is an important analysis because it shows and reinforces that recommendations from major reports are rarely ever implemented. She said that a commitment needs to be made to those findings.

Senator Lidia Thorpe, whose mother was the Victorian Co-Commissioner for the Stolen Generations inquiry, condemned the inaction of governments on the Bringing Them Home recommendations, calling it shameful. She pointed to the worsening situation in the Northern Territory, where the government is attempting to dismantle the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle, which ensures that children remain connected to their kin, culture, and country. Pat Turner, Lead Convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, said that the Stolen Generations continues with too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children still being placed in out-of-home care.

The report concludes with a call for a systemic, national response to address the pressing and complex needs of Stolen Generations survivors, pointing out the importance of not only acknowledging past wrongs but also taking decisive action to prevent future harm and ensure healing for survivors and their families.

For more details, find the full report here.