23rd Nov 2010, 8:05 PM – Representatives Family Assistance Legislation Amendment (Child Care Budget Measures) Bill 2010 - Second Reading - Read a second time

The majority voted in favour of a motion introduced by Labor MP Kate Ellis, which was that the bill be read for a second time.(Read more about the stages that a bill must pass through here. ) This means that the majority agreed with the main idea of the bill and that the House can now discuss the bill in detail.

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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