Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says there are too many questions about the ABC Learning childcare crisis that have gone unanswered for weeks by Education Minister Julia Gillard.

ABC Learning appointed administrators on Thursday November 6. The Federal Government’s $22 million prop-up to keep ABC Learning centres open expires on December 31 this year. 386 ABC Learning centres have been marked as being ‘under operational review’, with an uncertain future in 2009.

“Parents and workers have waited far too long for answers from the Government on the fate of their centres,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

“I first asked the Education Department on Monday October 22 during a Senate Estimates hearing as to whether the Government had a contingency plan in the event that ABC Learning collapsed, which subsequently happened two weeks later.

“Despite being assured that the Government had something in the works, parents, workers and parliamentarians alike are none the wiser as to what the plan entails.”

Senator Hanson-Young pointed to a number of questions that have remained unanswered by Education Minister Gillard, including:

• When will parents with children at the 386 ABC Learning centres marked as ‘under operational review’ know whether their centre will remain open in 2009?
• What does the future hold for the staff at these 386 ABC Learning centres?
• What is the Government’s “contingency plan” for the ABC Learning centres that will close in 2009?
• What is the Government’s longer term plan for ensuring all existing ABC Learning centres are run under a more sustainable model, putting the care of children before profits?
• What is the Government doing to ensure that a crisis like this does not occur again?
• When will the Education Minister hold an emergency summit on the childcare sector in Australia, as requested by stakeholders and supported by the Senate?

Senator Hanson-Young said that parents and workers deserved answers now.

“Workers are concerned for their livelihoods, unsure if they will have a job to return to after the Christmas break. Parents are wondering if they will be able to drop their kids off at their centre so they too can return to work in January.

“No more deferring – Minister Gillard must front up with her much-touted plan without further delay.”