2026-04-30
The Australian Greens have renewed calls to overhaul early childhood education and care following a major closure announcement by private operator G8 Education.
G8 operates 395 centres nationwide, caring for around 36,000 children, and will shut more than a tenth of its sites, including a dozen in Victoria, leaving thousands of families scrambling for alternatives.
The closures follow serious abuse allegations involving a G8 employee across multiple centres.
The Greens say the decision exposes the failures of a privatised, for profit system, forcing families into fewer, more expensive options, often further from home and with long waiting lists.
Lines attributable to Greens spokesperson for Early Childhood Education, Senator Steph Hodgins May:
“This is what happens when childcare is run for profit. Centres disappear overnight at the whim of corporate management, and families pay the price.
“It is no coincidence these closures come from the same company linked to shocking abuse allegations. The system is failing on safety, stability and accountability.
“The for-profit model of childcare and early childhood education that we have in this country encourages this kind of greed-motivated cost-cutting with no care for the children, families and communities affected.
“The government’s proposed band aid fixes will not solve this, and they know it.
“The Prime Minister talks about universal early learning, but we are not seeing real progress. The upcoming budget is a chance to back families, not corporations.
“A 25 percent tax on gas exports, as recommended by our inquiry, would more than fund universal, accessible childcare.
“The Greens want a high quality, publicly funded universal childcare system that guarantees affordable, reliable care for every family."