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Kate is passionate about contributing to public debate on a wide range of important issues. Here are some of the issues she has touched on in the past.
- Should successful athletes have to pay back the AIS 10 Jun 2009
- Let's give youth voice now for a better future 12 Oct 2008
- Organ donation it's the greatest gift of all 21 Sep 2008
- Is safe sex message falling on deaf ears 31 Aug 2008
- Grassroots funding is key to Olympic glorys 10 Aug 2008
- Easy to overlook big issue of homelessness 20 Jul 2008
- Trailblazer Natasha leaves lasting legacy 29 Jun 2008
- Heavy hitters boost our World Cup hopes 01 Jun 2008
- Youth Forum Discussion Paper 17 May 2008
- We can't take sport for granted 11 May 2008
- Women truly can do anything be anything 20 Apr 2008
- Let the Games begin with all our athletes 30 Mar 2008
- Proud past but future a challenge for women 09 Mar 2008
- Young people will be heard at highest level 17 Feb 2008
- Our nation has changed dramatically in three weeks 16 Dec 2007
- Mobile Phone Towers 23 Sep 2007
- Bradken Foundry 01 Jul 2007
- Full Fees 03 Jun 2007
- Eating Disorders 17 Dec 2006
- Iraq 27 Jul 2006
- Electoral Laws 26 Jun 2006
- Dental 08 Jan 2006
- Make Poverty History 18 Sep 2005
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Media Releases
2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 200809 Jul 2010 - CHILD CARE REBATE TO BE PAID FORTNIGHTLY
PRIME MINISTER
CHILD CARE REBATE TO BE PAID FORTNIGHTLY
To help ease cost of living pressures being faced by many families, Prime Minister Julia Gillard today announced that the Government will give families the option to receive Child Care Rebate payments fortnightly from 1 July 2011.
For the first time parents will have access to the 50% CCR at the time that they incur their child care fees, making it easier to manage the out-of-pocket cost of child care.
Families will also be able to choose whether or not they have their Child Care Rebate paid directly to their child care service and receive an immediate fortnightly fee reduction, or whether they continue to receive the Rebate directly.
Families who wish to continue to receiving the Rebate quarterly will be able to do so.
This will allow families to choose the payment arrangements that best suit their circumstances.
The option of fortnightly CCR payments will reduce the upfront costs of care and marks the next step of the Government's reform agenda in Child Care.
At the moment, a family earning $80,000 with one child in full time care would be paying more than $220 per week in out-of-pocket costs until they receive the rebate at the end of every quarter.
Under this new proposal, the same family's out-of-pocket costs would reduce to just over $110 per week.
The Australian Government has already made child care significantly more affordable for families by increasing the rebate from 30 to 50 per cent of out-of-pocket expenses, up to an annual cap of $7,500 per child.
As a result of this change, ABS statistics show that the cost of child care for Australian families fell by more than 20 per cent.
A family earning $80,000 now receives $2,239 a year more in Child Care Rebate than they would have under the Coalition Government.
Now they will also be able to receive that important assistance each fortnight.
Over the next four years the Australian Government is providing $14.4 billion through Child Care Benefit and the Child Care Rebate to help parents with the cost of child care.
Under the Coalition, the Child Care Rebate covered only 30% of out-of-pocket costs and families had to wait for at least a year to receive their rebate.
PERTH
9 JULY 2010
PRESS OFFICE (02) 6277 7744