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New Shadow Ministerial Appointments
15-September-2010
Following the result of the 2010 Election, the revised Shadow Ministry has been announced by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. Member for Farrer Sussan Ley has been appointed as Shadow Minister for Employment Participation and Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning.
Speaking about the new appointments Ms Ley said she was thrilled to have been given portfolio responsibility in two critical policy areas; jobs and children.
“There is nothing more important than getting every child the right start in life” Ms Ley said “and we need policies that support families with their childcare choices and give children the best possible chances as they begin a lifetime of learning”.
Ms Ley said that early intervention to build resilience in children with special needs and children at risk was an area in which she was particularly interested and access to good quality childcare and pre-school was vital in this.
“The earlier problems such as Autism Spectrum disorder can be picked up, the faster families can be linked with the services they need” she said.
In the area of employment participation Ms Ley quoted Tony Blair’s statement that fairness in life starts with a job, emphasising the need for effective policies that support disadvantaged jobseekers back into the workforce.
“The Coalition’s Green army, to complement the Landcare efforts of farmers is an excellent example of an employment participation initiative that works both for the community and for the individual” Ms Ley said.
Ms Ley said she would take stock of the state of regional and rural Australia as she approached her new role; noting that childcare in some of our rural areas is far from adequate and that there is also scope to provide more opportunity for meaningful employment for people who are missing out.
“I look forward to holding the Government to account in these important policy areas and welcome the new opportunities for debate that the new Parliament will bring” Ms Ley said.