Kellie Sloane
Leader of the Opposition
NSW Liberal Leader
Gurmesh Singh
NSW Nationals Leader
Felicity Wilson
Shadow Minister for Early Education
A Sloane Liberal and Nationals Government will deliver high-quality and safe preschool education for children and their families across NSW by winding back Labor's cruel cuts and restoring funding certainty.
The Minns Labor Government has gutted the Start Strong framework from 31 December 2026 and replaced it with separate opaque and insufficient funding arrangements for community preschools and long day care services.
Families and educators right across NSW have been condemning Labor's changes, saying they undermine quality and safety for preschool aged children and threaten the viability of early education across NSW.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane said the Liberals and Nationals will support fair pay for educators and provide quality preschool education for families.
"A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will reverse Labor's cuts to the Start Strong funding arrangements for both community preschools and long day care services," Ms Sloane said.
"Stakeholders have said cutting the program is bad policy and will impact the quality and viability of preschool education for 170,000 children across NSW. Once again Labor is ignoring that important feedback."
"Preschool is where children learn to make friends, build confidence and get ready for their first day of school; that early start is worth investing in."
NSW Nationals Leader Gurmesh Singh said families and early education providers across regional NSW would feel these impacts hardest.
"Families in our regions rely heavily on community preschools and they are telling us that children will miss out if Labor's cuts proceed," Mr Singh said.
"When Labor forces preschools to close in regional NSW, there are no alternative services. Kids miss out, parents can't get to work, and a vital community hub is lost forever."
Shadow Minister for Early Education Felicity Wilson said families, educators and providers across the state had made their concerns clear and been ignored by this Labor Government.
"We've heard from parents, educators, and providers in communities right across NSW, and the message is consistent: they are worried about what Labor's changes mean for quality, affordability and choice," Ms Wilson said.
"With falling education standards demonstrated through NAPLAN, and increasing behavioural issues in our classrooms, this is the worst time to gouge investment in preparedness for school entry."
Our plan for early learning is to:
- Reinstate the Start Strong program:
- Replacing Labor's insufficient and opaque funding methodology for community preschools.
- Providing funding for the preschool program payments for approved long day care preschool programs, ensuring the 72 per cent of preschool-aged children in long day care settings don't miss out.
- Negotiate in good faith with community preschool educators on a fair wage increase, reversing Labor's failure to follow instructions from the Fair Work Commission.
- Ensure appropriate allocation of the former Liberals and National Government's landmark $5 billion Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund to deliver the early learning that our children and families need.
