Senator Catryna Bilyk, a former early childhood educator, said Queensland Liberal Senator Gerard Rennick's comments during a debate on Wednesday belonged in the 1950s and were among the most "bizarre" she had heard in 12 years in Parliament.

"It is the height of hypocrisy for Senator Rennick to say he supports parents' choice, but then reject a system that allows them the choice to work while having their children cared for and educated by trained professionals," Senator Bilyk said.

"He was insulting and made outrageous slurs against the thousands of early childhood educators who uphold the highest professional standards and deliver high-quality early learning to children in their care.

"What message are Senator Rennick's comments sending to parents - particularly women - who want or need to participate in the workforce?

"How dare he suggest that these parents are complicit in taking away the youth of their children."

Senator Bilyk said Senator Rennick's comments came after she explained that early childhood education and care should be affordable so parents have the opportunity to re-engage in the workforce while providing their children with quality learning.

Senator Rennick said he stayed home and raised his children for four years.

"And that was a conscious choice, because I realise how important it is for children to spend time with their parents when they are young," he said.

"Ideally it would be great if a parent could stay home and raise their children in the early years between zero and three, because, as I said in my maiden speech, there is no greater bond than that of a child and a parent."

Discovery Early Learning Centres chief executive Jo Walsh said Senator Rennick's comments failed to recognize the important work that early childhood educators did and the important role that early education plays in children's early development.

"Research show that the first 1000 days of a child's life are the most important for brain development. Access to quality early education and care for all children is vital to ensure that all children are able to have with the best start possible to life," Ms Walsh said.

"The senator's comments fail to recognize that not all children are supported fully in their home environment and that a large percentage of families require dual income and rely on education and care.

"Child care is not just about work force participation- it is about social skills, exposure to early literacy, early numeracy, self regulation and early intervention all of which are essential life skills that enable children to become successful and active members of their community."

Senator Bilyk said Senator Rennick's view of publicly funded child care as "the hand of government reaching in and taking away our children's youth" was an attitude that belongs well in the past.

"If 1950's attitudes like Senator Rennick's reflect the modern day Liberal Party then it goes some way towards explaining why Australians paid some of the world's highest out-of-pocket child care fees prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, and will do so again come July 13," Senator Bilyk said.

She said child care made "an enormous contribution to children's physical, psychological, social and emotional development".

Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday said Senator Rennick's comments were "garbage".

She said the government needed to be focusing on supporting women into work - not telling them to stay home.

"It's not only stuck in the dark ages but ignores the reality that most families - around 70 per cent - have two parents working and need to be working to financially support their family," Ms Munday said.

"The Liberals claim to be good economic managers but if they understood the economy even a bit, they would know that increasing women's participation in the workforce will have huge economic benefits.

"The Grattan Institute says if we can increase women's participation by just 6 per cent, it would add a massive $25 billion to Australia's GDP. No other single economic reform would have such a significant pay off."