Every family with young children calculates the daily cost of childcare down to the last expensive dollar. Both the Coalition and Labor appreciate this cost is an urgent political, economic and equity issue requiring billions of dollars in annual government subsidies – yet still considered inadequate to the need.

Childcare also turns out to be one of the few policy areas where Labor is happy to differentiate itself from the government by promising to spend more than the Coalition’s current $9.9 billion this financial year. Conveniently, Labor can cite any range of reports – from the Grattan Institute to the Minderoo Foundation to Chief Executive Women to KPMG – to argue extra assistance more than pays for itself, particularly by making it financially feasible for more women to work more days.