Making it easier for mothers to return to, and stay in, the workforce is one of the key pillars of a Labor-appointed economic inclusion committee’s $34 billion wishlist to Treasurer Jim Chalmers.

The committee’s report argues that too many people are being left behind despite the strong jobs market. This includes people in regions starved of job opportunities, people with disabilities, those struggling to juggle childcare with work and those barely getting by on welfare payments.