While many might presume universal childcare means free childcare – akin to public schools for older children – the government has defined it as care that is “available, quality and affordable”.
It gives us a clear hint of where Labor believes it can make a mark.
In June 2024, the productivity commission looked at three options: the recommended option was free childcare for families with a household income under $90,000, then progressively dropping the subsidy down from 100% towards zero with every $5,000 increase in household income, tapering off at $580,000.
Labor is running out of time to make its case to Australian families about how they are going to make childcare accessible and affordable for all Rachel Hill, a mother of two from Sydney, explains the maths of family planning.