In announcing its plan to overhaul childcare with a $4 billion funding boost, Labor sought to blame the government for an increase in childcare fees over the past five years. In the leadup to the 2019 election, Opposition Spokesperson for Early Childhood Education and Development, Amanda Rishworth, said wages were stagnant yet living costs kept rising. He claimed that since the Coalition came to power, child care costs had increased by 28 per cent. Ms Rishworth's claim is in the ballpark. The increase in childcare costs can be measured by comparing average hourly childcare fees or by examining childcare costs as part of the Consumer Price Index. Using either of these measurements gives an increase in childcare costs within the range of 23 to 28 per cent since the Coalition took office in September 2013, when Tony Abbott became prime minister.
Verdict: In the ballpark