PM hints at universal childcare by middle of next term

Anthony Albanese has hinted that universal childcare could be in place by the middle of the next term of government, as he defended his decision to pre-empt a Fair Work Commission wage case and fund a 15 per cent pay rise for childcare workers over the next two years.

The prime minister, who will soon release the final report by the Productivity Commission into universal childcare, said the policy aspiration could not be achieved without a strong workforce and the only way to achieve that was to offer high wages.