EXCERPTS

The first job for Labor ahead of implementing its $5.4 billion landmark childcare plan will be to find a mechanism through which the competition watchdog can stamp out price gouging, according to former South Australian premier Jay Weatherill.

Childcare costs have been rising faster than inflation. Fees have increased by nearly 40 per cent since 2013, with another 6.5 per cent rise in the three months to December 2021.