Background:

Australia is in the midst of a government inquiry into early childhood education and care. The Productivity Commission, the Australian Government's independent research and advisory body, is holding an inquiry "to examine and identify future options for a child care and early childhood learning system". The Commission has produced a draft report, and the public have been invited to make written submissions and to participate in further public hearings. The final report is scheduled for release in October 2014.

• The draft report, summary and video are available on the Productivity Commission website. [2]

There has been a lot of reaction to the draft report's wide-ranging recommendations. The following are selection of the many media articles on the inquiry and its report.

• PC logic: Let market solve childcare market failure [3], Eva Cox, The Conversation, 29 July 2014
• Childcare benefit v paid parental leave: productivity commission has a winner [4], Guardian, 24 July 2014
• Good results for early learning, but the devil is in the detail [5], The Conversation, 22 July 2014
• Union slams childcare report [6], SBS, 22 July 2014
• Why women should have their paid parental leave scheme, and their childcare too [7], Daily Telegraph, 22 July 2014
• Abbott warned against "turbo-charging" "murky" childcare [8], Queensland Times, 22 July 2014
• Call for paid childcare for 'qualified' grandparents: productivity commission [9], Sydney Morning Herald, 22 July 2014
• Childcare reforms must not come at expense of quality: policy expert [10], Health Canal, 22 July 2014