I don't like to say it, but onya Jackie Kelly

I had wondered whether Jackie Kelly's last big splash in the Sun Herald on childcare a few months ago was a soften-up for some big long daycare news in the budget, but that was obviously not the case.

So I'm pleased to see her pushing the issue again yesterday, saying that Labor takes childcare more seriously (perhaps because there are women with young children in cabinet*), that Howard wants women at home with babies and that even some women who agree with him choose to work for one reason or another.

I'm not quite so sure about her view that improving childcare would lessen the divorce rate, but it's not a ridiculous comment in the context of the emotional and financial stresses that life with little kids can involve. Not to mention the horrible sinking realisation that you may have thrown that career down the toilet without realising what you've done. Little bit close to home, that last one.

* Weirdly, there are men with young children in Cabinet too, such as Lindsay Tanner, but somehow childcare is irrelevant to men's ability to work. It's not Jackie's fault. I blame Teh Patriarchy.