Table 1 Policy documents analysed in this article and brief descriptions of policy elite informants

1. New Directions for Early Childhood Education (Rudd and Macklin 2007a)

Government document

A key document of the Rudd Government’s policy platform for ECEC, publicly available from January 2007 prior to the Federal election in November 24, 2007.

2. Labor’s Plan for High Quality Child Care (Rudd and Macklin 2007b)

Government document

A key document of the Rudd Government’s policy platform for ECEC, publicly available from October 2007 prior to the Federal election on November 24, 2007.

3. Towards a National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education and Care (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations DEEWR 2009)

Discussion paper

A commissioned paper designed to inform government policy, January, 2009.

4. Investing in the Early Years: A National Early Childhood Development Strategy (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations DEEWR 2009)

Government document

An expression of government policy that formalised the COAG reform initiatives, July 2, 2009.

Transcripts from interviews with policy elites

1. Avril

In-depth individual interview transcript

A former senior policy advisor, academic and current social commentator.

2. Barbara

In-depth individual interview transcript

A former academic and Chief Executive Officer of a large ECEC organisation and current policy advisor involved in policy-making circles during the development of the COAG reforms.

3. Sarah

In-depth individual interview transcript

A former senior bureaucrat and policy advisor active in policy-making circles during the development of the COAG reforms.