OTTAWA, Oct. 16 /CNW Telbec/ – It is news to Canadian families that Stephen Harper’s government has delivered on child care, say child care advocates responding to tonight’s Throne Speech.
“Any parent knows that a $100 monthly voucher doesn’t create child care and without child care there is no choice,” says Morna Ballantyne of the advocacy group Code Blue for Child Care. “Harper’s claim is particularly misleading given that the Tories have not delivered a single one of the 125,000 child care spaces they promised.”
The Throne Speech signals the Tories’ intention to strip Government of the legislative and financial leavers to protect and expand social programs. “Redirected to child care the proposed 1% cut to the GST would provide every child in Canada between 3 and 6 with a full time child care space,” said Ballantyne.
Harper’s plan to legislate limits to the federal spending power demonstrates his continued hostility to social programs; a hostility he championed as head of the National Citizen’s Coalition and demonstrated when in his first act as Prime Minister he cancelled the child care plan negotiated with the provinces,” said Ballantyne. “The federal spending power is the Constitutional mechanism that gave us Medicare. It is the only tool the Government of Canada has to launch a pan-Canadian child care program.”
The Tories are misusing Quebecers’ desire to control their own social institutions to cover their actions, says Jody Dallaire, Chairperson of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada. “But Parliament has all the practical tools it requires to both protect and expand social programs while respecting Quebec’s distinct status.”
Bill 303, The Early Learning and Child Care Act, scheduled before Parliament this session does just that. It places conditions on provinces and territories that receive federal funding for child care but it also explicitly recognizes Quebec’s right to set its own standards. “Quebec’s needs can be addressed without imposing on all Canadians a measure that makes sense only for Quebec,” says Dallaire.
Ottawa last used its spending power for child care in 2005 when the then Liberal government signed bi-lateral agreements with the provinces on condition they report regularly and direct the money to regulated child care services. “Ottawa’s ability to set conditions on the funding it makes available for social programs ensures that Canadians from coast to coast to coast enjoy the same fundamental social rights,” said Dallaire.
Related article:
The Throne Speech is most notable for not saying anything on the issues which are important to working families.
This speech was not about moving us all forward as a people. It was about moving people out of the way so big business can do its own thing. Clearly the government has no intention of addressing the priorities of Canadian working families. The promises are renewed to provide businesses with new gifts of tax cuts.
But there is nothing for parents with young children looking for child care spaces and no mention of early learning programs for children.
OTTAWA, Oct. 14 /CNW Telbec/ – Child care advocates will be closely monitoring Tuesday’s Speech from the Throne to see if Stephen Harper allies with Gilles Duceppe to limit the federal spending power. The federal spendingpower is the only available tool the Government of Canada has to launch apan-Canadian child care program.
“This constitutional provision is the mechanism that gave us Medicare,”says Morna Ballantyne of the national advocacy group Code Blue for Child Care.
“Ottawa’s ability to set conditions on the funding it makes available for social programs ensures that Canadians from coast to coast to coast enjoy the same fundamental social rights.”
Child care advocates respect the desire of Quebecers to control their own social institutions as a means of protecting their distinct culture,” says
Ballantyne. “But Quebec’s needs can be addressed without imposing on all Canadians a measure that makes sense only for Quebec.”
Bill 303, The Early Learning and Child Care Act, scheduled before Parliament this session does just that. It places conditions on provinces and territories in receipt of federal funding for child care but allows Quebec to set its own standards.
Related articles
Analysis: Scoring the Tories on the April 2006 Throne Speech
Oct. 14 2007 12:19 PM ET
By: Parminder Parmar, CTV.ca News
On October 16th, the horse-drawn carriage of the Governor General will once again descend upon Parliament Hill for the throne speech. Just more than 18 months after the last throne speech, Members of Parliament will again follow the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to the Senate chambers to hear the Conservative Party’s agenda for what will likely be the remainder of its term…..
Care for kids
While the Harper government’s rhetoric on crime may play well to public opinion, the same can’t categorically be said about its child care policies.
The Harper government outraged some child care advocates when it made an abrupt policy change to a Liberal plan that would have worked with provinces to create a national day care program.
Instead, the Tories promised in their throne speech that they would give individual families a choice when it comes to providing day care services for their children. Last summer, they delivered on a campaign promise to give families $1,200-a-year payments for every child under six.
“Did (Harper) do what he said he was going to do? Yes, he cancelled the national child care plan,” says Elizabeth Ablett, the Executive Director of the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. “Did this help? $1,200 hasn’t created a single child care space.”
Ablett welcomes the additional money to help families, but she says it’s a far cry from what’s needed, which is a national child care program.
But de Clercy says when it comes to following through on their day care priority, the Harper government can claim victory. She says the Tories, along with bureaucrats, did a good job of getting their new program up and running in an effective manner.
But she cautions, the strong criticism about the limits of the Harper day care strategy may mean that this is one issue that is almost guaranteed to be revisited in the next election campaign.
A potential election in the near future will no doubt drive what’s in Stephen Harper’s second throne speech. The successful implementation of promises in last year’s speech may give the Tories some confidence. But analysts say they’ll need to present a more substantial agenda this time.
The flip-side of a tightly-crafted throne speech, says de Clercy, is that critics can claim that the Tories “have run out of ideas” and start asking “now what?”
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Child Advocacy Group Watching Throne Speech
October 14, 2007
CityNews.ca Staff
Political tongues are wagging in advance of Tuesday’s Throne Speech. Prime Minister Stephen Harper will reconvene Parliament with an outline of his upcoming plans. Harper has said that every piece of legislation proposed in the speech will be subject to a confidence vote. There is wide speculation of a fall election, countered with promises of other parties “propping up” the minority Conservative government.
Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, has outlined five non-negotiable conditions for his party’s unconditional support.
One of these conditions has child care advocates up in arms. Duceppe fully supports a limit on federal spending power. For provincially-run programs – like child care – to get a slice of Ottawa’s money, they must adhere to national standards. Duceppe argues that this compromises Quebec’s distinct identity.
Morna Ballantyne is the co-ordinator of Code Blue For Child Care, a national advocacy group. She supports federal spending power, as “this constitutional provision is the mechanism that gave us Medicare.” She continues, “Quebec’s needs can be addressed without imposing on all Canadians a measure that makes sense only for Quebec.”
In 2005, the Liberal government signed child-care agreements with the province. The catch? Provinces had to report regularly and direct the money to regulated services. This program was cut after the Conservative government came to power.
Of course, the speech isn’t till Tuesday. Ballantyne and other child care advocates are ready, and watching.
The 2007 UBCM Convention will be held in Vancouver, BC from September 24-28.
General info:
“ … The UBCM was formed to provide a common voice for local government… Convention continues to be the main forum for UBCM policy-making. It provides an opportunity for local governments of all sizes and from all areas of the province to come together, share their experiences and take a united position… Positions developed by members are carried to other orders of government and other organizations involved in local affairs.”
OTTAWA – Effective today, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is being forced to close its office, lay off its staff, and cease major consultations and advocacy on women’s legal issues as an outcome of the Harper government’s devastating changes to the mandate of Status of Women Canada. This closure is a grave blow to the continuing struggle for women’s equality…
NAWL has identified many issues on its law reform agenda that need to be addressed in order to ensure real equality for women. These include working to achieve proactive pay equity legislation, improved maternity and parental benefits, funding for universally accessible child care and early learning initiatives, funding for civil legal aid, reform of the Divorce Act, family reunification for domestic workers, equality rights for lesbian mothers, improved living conditions and respect for the matrimonial property rights of Aboriginal women living on reserves, improvements to the Canadian Human Rights Act and equality in the workplace and in the family….
Related articles
Women’s group closes after losing its funding; Opposition MPs say Harper government ‘turning back clock’
The Toronto Star
September 21, 2007
By: Les Whittington
Women’s rights advocates accused the Harper government of ignoring their struggle for equality after a leading women’s group closed its doors because of a lack of federal funding.
Supported by opposition MPs, the National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) vowed yesterday to use volunteers to keep up its efforts to combat violence against women, improve living conditions for those on low incomes, achieve pay equity, obtain funding for universal child care and other causes.
NAWL lost its funding of $300,000 a year after government spending cuts announced last fall. Despite a $13 billion budget surplus, the government slashed outlays for women’s advocacy projects and eliminated the Court Challenges Program, which funded legal actions by rights advocates. The Tories said Status of Women Canada would no longer fund organizations pressing policymakers to improve conditions for women.
“The Harper government is trying to silence women’s groups who speak out against its right-wing agenda,” NAWL board member Pamela Cross said. “These are ideologically driven cuts that demonstrate a defective concept of women’s equality and democracy.”
Opposition MPs denounced the moves by the Harper government.
“Women are being silenced in Canada,” Liberal MP Maria Minna (Beaches-East York) told the NAWL press conference. “How can we … say we are promoting rights for women in Afghanistan when our government is forcing women’s organizations to close?”
New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen said “the closure of NAWL will turn back the clock on women’s equality in Canada.”
NAWL, a non-profit legal reform organization set up in 1974, has, among other things, worked to strengthen laws dealing with rape, improve family law and ensure women’s equality was specifically included in the Charter of Rights. Cross said the group will continue by using volunteers, but that its effectiveness as a resource will be undercut by the closing of its office.
Heritage Minister Josee Verner told a news conference that NAWL might have some projects eligible for funding but that research and advocacy work would not qualify.
Women’s Equality moves to the back of the shop – Closure of NAWL leads to renewed call from labour for government to restore Status of Women mandate and funding
September 20, 2007
OTTAWA – The Canadian Labour Congress renewed its call today for the federal government to reverse budget cuts that have devastated progressive women’s groups across the country and immediately reinstate the equality mandate for Status of Women Canada.
Have Your Say on British Columbia’s Budget Priorities via
Public Hearings scheduled in 13 communities
Written Submissions
On-line Responses and
Budget Consultation Mailer
Finance Minister’s First Quarterly Report 2007/08
NEWS RELEASE
2007FIN0026-001127
Sept. 14, 2007
Ministry of Finance
STRONGER FISCAL OUTLOOK CREATES OPPORTUNITIES
VICTORIA – British Columbia’s updated fiscal plan is showing strong results, creating an opportunity for further investment in priority areas, Finance Minister Carole Taylor announced today with the release of the First Quarterly Report for 2007/08.
“When B.C.’s bottom line improves, so do our options,” said Taylor. “A strong and competitive economy, combined with a prudent approach to budgeting, allows for additional flexibility in meeting British Columbians’ priorities. We can do more while keeping the budget balanced and debt affordable.” …
For 2007/08, revenues are up $1.1 billion from budget due to increased taxation revenue, higher federal transfers, and higher net income for ICBC. … Spending is forecast to increase $190 million from budget due primarily to higher forest fire and flood related costs, additional child care spending, and changes to MLA compensation and pensions. The 2007/08 surplus is forecast to be $1.6 billion, up from $400 million expected at budget.
Economic growth is expected to remain robust at 3.0 per cent in 2007, down slightly from the 3.1 per cent forecast in the February budget. The revision reflects weakness in lumber and natural gas markets, and lower U.S. economic growth but is partially offset by stronger domestic demand, steady
employment gains, and continued strength in retail trade. Similarly, the economic growth forecast for 2008 is revised to 2.9 per cent, from 3.0 per cent at budget. …
“Prime Minister Stephen Harper has decided to delay the opening of the fall session of Parliament to Oct. 16, setting up the possibility of a fall election if the opposition parties vote against the government’s throne speech.
Parliament was scheduled to resume on Sept. 17, but Harper has chosen to end the First Session of Canada’s 39th Parliament early…
Parliament will begin with a throne speech that will, in effect, set the stage for a vote of non-confidence. The parties would vote on the speech within six working days, and the Conservatives currently have 125 of 308 seats….”
* If the throne speech is not supported by a majority of MPs, the government will fall, triggering an election.
What does this mean for Bill C303?
According to: Wanted: affordable quality child care — Vancouver Island News Group — Lake Cowichan Gazette; September 4, 2007; Jean Crowder, MP
“…As parliamentarians prepare to head back to Ottawa in September, the Early Learning and Child Care Act is also scheduled back in the House of Commons for a final vote. Because all opposition parties have supported this bill in the past, it is expected that it would continue through the process until it receives royal assent and becomes law.
However, there are concerns that the Conservative government is planning to prorogue the House (which means the discontinuation of parliamentary meetings without dissolving Parliament). If so, existing parliamentary business would end. All government bills that had not received royal assent prior to prorogation would cease to exist.
In order for a government bill to proceed in a new session, it must be reintroduced as a new bill or it may be reinstated if the House agrees.
Therefore, if the House is prorogued until October, the Early Learning and Child Care Act would be further delayed….”
Harper Conservatives celebrate first anniversary of failed plan
CUPE
Monte Solberg, minister of Human Resources and Social Development, is in Winnipeg today, holding a celebration of the so-called “Universal Child Care Benefit”.
“I’m not sure what there is to celebrate,” said CUPE National President Paul Moist. “This plan hasn’t delivered a single child care space.”
“To come to a city where there are close to 15,000 children waiting for child care spaces and hold a celebration is galling,” Moist continued. “Manitoba had one of the best plans for developing a universal non-profit child care system, until the Conservatives canceled the federal-provincial child care deals.”
Rather than address the crisis-level lack of licensed and regulated child care spaces, the Conservative government has decided instead to issue cheques for the taxable amount of $100 to families with children.
In Winnipeg alone, there are more children waiting for child care than there are currently in child care.
“If Monte Solberg is truly looking for something worth celebrating, his government has to first pass Bill C-303, the Early Learning and Child Care Act, and reinvest the money that’s needed to build a cross-Canada system that works,” concluded Moist.
“Quality child care is no longer just a social issues; the business community of BC now views child care as one of the key factors in addressing the labour shortage in BC. The ability to recruit and retain workers in all industry sectors is underpinned with a worker’s ability to secure quality child care that meets their needs. A comprehensive Strategic Plan for the Child Care system in BC is critical to staying competitive in today’s global economy.”
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BC Chamber of Commerce calls for child care plan, BCGEU Alert
The BCGEU and our partners in the “Child Care – Let’s Make It Happen!: campaign share a vision of a truly universal, affordable child care system and take issue with some of the Chamber’s recommendations, such as the proposal to use public funds for private capital funding for child care spaces.
However, as a whole this resolution signals a significant and positive shift in consciousness on the part of business.
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Related articles:
B.C. chamber calls on government to boost child-care funding
Trail Daily Times
12 Jun 2007
By: Raymond Masleck
Child-care providers are excited that their campaign for more government support has been endorsed by a key business organization.
“This has been years in coming,” said Sue McIntosh, head of the Trail Childcare Resource and Referral Centre. “This is a huge step that the business community is finally recognizing that work and child care go hand in hand.”
A resolution from the Trail and District Chamber of Commerce calling for an immediate increase in funding and a plan to provide more support for families in need of child-care gained unanimous support at the recent annual meeting of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce.
“We have taken what is traditionally a social issue and have had the chamber step forward and recognize it as a business issue,” said Sue Bock, a director on the provincial chamber’s board.
The key issue for business is the growing labour and skill shortages that have spread from the larger centres to small town B.C., Trail chamber manager Pam Lewin indicated. Local businesses are looking for employees and there are qualified people interested in taking the jobs, but they can’t because of lack of child care, she explained.
“There has been a huge change in the economy that is reflected in the huge drop in unemployment figures, across all sectors,” Lewin said. “It has had a greater impact in rural areas because we don’t have the same pool of workers.”
“It is a deterrent for young families coming to this region,” added Bock “and to kids wanting to move back here.”
The Sunshine Children’s Centre in Trail has a waiting list of 29 children for the eight spaces in its infant program and 39 on the list for its 18 spaces for three- to five-year-olds. Some of the slack is being picked up by private day cares, but there aren’t enough of those either.
“We had six referrals today with an average age of 2 1/2 and we couldn’t find one space,” said McIntosh.
With child-care wages running at $13-$14 an hour locally, with no benefits, the centres aren’t able to attract workers, and there is no capital or operating funding available to expand spaces. Sunshine received a $150,000 matching grant from the province when it built its facility, a source of funds that is no longer available.
“Our big concern is that we can’t increase the number of spaces because of the capital cuts,” said Sunshine manager Lynn Proulx. “Our economy is growing but we can’t provide the services to keep up with it.” …
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B.C. chamber …. at provincial meeting
Victoria Times Colonist
May 29, 2007
By: Carla Wilson
EXCERPT
… A total of 240 delegates from chambers around the province attended the meeting. …..Another Greater Victoria Chamber resolution to help tackle labour market shortages by creating more child care spaces for children up to three years old also won support.
If family child care centres were permitted to add one more child under three, and possibly offset that by reducing the number of older children, that could potentially open up 1,350 new spaces, the chamber said.
It can be difficult to find child care for younger children, Carter said….
The tradition began in the early 1980’s when the BC Daycare Action Coalition, now called the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, asked the City of Vancouver to proclaim Daycare Week.
Our first slogan was – “Good daycare is good for kids” – as relevant today as it was then.
Over time, May became Child Care Month in BC. Over the years, some Mayors passed proclamations, some BC governments produced posters, advocates continued with public education about the public policy agenda and the child care community and families celebrated this special month with parties, parades and picnics and recognition of the tireless and remarkable efforts of the caregivers across BC who are there for children, families and communities… day in and day out.
– Adapted from a CCCABC Newsletter
Looking back down memory lane:
In 2003: Susan Harney, CCCABC chair, wrote, “May was a time to honour the good work of child care workers throughout our province, to celebrate the work we do and to re energize ourselves to continue the “fight” to move child care forward, to build an affordable, quality, accessible service for families. In good faith we’ve struggled together, always believing that there was hope.”
But that year was different!
In 2002: CCCABC marched for child care
Today, 2007:
Linda Reid, Minister of State for Child Care thanked child care providers in B.C. through a letter to the editor in Cariboo Press, Kelowna Capital News [06 May 2007]
EXCERPT
To the editor:
May is national Child Care Month. As a mom, I want to take this opportunity to honour child care providers for their hard work and dedication to children. It takes a special person to work in this field and these individuals deserve our recognition. As we celebrate this month, it is also important to look at our successes.
We have heard quite clearly the priority for B.C. families is to address the need for more child care spaces…
As you probably are aware, as of April 1, 2007 the federal government cancelled the 2005 Early Learning and Child Care Agreement, which represents a loss to B.C. of $455 million over the next three years…
The B.C. government is committed to providing sustainable child care in order that families can choose from a range of affordable, safe, quality child care options.
Child care providers spend their days enriching our children’s lives, while at the same time providing parents with job stability and peace of mind.
For that, we thank all of the wonderfully gifted child care providers in British Columbia.
Commentary by First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition
To listen to the rhetoric from Victoria, you’d think that British Columbia had one of the world’s great child care systems.
Minister of State Linda Reid calls child care “one of the most vital resources for B.C.’s parents.” She speaks proudly about the steps already taken to provide “the strongest start possible for B.C.’s children.” And she talks about achieving the goal of “making B.C. the best place to raise a family.”
With all those superlatives, a person might believe that if we have not yet attained heaven on earth, we certainly can’t be far away.
Yet the same government “service plan” that contains Reid’s flowery language also reveals some alarming realities – if you know where to look.
The province estimates 24,480 families will get full or partial child care subsidies during the current fiscal year. That figure may sound impressive, were it not for the fact that there are an estimated 358,000 BC mothers in the paid labour force with children 12 or younger.
In other words, the subsidy system covers perhaps seven percent of BC mothers who might well be in need of child care for their children.
The service plan also predicts no increase in the number of families getting subsidies next year or even the year after that.
Despite the rhetoric about the importance of child care, government funding for child care and related programs is down from $535.3 million during the last fiscal year to $429.9 million this year. That’s a loss of $105.5 million, or nearly 20 percent, for child care, special needs and early childhood development. The BC Liberals blame Canada’s new Conservative government for the drop in funding, but the reality is BC could easily have made up the difference out of last year’s surplus of $3.15 billion (yes, billion).
Then there’s the issue of capital funding to create more child care spaces in BC. The latest service plan says “major capital funding” is on hold pending word from Ottawa about the new Conservative government’s not-so-new promise to create 125,000 new child care spaces across the country sometime in the years ahead. Provincial dithering hardly seems to echo their description of child care as a vital resource.
The federal government says money for the 125,000 new spaces will be given directly to the provinces to spend as they see fit. This would be an opportunity for BC to show some leadership and foresight, but it’s hard to be hopeful based on the record to date.
Once you get beyond official government publications, the gap between rhetoric and reality is even more striking.
There is little evidence that Premier Gordon Campbell, Finance Minister Carole Taylor or any of the other heavy hitters in the provincial cabinet have much use for child care. The fact that child care is left to the responsibility of a minister of state – that is, a junior cabinet minister – speaks volumes about the province’s commitment.
There’s also the issue of placing responsibility for child care within the ministry of children and family development, the ministry that is responsible for many thousands of British Columbians with a wide range of special needs. The ministry seems to be in a perpetual state of turmoil and reorganization, and it’s no surprise that child care has trouble holding its own amid all the other demands on resources.
Meanwhile, the ministry of education is gobbling up a slice or two of the early childhood development or early childhood education pies for programs such as StrongStart BC. Just where these other programs are headed or how they may impact child care programs is still not clear, because the province is loathe to share its plans with ordinary British Columbians.
Perhaps the word “plan” is too strong, at least when it comes to child care. Having a plan means having a goal, having detailed ways of meeting that goal, and having a timetable for reaching interim targets along the way. None of this is true in BC.
What we have are small patchwork programs that help some, but not most families with children. We have no firm commitment from the powers that be that child care programming really matters. And the province has essentially put child care policy on hold in the vain hope that substantial sums of new money might eventually be forthcoming from the federal government.
Without doing harm to the English language, it’s impossible to reconcile any of these realities with the public pronouncements from the BC Liberals about how much they care and what a great job they are doing.
One of the country’s foremost experts in early childhood development says Canada ranks last among developed nations when it comes to investment in early childhood education.
While the number of early childhood programs in Canada has increased over the past decade, the programs remain disorganized and scattered across various communities, Dr. Fraser Mustard said Monday.
“What we have early in terms of early childhood development, which is in this report, is chaos,” he said. “And the question is how do you get order out of chaos?”
The 185-page report co-authored by Mustard ranks Canada last among 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The OECD includes the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and Mexico.
The report found Canada spends just one-quarter of one per cent of its GDP on early childhood programs, while other OECD countries spend up to two percent.
Mustard said the country needs to create community hubs with child care centres, highly trained staff and extensive support programs for parents all under one roof.
Opposition targets Harper
Opposition leaders in Ottawa cited the report’s findings Monday in question period in their attack on the Conservative government’s latest budget, which they claim failed to address the needs of Canadian children and families. Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said the report showed Ottawa must resurrect the national early learning and child care program secured with the provinces before the last election – a plan the Tories shelved upon gaining office.
“The former Liberal government had a plan,” he said. “Why on earth did the Conservative government cut this plan?”
The Conservatives have said they are supporting parents directly through their $100-a-month universal child care benefit and transferring funds to the provinces to bolster their own child care programs.
‘Set the trajectory’
The early years have been shown to “set the trajectory” for how well a child does in school, as well as shape future social adjustment and health, Dr. Stuart Shanker told CBC News Online Monday.
But Shanker also said boosting funds won’t help unless a concrete plan is developed to reorganize the patchwork of programs across the country. “It’s not a case of ‘let’s throw a whole whack of money and the problem will go away,'” he said. “What we’re proposing is a preventative health model.” Shanker said the cost of behavioural and mental health issues triggered by problems in early childhood would drop if the right programs were in place. The report is published by the Council for Early Child Development, a not-for-profit group Mustard founded in 2004.
PART A: EXCERPT from “Supporting the Creation of New Child Care Spaces”
….Budget 2007 proposes to provide a 25-per-cent investment tax credit to businesses that create new child care spaces in the workplace to a maximum of $10,000 per space created. It also proposes to provide annual additional funding of $250 million to provinces and territories to support the creation of child care spaces ….
Budget 2007 announces the extension of existing funding of $850 million, provided within the CST in support of federal-provincial-territorial arrangements established in 2000 and 2003 for early childhood development and early learning and child care. These federal funding arrangements will be extended to 2013–14.
PART B: EXCERPT from “Federal Support for Early Learning and Child Care”
The Government of Canada will provide nearly $5.6 billion in 2007–08 in support of early learning and child care through transfers, direct spending and tax measures:
$1.1 billion in cash transfers to provinces and territories.
$2.4 billion annually through monthly payments to parents for every child under the age of 6 through the Universal Child Care Benefit.
$695 million in recognition of child care expenses through the child care expense deduction….
PART C: EXCERPT from “Investment Tax Credit for Child Care Spaces”
Budget 2007 proposes to introduce a tax credit to encourage businesses to create licensed child care spaces for the children of their employees and, potentially, for children in the surrounding community. The tax credit, which will be delivered as part of the existing investment tax credit provisions, will be available to eligible businesses that create one or more new child care spaces in a new or existing licensed child care facility….
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Responses to the federal budget
BCGEU: Federal budget ignores child care needs of working families
Mar 19 ’07
The federal Conservative budget dealt another body blow to universal child care in Canada, by returning only a tiny portion of funding they had previously cut, the B.C. Government and Service Employees’ Union said today.
“The Stephen Harper government has shown a complete lack of commitment to universal child care with this budget,” said BCGEU president George Heyman. “After cutting funding for the federal child care program last year, they restored about one fifth of the funding in this budget.
“It’s an admission of failure, without any real commitment to meet the needs of working families. While the vast majority of Canadians support an affordable, universal child care program, this government has turned it’s back on working parents across this country.”
On March 15, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives published the results of an extensive poll by Environics Research, which showed that 80 per cent of Canadians, and 81 per cent of British Columbians believe that creating more affordable child care spaces for working families is an effective way to reduce the growing gap between the rich and poor in Canada.
“It’s time this government stopped playing politics and actually started to address the real needs of families,” said Heyman. “The time for universal child care is now.”
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BC Federation of Labour: Working families hear lots of talk in federal budget but see no real action
Vancouver—Working families heard lots of talk that they were the centrepiece of today’s federal budget but the details show it’s only talk, with little action says B.C. Federation of Labour Secretary-Treasurer, Angela Schira.
“No matter how much spin the Conservatives try they’re simply out of touch with the needs of working families,” Schira said.
“It’s disappointing that both our federal and provincial governments simply don’t understand that you can’t solve the labour shortage if you don’t solve the childcare shortage,” added Schira.
“Childcare tax breaks for corporations should have been invested in building real spaces,” Schira said. “Corporations don’t have a great track record when it comes to childcare.” Schira added that the $250 million in childcare funding – announced last year only works out to $33 million for BC. Before the Conservatives axed the childcare plan BC was set to receive over $150 million this year. “Those dollars should have been provided to licensed, mostly non-profit, providers to increase spaces now.”….
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Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
EXCERPT
OTTAWA, ONTARIO– March 19, 2007 – It’s time for the Harper government to publicly face the truth – they’re hurting Canada’s families by failing to deliver on early learning and child care. Although they said child care was one of their top priorities in the last election, today’s budget confirms federal child care funding cuts of almost a billion dollars (80%). The announcement of a measly $250 million transfer to provinces and territories with no accountability framework shows that they do not have a plan for delivering the national child care program that Canadians want.
OTTAWA, March 19 /CNW Telbec/ – “Stephen Harper has tabled an election-ready budget, but the new packaging of the Conservatives should not fool Canadians,” says Paul Moist, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
“Underneath these new promises is their true agenda: to weaken national social programs and diminish the role of public services in Canada. The government is abandoning its leadership role by having no conditions or federal accountability requirements linked to the additional transfers. This budget takes it one step further and encourages greater privatization of public services,” said Moist…
Federal transfers for early learning and child care were cut by $1 billion when the government cancelled the national child care program. “There is no guarantee that the new funding will create child care spaces,” Moist said…
TORONTO, March 19 /CNW/ – “The Stephen Harper budget appears to be a budget structured to avoid an election,” said CAW president Buzz Hargrove. “The budget recognizes problems but fails to address them. There is a nod here and a wink there, but no real solutions.”..
“The budget admits that what the Harper government has done with the child care issue has been inadequate. This time they tried to fix the problem with a tax credit of a few hundred dollars for children under 18. What working families really need is the national child care program the Harper government scrapped when they came to power.”
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CODE BLUE – Our reaction
– The Conservative budget is cutting $1 billion that were previously committed to make early learning and child care accessible to families.
– The Conservative government is sticking to its failed child care plan by giving tax credits to businesses for the creation of workplace–and likely for profit–child care spaces even though all the evidence tells them it won’t work. In fact, the Conservatives are probably including this tax break knowing there will be no take-up. This way they can say they stuck with their original plan without having to spend a penny.
– The Conservative government is planning to spend $1.5 billion on a new flat child tax benefit. The cost of the government’s so-called universal child care allowance is estimated to be $2.46 billion in 2007-2008. This means a total of just under $4 billion in 2007-2008 alone will be paid out in payments to individuals. If this money was directed to child care services, it would be almost enough to operate a universal child care system for all 3 to 5 year-olds with federal funds alone.
– The Conservative budget is all about transferring responsibility for services to individuals (in the form of individual tax credits) and to provinces/territories (in the form of unrestricted, unaccountable transfer payments) and this will destroy the future of early learning and child care.
What we got
– Cancellation of $1.2 billion in transfers to provinces/territories that was to take effect on April 1,2007, as well as the cancellation of $1.2 billion in each of the next two years.
– a 25 per cent investment tax credit to businesses that create child care spaces in the workplace to a maximum of $10,000 per space created.
– $250 million in 2007-2008 to provinces/territories for the creation of spaces.
– Starting in 2008-2009, the $250 million transfer will be rolled into the Canada Social Transfer to the provinces/territories on a per capita basis. Reporting and accountability requirements are to be worked out with the provinces/territories.
– Starting in 2009-2010, the transfer through the CST will be increased by 3 per cent each year.
– In their costing of their support for child care, the Conservatives are rolling in the $850 million that is already in place under the Canada Social Transfer as agreed to through the Early Childhood Development Agreement in 2000 and the Multilateral Framework agreement in 2003. Let’s not forget that hardly any of the ECDA funds went for child care, and none of this money is new.
– The budget also allocates $1.5 billion to a new child tax benefit. The Conservatives describe this as federal support for early learning and child care but, like the so-called universal child care allowance, it has nothing to do with child care.
Watch out
– The budget specifies that the $250 million transfer to the provinces/territories in 2007-2008 is for the creation of spaces not their expansion. It is not clear that there will be any accountability or spending requirements.
– Starting in 2008-2009, any strings attached to the $250 million will have to be discussed with the provinces/territories.
– The transfer will not be increased until 2009-2010 after which it will increase by 3 per cent each year, the established Canada Social Transfer escalator.
– The previously negotiated transfers under the Multilateral Framework agreement stay in place under the Canada Social Transfer but are not being increased until 2009-2010 when all the transfers under the CST will go up by 3%.
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CCPA: Tax cut budget out of step with Canadians’ priorities
19 Mar 2007
OTTAWA, March 19 /CNW Telbec/ – Today’s federal budget may be a short- term attempt to buy votes but it fails to address the long-term priorities of most Canadians, says the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Two recent national polls one by Environics Research, the other by Strategic Counsel show overwhelming public support for government investment in social programs that benefit all Canadians and that tackle persistent poverty as well as income inequality “the other ‘inconvenient truth’ of our time.
“This is a budget that attempts to buy off low- and middle-income families with tax cuts and provinces with transfers,” says Ellen Russell, senior economist for the Centre. “The Harper government has opted for a second round of targeted tax cuts instead of building through social programs that Canadians say they really want.”
“There are many things tax cuts just can’t do. Tax cuts cannot create child care spaces, build affordable housing, or lower the cost of post-secondary education. Any government serious about helping working families would invest in these services.”
The Centre is also critical of the budget promise to transfer almost $5 billion to the provinces over two years with no strings attached.
“Without strings attached, the provinces are free to spend the money on lawn mowers instead of guaranteeing they will tackle poverty and inequality head-on, ” says Bruce Campbell, executive director of the Centre.
“The Harper budget is about nation dismantling, not nation building. A transfer without any conditions or standards is an abdication of leadership.
Nation building is far more than being a tax collector for the provinces,” concludes Campbell.
Restore Child Care! Events and protests planned across BC
BCGEU members are working with parents and community partners across the province to bring public attention to the impact of the most recent child care cuts.
Only a political decision can reverse the cuts, restore funding and build a stronger child care system.
A variety of events are being planned including public town hall meetings, rallies, letter writing campaigns, and MLA visits.
February 6, 2007 — A black day for childcare: Honour our children, and stand united. Rally 1:30 pm, Duncan city hall.
Stop cuts to childcare: wear black
ECEBC:
ECEBC supports the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, in their current campaign to have Minister of State for Child Care, Linda Reid resign and Minister of Finance, Carole Taylor restore the cuts!
ECEBC Day of Protest on February 13th – Meet on the steps of the legislature in Victoria, 12:30 on February 13th.
Buses will take people from Vancouver to the legislature in Victoria — leave 41st and Oak at 7:30 AM to make the 9 AM ferry. Email the office ecebc@direct.ca or phone 1-800-797-5602, or 604-709-6063 by Thursday afternoon to reserve a seat on the bus.
Contact local child care advocates for details about their plans for February. Feb 6th, 2007 marks one year since the federal Conservatives began governing.
MAPLE RIDGE:
On Feb 3 child care providers are rallying at Maple Ridge-Mission Liberal MLA Randy Hawes’ office at 1 p.m. They are putting together a paper chain with each link representing each child, parent, caregiver (and their family members) that will be affected by these cutbacks.
Feb. 6 from 6:30 to 8 a.m., at Lougheed Highway and 200 Street, providers will host a walk to bring attention to recent child care funding cutbacks.
Feb 6 th, MLA Michael Sather is holding a town hall meeting in partnership with program operators to discuss the future of childcare in the wake of B.C. Liberal government cuts. St. Andrew’s United Church, 22165 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge, from 7 to 9 p.m.
NELSON:
SPAN Nelson (Social Planning Action Network) & Dads for Child Care plan a Child Care Forum – Thursday Feb. 1, 7:00 pm
Dads for Child Care and SPAN Nelson Child Care Forum – The Social Planning Action Network of Nelson (SPAN Nelson) and Nelson Dads for Child Care will host a community forum on the issues – Thursday February 1st in the Hume Hotel’s ‘Hume Room’ at 7:00pm. Please attend – our kids are counting on you!
Feb 13, 2007 Day-care day of protest planned
[CBC News]
Feb. 13 — the day of the provincial throne speech — has been designated as a day of protest.
Deb Jarvis, the executive director of the Kootenay Kids Society, said some day-care centres will be closed for the day, while others will be the scene of public rallies.
RICHMOND:
Richmond Parents and Child Care Providers express shock and horror about the Provincial Government’s funding cuts to child care.
Over 700 protest letters from local parents have been collected and will be sent to Minister Reid. It is hard for local parents and providers to understand why, in a booming economy, this government chose not to support families with services and funding.
SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION OF BC (SACCA):
SACCA supports the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC in their current campaign to have Minister of State for Child Care, Linda Reid resign and Minister of Finance, Carole Taylor restore the cuts.
SUNSHINE COAST COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY:
“Gordon Campbell’s Liberal government slashes funding for our CCR and R program – Lobby the government through a letter writing campaign”
VICTORIA:
Feb. 6, 2007 RESTORE CHILD CARE! TOWN HALL MEETING – 7pm, BCGEU Area Office, 2994 Douglas St., Victoria
WESTCOAST CHILD CARE RESOURCE CENTRE:
MCFD has announced its plan for child care for the 2007-08 fiscal year. “…Many words have been used to describe this decision but it all comes down to one thing – it is BAD! Bad for families, bad for care providers, bad for organizations, and ultimately and most importantly, bad for the children who will be once again caught in the crossfire – or perhaps misfire – of government policy based on single-minded ideology!…”
Honourable Linda Reid
Minister of State for Childcare
Room 29
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Dear Minister Reid,
I am appalled by the recent announcement of cuts made by you as Minister to the already under resourced child care sector. At a time when the Province has a budget surplus, is faced with labour shortages – and when the Premier’s own Progress Board has highlighted the need for government to invest in child care – your ministry attacks it.
This is yet another example of the BC Liberal government failing BC families. When the federal government eliminated the Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC) agreement, Premier Campbell was silent. Now, instead of providing leadership and helping families, your government has decided to move backward to pre-ELCC funding levels and pass on the cuts to parents.
As a result of your government’s decision to cut childcare funding, centres are threatened with closure, while others are forced to raise their fees. And instead of providing leadership, you are on record as Minister of State for Childcare suggesting that parents should save money to make up for these funding cuts.
This new increase in costs will leave many parents in a position of having to take their children out of quality childcare and resorting to makeshift arrangements, including creating latch-key kids. Or some parents will inevitably leave the workforce because they will spend more on their child care than they receive as income.
The claim that the Province cannot afford to make up the shortfall left by the lack of federal funding is baseless and misleading. Not only does the Province have a budget surplus, but money invested in childcare is money invested in the economy. Quality, accessible and affordable childcare makes it possible for parents to participate in the workforce, and this is especially important at times of high labour shortages such as BC is now experiencing.
And at the same time as parents are forced to pay higher fees, your government is also cutting funding to Child Care Referral and Resource centres to such an extent that most believe they will have to close. These are the centres which parents rely on to find childcare and get help with subsidies and that also support all forms of childcare programs; provide training for childcare workers, organize resource libraries, and perform the important role of monitoring childcare provisions.
In fact, your government has relied heavily on these centres to extend and improve unregulated childcare in BC. It was only little more than a year ago that your ministry was encouraging these CCRRs to expand, to move into storefront locations, and increase their outreach.
With this encouragement from your government, many centres did expand – with a financial cost, but with great success; the CCRR’s annual report for last year shows a 56 percent increase in consultations with parents, thousands of parents received information and training, and there was a substantial increase in the use of the resources these centres provide. They further provide training and monitoring for thousands of childcare workers and centres, and resources to ensure that those centres can run well.
Yet after expanding these centres, your ministry is now cutting their funding, and telling them that it will buy out leases on offices, vehicles, cover severance pay, and reclaim capital equipment. In effect, the ministry responsible for childcare is paying for a crucial part of childcare work to stop.
Investing in child care is not a luxury. If we want to have the healthiest, most literate and educated province we need to make sure that BC’s children get a good start and as all the research shows, quality, affordable and accessible childcare is a key component in ensuring that strong start. If we want to have a healthy economy, we need to make sure quality childcare is in place.
Unfortunately Minister, it seems that all that you have been doing for the last year is undermining what should be one of our province’s economic and social foundations. It is no doubt because of your government’s appalling record on childcare, and your own lack of leadership as Minister that the childcare community is now calling for your resignation.
Sincerely,
Claire Trevena, MLA, North Island, New Democrat Childcare Critic
• Develop a province-wide strategy on affordable, accessible, and quality child care options for British Columbians, and consider providing additional funds for child care.
The Committee recommends that the government:
• Immediately allocate necessary resources to eliminate the waitlists for assessments of children and youth with special needs. Furthermore, the government should provide funding for a comprehensive pre-screening program for all children.
EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS
As in previous years, the broad theme of education ranked highly amongst the public’s priorities. This year, the budget consultation questionnaire grouped kindergarten-to-grade twelve education in with post-secondary education offered by B.C.’s universities and colleges.
Unlike last year, in which the Committee received hundreds of submissions on how to improve elementary and secondary school education, the majority of presentations this year focussed on early assessment funding, child care, English-as-a-second-language funding, and post-secondary education.
Early Assessment Funding
With respect to British Columbia’s younger students, we heard of a pressing need for the government to provide greater resources in the area of early assessment for children with special needs.
Linda Reid, Minister of State for Child Care announced significant funding cuts as the BC government will not sustain the dollars provided through the federal provincial agreements:
– as of July 1, 2007 Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) rates will be returned to the amounts the province spent prior to the federal provincial child care agreements.
– CCOF will be capped.
– CCR and R funding and provincial funds will be significantly reduced in stages.
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Response to the announcement:
Child care advocates decry cuts
The provincial government has capped the number of subsidized spaces
Vancouver Sun
January 6, 2007
By: Jeff Lee
EXCERPT
B.C.’s child care community was thrown into turmoil Friday after the provincial government cut funding for some services and capped the number of daycare spaces it will subsidize.
Saying it could not afford to maintain some of its child care commitments in the wake of the federal government’s decision to cancel a joint funding program that was started in October 2005, the province will begin a phased reduction of services starting next April.
Linda Reid, the minister of state for child care, said the province will continue to provide enhanced daycare subsidies to about 25,000 low-income families who use some of the 80,000 funded licensed spaces in the province. She also said the cuts amount to an average of $40 per month per child, which, she added, can easily be made up by the $100 a month parents now get from the federal government’s six-month-old Universal Child Care Benefits program.
That benefits program, announced by the Conservative government last year, diverted money Ottawa gave the provinces under a five-year agreement introduced by Paul Martin’s Liberals to help subsidize daycare providers.
The decision to cancel the last three years of the contract sucked $455 million away from the province, Reid said, meaning it had to reduce some programs.
“It is certainly challenging times for us,” she said.
But she believes families will put their new federal child care benefit into their day-care responsibilities.
“In that families in British Columbia are now receiving $100 a month from the federal government, we have said we would roll back our rates to the pre-October 2005 levels, which is roughly $40 a month because we believe those dollars are available through the federal government.”
The cuts were immediately decried by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of B.C., which said they will severely damage the fragile licensed daycare community.
“This is a huge impact on us. It will destabilize a lot of providers, who are already operating at break-even or at a loss,” said Crystal Janes, a member of the coalition’s board of directors. “Quality of care is going to be a big challenge now.”
Under the plan announced Friday in a letter to care providers, the province will:
– Reduce the subsidy to child care providers as of July 1 to levels before the federal-provincial agreement.
– Cap the number of subsidized daycare spaces, and only take new applications when other providers retire or close spaces.
– Cut funding for child care resource and referral programs as of April 1 back to pre-agreement days.
In a follow-up briefing to child care advocates, government officials said the $14-million resource and referral program, which helps train providers and assists parents in making applications for subsidies, will be reduced to $9 million in April, and to $3 million in October.
Janes said the resource and referral centres around the province provide critical services to parents and providers, and slashing the funding will undermine the ability to get quality providers in the long term.
Janes said most providers will have no alternative but to raise the rates they charge parents, even if they are subsidized.
And she said the $100-a-month benefit families now get from Ottawa for each child won’t likely cover the cost for many of the services.
In many cases, the subsidies are actually higher depending on the age of the child. Moreover, she said the province’s decision cripples plans to expand daycare services, something she said is integral to helping families earn living wages….
Since decisions about early learning and child care for Canadian children have important implications for the first stages of human capital development and parents’ labour market participation, such witnesses as the Canadian Child Care Federation and the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba encouraged the federal government — in collaboration with the provincial/territorial governments — to develop a national family or social policy framework with national child care as a cornerstone.
the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) be expanded to include children between the ages of 6 and 12 years;
benefits paid through the taxable UCCB be redirected to the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) to ensure that families in which both partners work outside the home are not penalized;
the maximum value of the CCTB be increased, with many groups advocating $4,900 or $5,000 per child, indexed for inflation; and
the federal government work with the provinces/territories to end the clawback of the federally funded National Child Benefit Supplement (NCBS) from low-income families with children.
Such witnesses as the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba, the Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union, Make Poverty History, the Canadian Co-operative Association, Communities for Children, and Dalhousie University, School of Social Work supported the development of a pan-Canadian, publicly funded early learning and child care (ELCC) system that respects the QUAD principles of quality, universality, accessibility and development.
Some witnesses expressed their preference for regulated and/or not-for-profit child care or, in the case of the Canadian Co-operative Association, for the development of child care co-operatives. It was suggested that federal investments be sufficient and appropriately allocated to ensure that an ELCC system meets the needs of all regions of Canada (including urban, rural and remote communities), of all children (including children aged 6 to 12 years, disabled children and Aboriginal children who live on- and off-reserve), and of all parents (regardless of the type of child care their situation requires).
While the requested level of federal investment in an ELCC system varied among witnesses, many groups advocated sustained and dedicated multi-year funding to the provinces/territories. Some witnesses, including SpeciaLink, specifically advocated the reinstatement of the federal-provincial/territorial Moving Forward on Child Care Agreements. The Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition and the BC Child Care Advocacy Forum stated their preference for shifting child care costs from users to governments over time, with some groups advocating a short-term goal of reducing total user fee contributions to a maximum of 20% of the total cost of child care.
Witnesses, including the Manitoba Child Care Association, told the Committee about the need to ensure, through monitoring and reporting requirements, that the provinces/territories are held accountable for their expenditure of federal ELCC funds. Other witnesses argued for guarantees that federal funds be used to supplement — rather than replace — provincial/territorial spending. To this end, several groups supported the enactment of federal child care legislation. The Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada, the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and the New Brunswick Child Care Coalition suggested that any legislation adopted respect the rights of Quebec and First Nations to establish their own child care systems.
The need for additional affordable and high-quality child care spaces was noted by a number of groups, including the National Children’s Alliance and the National Council of Welfare, TLC Centre Inc. and the Portage Day Care Center. Witnesses shared their suggestions about how the $250 million identified in the 2006 federal budget should be used to create child care spaces. The Fraser Valley KAIROS Group supported tax incentives to encourage business to create child care spaces, while other witnesses — including the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association and the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care — preferred that the provinces/territories receive funding in the form of dedicated transfers for child care. The Committee was reminded by the Human Early Learning Partnership, among other witnesses, about the importance of investing in the ongoing operation of child care spaces once the initial capital investment has been made.
Not all witnesses supported a national ELCC strategy, however. REAL Women of Canada shared with the Committee the results of a 2005 survey by the Vanier Institute of the Family, which found that 90% of Canadians believed that, in two-parent families, one parent should ideally stay at home and raise the children. Furthermore, the survey revealed that parental care ranked first and child care centres ranked fifth when parents were asked whom they would prefer to care for their preschoolers.
Some witnesses, such as Mothers on the Rampage, the Kids First Parent Association of Canada, the Care of the Child Coalition and REAL Women of Canada, believed that federal child care-related funds should be provided directly to individuals and families, who could then direct them to the caregiver of their choice. Proponents of this approach suggested that it would provide more equitable treatment of women who choose to stay in the home and those who work in the paid labour force. To this end, REAL Women of Canada and the Kids First Parent Association of Canada advocated the creation of a refundable tax credit for all children in order that families would be compensated for expenses incurred, regardless of the child care method they choose.
There was also no consensus on the appropriate role, if any, for the federal government with respect to child care associations. The Manitoba Child Care Association requested that the federal government sufficiently fund national and provincial/territorial child care associations, which provide research and resources to regulated ELCC programs. Other witnesses advocated the elimination of federal funding for child care lobbyists and advocates.
The Committee also heard suggestions related to the child care workforce. The Canadian Child Care Federation recommended the development of a national human resources strategy for the child care sector to address such issues as wages and benefits as well as national standards for training to facilitate the inter-provincial/territorial movement of workers. To enhance the quality and stability of the child care workforce, incentives for ongoing professional development as well as prior learning assessment and recognition to allow experienced child care providers to gain needed educational requirements were also advocated. The Face of Poverty Consultation was among the witnesses that encouraged increased salaries and/or benefits for professionally trained early childhood educators and caregivers.
RECOMMENDATION 6
The federal government amend the Income Tax Act to increase the value of the Canada Child Tax Benefit. Following this increase, the value of the tax benefit should be increased annually to reflect changes in the cost of living as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Moreover, the government — in conjunction with the provincial/territorial governments — should fund a national, accessible, affordable, high-quality, publicly regulated child care system. This system should respect any provincial/territorial child care programs already in effect, recognizing the leadership of the province of Quebec.”
Federal Bill C–303 passes second reading of the Private Members’ bill in the House of Commons
An Act to establish criteria and conditions in respect of funding for early learning and child care programs in order to ensure the quality, accessibility, universality and accountability of those programs, and to appoint a council to advise the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development on matters relating to early learning and child care.
Second reading: Nov 21, 2006
Vote – 144 “yeas” and 116 “nays”.
Early Learning & Child Care Act to proceed to Committee after passing in Parliament
November 22, 2006
OTTAWA – With the successful vote on Canada’s Early Learning and Child Care Act (C-303) this evening in the House of Commons, progress towards national child care took a major step forward.
The Child Care Act, introduced in June by NDP MPs Denise Savoie (Victoria) and Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina) will now move on to examination and debate at committee.
“We now have the chance to make history in this Parliament and shape legislation that will enshrine affordable, accessible, and universal early learning, and child care as cornerstones of social policy for Canadian families,” said Savoie. “Canada’s children and working families deserve the Early Learning and Child Care Act.”
“With this vote the majority of average Canadians are saying loud and clear to the minority Conservative Government that national early learning and child care are essential to today’s families,” continued NDP Child Care critic Olivia Chow.
“For too long Canada has been failing Canadian kids and their parents. We have fallen to the bottom of the OECD list. This should be a wake-up call to the Prime Minister. Most Canadians have already seen through his so-called child care program which only provides $100 taxable-dollars a month.”
Working families in Canada need child care and the NDP is absolutely committed to continuing pursue this important issue, working with the other parties to beat the odds and enact the legislation as law in the months ahead.
The Court Challenges Program has been cancelled by the Conservative minority government. This is a blow to all those in Canada who believe in fairness, equality and language rights for French and English minorities. Help reverse this decision.
A Steering Committee representative of both language rights and equality rights communities has prepared materials.
1. YOU can write your own letter as an individual or organization to the Prime Minister [E mail address: Harper.S@parl.gc.ca] and forward a copy to the Steering committee for their records april@ccdonline.ca
2. YOU can write your own Member of Parliament and send them a copy of the letter to the Prime Minister.
MP’s E mail addresses: use your postal code to find your MP.
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LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER:
Date …
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Office of the Prime Minister
House of Commons [*postage free]
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Prime Minister,
We write today to ask you to reinstate the Court Challenges Program. Only by reinstating the Program can you demonstrate that your government intends to respect the human rights of Canada’s people.
The Canadian Constitution establishes important constitutional rights, including the rights of official language minority groups to education and government services in their primary language and the rights of everyone to equality before and under the law and to equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination. However, these rights are empty unless the individuals and groups they are designed to protect can exercise and enforce them.
Since the Charter was adopted 25 years ago, successive federal governments have recognized that they have a responsibility to ensure that disadvantaged minorities have funding to take Charter cases forward. The Court Challenges Program, by providing modest contributions to the cost of important test cases dealing with language and equality rights, has made these constitutional rights accessible to Canadians. Without the Court Challenges Program, Canada’s constitutional rights are real only for the wealthy. This is unfair. And it does not comply with the rule of law, which is a fundamental principle of our Constitution.
The Honourable John Baird has been quoted in the press as saying that it does not make sense “for the government to subsidize lawyers to challenge the government’s own laws in court.” This statement implies that: 1) lawyers are the prime beneficiaries of the Program and 2) the government should not support challenges to its own laws. On both counts, deeper analysis is needed.
First, the beneficiaries of the CCP are individuals and groups who believe that laws and policies discriminate against them or deny them their language rights. They cannot go forward without lawyers to represent them, since constitutional challenges are legally complex. Secondly, when a country like Canada enacts constitutional rights it takes for granted that residents, when they believe the government is violating their rights, can and will challenge the offending law or policy. If residents cannot use their rights because of financial barriers, then Canada’s constitutional democracy is hollow. Governments must care that the rights they embrace are not meaningless, and the CCP has provided a simple and modest way of ensuring that they are not. We should emphasize that what the CCP provides is far from universal access to the exercise of constitutional equality and language rights. The CCP provides only limited funds for selected test cases.
Critics of the CCP dislike some of the cases that it has supported: cases related to same sex marriage, voting rights for federal prisoners, criminal law provisions regarding hitting children. The fact that some individuals or groups do not agree with some of the test cases funded by the Program is not a reason to cancel it. No one among us is likely to agree with every single test case that appears. The point of a constitutional human rights regime is to ensure that diverse claims, perspectives and life experiences are respected and taken into account in the design of laws and policies. The equality guarantee and the language rights in the Constitution were designed to help minorities, whose views and needs may not be reflected by governments, to be heard on issues that affect them closely. Cancelling the Court Challenges Program mutes their voices further, and makes Canada a meaner, less tolerant society.
The Minister of Justice, the Honourable Vic Toews, has questioned the accountability of the Court Challenges Program. This is not a sustainable objection. The Court Challenges Program has an established track record as an effective and accountable institution that promotes access to justice. It provides quarterly reports on its activities to the government and publishes an annual report with statistics on the number and types of cases that it has funded. The annual reports are public documents and are available on the CCP’s website: www.ccppcj.ca. It has been evaluated on three separate occasions by independent evaluators, most recently in 2003-2004, and received an extremely positive report each time.
The CCP is subject to some legal restrictions on disclosing information about cases that are before the courts. This information is protected by solicitor-client privilege and cannot be released by CCP, in the same way that legal aid organizations cannot divulge information about their clients. The CCP’s responsibility to protect this information was affirmed by a Federal Court ruling in 2000 (L’Hirondelle v. The Queen).
In short, Prime Minister, criticisms of the Court Challenges Program are feeble, and the need for the Program is strong. It is disturbing that your Government, in a budget-cutting exercise, would take the step of cancelling this Program that is considered by many Canadians a cornerstone of our justice system.
Commitment to the protection of the Charter rights of disadvantaged individuals and groups is one of Canada’s core values. Prime Minister, you recognized this commitment in the last election campaign, when you stated that if elected, a Conservative government would “articulate Canada’s core values on the world stage,” including “the rule of law”, “human rights” and “compassion for the less fortunate.”
In May, 2006, your Government appeared before a UN Committee in Geneva to defend it’s commitment to human rights in Canada, and described the Court Challenges Program as evidence of this commitment. Your Government wrote to the UN Committee:
The Court Challenges Program (CCP) provides funding for test cases of national significance in order to clarify the understanding of the rights of official language minority communities and the equality rights of disadvantaged groups. …
It is not possible for the government to support all court challenges, but this uniquely Canadian program has been successful in supporting a number of important court cases that have had direct impacts on the implementation of linguistic and equality rights in Canada. A recent evaluation found that there remain dimensions of the constitutional provisions currently covered by the CCP that still require clarification and the current program was extended to March 2009.
The cancellation of the Program stands in contradiction to the position that you and your Government have taken publicly on the Charter and human rights.
Finally, cancelling the Program shows profound disrespect for the francophones who live in provinces outside of Quebec, the anglophones in Quebec, and for all Canadian residents who may need the protection of equality rights, including women, Aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, members of racialized minorities, immigrants, refugees, lesbians and gay men, children and seniors.
The laws of Canada are never perfect. Those who need to point out the imperfections in our laws, in order that they may live on an equal footing with others, deserve to be heard. By cancelling the Court Challenges Program, your Government has indicated that they will not be and do not deserve to be.
Please reverse this decision and give us back a Canada that supports human rights.
