Federal Social Development Minister Monty Solberg announced last week that his "new government" in Ottawa would not be able to follow through with its much trumpeted promise to create 125,000 new day care spaces. Apparently there is only enough money in the government coffers to cover 9,500 spots, fewer than eight per cent of those promised.

The next day the prime minister announced a $14-billion surplus, matching the biggest in Canadian history.

Perhaps Solberg and his boss should explain to all those parents desperately waiting for day-care spaces exactly why a single one of those billion dollars could not be used to solve Canada's day-care problem immediately.