Throne speech contains scant detail on Tory child care plans

No hint of compromise on unpopular plan to kill $5-billion plan negotiated with the provinces by the previous government

Ottawa (4 April 2006) - The first throne speech of the Conservative government, read Tuesday by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, reiterates Prime Minister Stephen Harper's pledge to give "direct financial support" to Canadian parents for child care.

However, anyone hoping for insight on whether the new minority administration will compromise with opposition parties to get its program through Parliament was disappointed.

The speech contained only a terse outline of the government's legislative priorities.

In fact, the section on child care was so brief it did not even mention Harper's oft-stated intention to kill a $5-billion national child care plan negotiated by the former Liberal government with the provinces.

Nor did it refer to the actual amount of money - $1,200 per child annually - Harper intends to give to parents in direct cash payments. Instead, the speech, prepared by Harper's office for the Governor General, dealt with the issue only in the most general way.

"Strong families ensure a bright future for Canada. The most important investment we can make as a country is to help families raise their children," it said.

"The government understands that no two Canadian families are exactly alike. Each has its own circumstances and needs. Parents must be able to choose the child care that is best for them. The government will help Canadian parents, as they seek to balance work and family life, by supporting their child care choices through direct financial means. In collaboration with the provinces and territories, and with employers and non-profit organizations, it will encourage the establishment of new child care spaces."

Tory approach is not a plan

The throne speech will do nothing to appease critics who say the Conservative approach represents a giant step backward for child care in Canada. The grants promised by Harper fall far short of the assistance parents need. They will also benefit wealthy parents as much as those who are poor.

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), which represents 340,000 members across Canada, was disappointed but not surprised by the thin child care content in the throne speech.

The union supports any financial support given by the government to families. However, the Conservative approach is not a child care plan. Direct grants will not create a single new child care space. Also, the $100 a month proposed by the Harper government is a ridiculously small amount of money compared to the real need of parents.

Harper got through the Jan. 23 election campaign without a serious debate on child care, thanks to the distracting antics of opponents who managed to trivialize the issue with references to "beer and popcorn." But now that Parliament has been recalled the glaring weaknesses of his approach should be held up to serious scrutiny.

The prime minister is expected to face tough questions from opposition parties, working parents, child care advocates, labour unions, municipal governments and others about scrapping the multi-billion-dollar agreements negotiated by the Liberals with the provinces.

The lack of detail in the throne speech merely sets the stage. NUPGE