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Mr. Barry
Devolin (Haliburton—Kawartha
Lakes—Brock,
CPC): Mr.
Speaker, the Minister of Social Development has admitted many
times that the $5 billion promised for child care over the next
five years represents only a tiny portion of the total cost
anticipated. Using Quebec as a cost model, this national day care
scheme could easily top $12 billion a year.
It is easy for
the minister to wax poetically about the next great social program.
However, Canadians want to know, overtaxed Canadians want to know:
Who does the minister expect to pick up the tab, the provinces, the
municipalities or parents themselves?
Hon. Ken
Dryden (Minister of Social Development, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, as the hon. member knows, many years ago people decided to
invest in education. They decided to invest in health care. They
knew it was important. They knew it was going to matter a lot to
Canadians in the present and to Canadians in the future.
What Canadians
have an opportunity to do in an early learning and child care system
is to decide for themselves, now and in the future, how important
early learning and child care is for this country.
PART 2
Mr. Barry
Devolin (Haliburton—Kawartha
Lakes—Brock,
CPC): Mr. Speaker, cash
strapped provinces and municipalities deserve to know what is
further down the road the minister wants to take them.
I am glad he
raised the issue of health care. When the Canada Health Act was
introduced Ottawa agreed to pay 50% of total health costs. Today
that contribution has been slashed to less than 15%, mostly by the
Prime Minister.
With the
federal contribution starting at less than 10% for day care, how
long until Ottawa totally abandons provinces and municipalities to
carry the entire cost of this program themselves?
Hon. Ken
Dryden (Minister of Social Development, Lib.): Mr.
Speaker, I might remind the hon. member that the $5 billion over
five year commitment represents an increase of 48% on what all
governments are currently spending on child care in this country.
If we look at
individual provinces, for the province of Ontario by the third
year in this, it will represent a 69% increase. For Saskatchewan,
a 95% increase. For Nova Scotia, a 90% increase. For Newfoundland
130% increase. For New Brunswick 132% increase.
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