Harper Gets Failing Grades

Emma Sauve, 2, stands in front of a report card grading the Harper government's policies on child care during a news conference in Ottawa yesterday. Emma's mother and others were at the event to ask Harper to make improvements on child care.

By Norma Greenaway, CanWest News ServicePublished: Monday, February 05, 2007

OTTAWA — Child-care activists say the Conservative government’s change of heart on climate change has bolstered hopes it might rethink its child-care policy.

"It’s encouraging they have seen the error of their ways in other areas, such as the environment," said Monica Lysack, executive director of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada. "We are hoping they will see the error of their ways in child care, and therefore invest in a system to create and maintain child-care spaces."

Lysack was among a group of child-care advocates who gathered Monday at an Ottawa child-care centre to slam the Conservative government's failure so far to provide details of its promise to spend $250 million a year over the next five years, beginning April 1, to create 125,000 child-care spaces.

The plan calls for providing up to $10,000 in federal tax credits to businesses or community groups for each space they create.

Critics say the proposal is deeply flawed because, among other things, it provides no operating funds. Also, businesses have shown virtually no interest in the proposal.

The Code Blue for Child Care campaign — which brings together child-care organizations and other groups — unveiled a report card at the event that gave the prime minister failing grades for his government's child-care plan, the centerpiece of which is a taxable monthly allowance of $100 for each child under the age of six."

Stephen Harper has some trouble understanding basic concepts. His major term project, the universal child-care plan, is not child care," said Rachel Besharah, an early childhood educator in Ottawa.

Provincial and territorial governments also want details of the Conservative plan, given Harper's announcement a year ago today that he was canceling the former Liberal government's child-care funding deals, effective this March 31.

Killing the deals has left the provinces and territories with almost $4 billion less than they had banked on over the next three years.

• PM gets failing grade for his government's child-care planCanada.com, Canada
• Child-care coalition gives failing grade to Harper government Guelph Mercury (subscription)
• Child care report card: Harper doesn't make the grade CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse)
• Child care: Ottawa needs a climate change CNW Telbec (Communiqués de presse)
• Child-care groups gives Harper failingToronto Star, Canada
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real planCJAD, Canada
• PM gets failing grade for child-care planGlobal National, Canada
• Harper Gets Failing Grade on Child Care580 CFRA Radio
• Harper Government Gets Failing Grade on Child CareLiberal Party of Canada
• Harper taken to task over lack of child-care attentionChronicleHerald.ca
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real plan680 News, Canada
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real planNews1130
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real plan940 News
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real planMacleans,
• Child-care coalition gives Harper failing grade, calls for real planBrandon Sun, Canada