Tony Martin stands up for little kids

NEWS RELEASE FROM SAULT MP TONY MARTIN, NDP SOCIAL POLICY CRITIC

*********************** Liberals jeopardizing quality of national child care plan

OTTAWA – The imminent national child care agreement will be a "disaster in progress" as long as the Liberals keep ignoring Parliament, provincial demands for a sustainable system and research on what produces quality care, Tony Martin, NDP social policy critic, said today.

On the eve of the Ministers' meeting in Vancouver, Martin issued the following statement.

"Ken Dryden is a likeable ex-NHL goalie but the Liberals are skating circles around Parliament, the provinces, evidence-based research and experts on their child care plan.

"Unlike the Liberals, the NDP says that public money must go to 'not for profit' centres and especially not to big box child care corporations who cut corners making a buck off looking after our kids.

"Unlike the Liberals, the NDP says that accountability is a two-way street. You can't put all kinds of conditions on the provinces spending money on quality child care without guaranteeing the plan being sustainable beyond the $5-billion, five-year commitment.

"Five billion sounds like a lot of money to the average Canadian but it's a billion a year split among 13 jurisdictions.

Quebec, with its $7-a-day cost for parents, spends $1.3 billion a year on a plan which many hold up as a model.

"Unlike the Liberals, the NDP is demanding the national child care plan be enshrined in enabling legislation based on the principles of quality, universality, accessibility, educational development and inclusiveness. Legislation will ensure two-way accountability between the federal and provincial governments.

"The Liberals think they can birth a system and quality will come. What will come is big box child care as quality goes south. Eddy Groves, the Canadian owner of Australia's largest corporation which owns 20 per cent (900 centres), was quoted in the media this week saying the Canadian plan would be an excellent opportunity for his business.

"The evidence-based research indicates that high quality indicators rule out the lower wages, less training, higher staff-child ratios, and greater staff turnover prevalent and necessary in 'for profit' centres.

"It is regrettable that so far the Liberals have tried to build this national system in their ministerial offices and in private deals with the provinces, excluding this minority Parliament and ignoring much of the wisdom from Canadian child care experts," concluded Martin.

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