It feels like we?ve been here before: on the brink of finally achieving a national child-care program in Canada?and then a snap election called for Sept. 20 risks sending all the plans to the shredder.
We enter this election with signed early learning and child-care agreements from eight provinces. But now there are questions about the fate of those deals, and what happens to the unsigned provinces if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?s gamble on a majority government fails.
But that?s where the historic analogy ends. The child-care plan contained in the 2021 budget is not a reboot of former Liberal prime minister Paul Martin?s program that succumbed to Stephen Harper?s 2006 Conservative victory.
For one thing, there?s a lot more money at stake and those provinces with signed agreements, many of whom topped up the federal money with their own contributions, are anxious to see them stick. Gumption
Today?s Liberals have shown more gumption than in 2005 when they caved in to provincial demands in their rush to get everyone on side before the opposition forced an election.
To date, Ottawa has stood firm on its criteria for non-profit delivery, better trained staff and?what they?re banking on as the vote-grabber?marked-down fees for parents. Any provincial proposals coming forward without these pillars get sent back to their respective capitals.
Buoyed by their poll numbers and a weak opposition, the government is confident its agenda will survive. Yet elections are unpredictable an...