Investing in our children’s early
years
Our children’s first years are their foundation for lifelong success—or
struggle. Healthy environments, nutrition and engagement are crucial.
And we know that learning-oriented child care is one choice that gives
kids a valuable head-start.
Yet, 18 years after Parliament passed Ed Broadbent's motion to end child
poverty by 2000, nearly 800,000 kids live in third-world conditions that
sap their potential. And while most families with preschoolers rely on
outside child care, Canada's patchwork of public programs can't even
accommodate one in five. With a shortage of 1.4-million quality spaces,
many families can only afford options that may short-change their kids.
When European countries invested to ensure child care for most of their
citizens, they found that each dollar spent returned two more to the
economy. But here in Canada, three straight Prime Ministers have broken
their commitments to improve our kids' early years, squandering billions
on corporate tax giveaways instead.
It doesn't have to be this way.
It's time for a Prime Minister who's ready to make child poverty
history—and quality, affordable child care a reality. It's time for a
Prime Minister who will put you and your family first. Jack Layton will
be that Prime Minister.
Don't let them tell you it can't be done.
Stephen Harper can't be trusted.
* One of his first acts as Prime Minister was to cancel agreements with
Canadian provinces to fund the creation of affordable child care spaces
for working families.
* Ignoring all advice from early learning advocates, he committed to
create 125,000 new at-work child care spaces a year by offering tax
credits to private employers—and not one new space has ever been created
through this scheme.
* He replaced his failed tax credit scheme with a $250-million
provincial child care transfer—one fifth of what experts say is needed
to begin filling the national shortage of regulated, affordable child
care spaces.
* His "Universal Child Care Benefit" is a deceptive family allowance
subject to unfair clawbacks—families that need childcare the most get
the least, and nobody gets more than $100/month, which does little to
offset the average family's child care costs.
Stephane Dion is not the change we need.
* By instructing his MPs to skip crucial votes, he rubber-stamped
Harper’s plan to squander $50-billion on tax giveaways for large
corporations—200 times more than this year's federal investment in new
child care spaces.
* In 1993 and every election thereafter, Liberal governments promised to
launch a national child care program with 50,000 new spaces every
year—but did nothing until their fragile 2005 minority government was
pressured to sign first-step deals with provinces—which they didn't
bother to protect with legislation. That's not the change we need.
Jack Layton's New Democrats: Putting you and your family first.
This election, Jack Layton and his team of New Democrats are presenting
a plan invest in your children's early years. Already, Layton’s team has
led the way in Parliament:
* Successfully passed at Second Reading the Early Learning & Child Care
Act—legislation to finally establish licensed child care as a national
program governed by same principles as the Canada Health Act: quality,
accessibility, affordability, and universality.
* Staged a cross-Canada tour to expose efforts by multinational child
care providers to import their "big box" profits-before-development
approach by buying out hundreds of community-based operators.
* Successfully passed a motion enshrining “Jordan's Principle”, which
ensures that First Nations children will no longer be denied access to
medical care and essential services while governments bicker over who
should pay the bills.
* Tabled legislation banning exploitative advertising targeting kids
under 13—ads that generally promote unhealthy food products with massive
profit margins.
* Co-launched a prototype Children’s Health & Nutrition Initiative to
build a national coalition of stakeholders who are passionate about
Canada becoming a world leader in making safe and healthy food available
to all children and reshaping our communities to better support child
health.
Investing in our children’s early years Cleaner air, land and water
Tackling global warming Education & training your family can afford
Forestry: renewing a struggling sector Improving public health care Fair
immigration for a stronger Canada Manufacturing: Confronting the crisis
Confronting poverty in Canada Equality for Canadian women Protecting
Canadian sovereignty Keeping commitments to the world’s poor Fighting
for human rights and equality Making your vote count Protecting the
average consumer Fairness and affordability for you and your family
Justice for First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples
Authorized by the official agent of the candidate