Mr. Speaker, the member has some misunderstandings about child care.
First, he should be clear that the New Democratic Party has not talked about providing free child care to everyone. We have talked about building a national child care program that provides high quality, accessible and affordable spaces and settings for children, and that includes spaces in remote communities in northern Canada, rural Manitoba, eastern fishing villages, the whole range.
The member needs to be absolutely clear about how this works. In the case of a province like Manitoba, the money that comes from the federal government goes to non-profit community organizations that establish day cares that are run by parent boards. We are talking about child care spaces in urban settings, yes, in rural Manitoba, in co-ops, in workplaces, for shift workers, child care for special needs, the whole range. We are not talking about institutionalized day care. We are talking about child care that is nurturing and ensures good care while parents work.
Seventy per cent of working women with children under the age of 6 do not have access to those spaces and therefore make precarious, uncertain arrangements for their kids which has them worrying all the time about their kids' safety. They are under constant stress about juggling work and family responsibilities.
The NDP's opposition to the budget comes with a determination to convince the government to have both a child care policy and family policy, not to take away from those people who choose to stay at home full time and who, yes, need to be acknowledged and supported, but at the same time to recognize the working parents with children who need to be cared for, loved, nourished and educated.
All the NDP is asking is for the government to put back what it took out of the budget, the $1 billion that would have gone so far to create the kinds of settings and spaces that would meet the needs of children in Minnedosa, Winkler, The Pas, Winnipeg, in every city, town and village in this country.