This bill has received Royal Assent and is, or will soon become, law.
Summary
This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.
This enactment sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. It also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding relating to early learning and child care to be provided to the provinces and Indigenous peoples. Finally, it creates the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care.
Elsewhere
All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.
Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-35s:
This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below.
Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Bill C-35 aims to establish a national framework for early learning and child care in Canada by enshrining the federal government's role in ensuring access to affordable, high-quality, and inclusive child care services. The bill seeks to support provincial and territorial agreements and create a sustainable system with accountability and reporting mechanisms. However, concerns have been raised regarding the bill's limited scope, potential exclusion of private child care providers, workforce shortages, and whether it will truly deliver accessible and affordable child care for all families.
Liberal
Supports Bill C-35: The Liberal Party strongly supports Bill C-35, which they view as a historic step toward establishing federal legislation for early learning and child care across Canada. They emphasize the bill's potential for transformative change for Canadian families by making child care more affordable, accessible, and inclusive.
Economic and social benefits: The party highlights the economic benefits of the bill, including increased workforce participation (especially among women), a boost to the GDP, and providing families with more disposable income. They also point to the social benefits, such as providing children with a better start in life and promoting gender equality.
Collaborative approach: The Liberals underscore the collaborative effort between the federal government and all provinces and territories in reaching agreements to implement the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. They emphasize the importance of working with diverse stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, to ensure the program is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of all Canadian families.
Commitment and future: The Liberal Party frames Bill C-35 as a long-term commitment to ensuring that future generations of Canadians will have access to affordable, high-quality child care, regardless of where they live. They aim to enshrine the federal government's role in supporting child care to prevent future reversals of the program.
Conservative
Bill is not universal: The Conservatives argue that the Liberal's child care bill is not truly universal, as it excludes a significant portion of private child care providers, which many families rely on. They believe the government is pushing a specific agenda that limits choice and flexibility for parents.
Focus on choice, flexibility: The Conservatives advocate for a child care system that provides choice and flexibility for parents, allowing them to select the type of care that best suits their family's needs, including options like home-based care, nannies, and faith-based care. They feel the bill should include everyone.
Addresses labour shortages: The Conservatives highlight that the bill does not address the existing labor shortages in the child care sector and could increase demand without providing solutions for frontline burnout or staff shortages. They argue that this will compromise the quality of care and leave many families without access.
Bill as divisive tool: The Conservatives express concern that the bill has been used as a tool to divide Canadians, pitting urban against rural communities, and stay-at-home mothers against working mothers. They believe the government should be working to unite Canadians rather than creating further division.
NDP
Strong support for bill C-35: The NDP is a strong supporter of Bill C-35, which establishes a national early learning and child care system. They view it as a transformative initiative that addresses the financial challenges faced by families, especially women, and ensures access to affordable child care.
NDP commitment: The NDP included the bill as a requirement in their agreement with the Liberals, ensuring that affordable child care is legislated and made permanent. They contrast their support for the bill with the Conservative's opposition to it.
Prioritizing public sector: The legislation prioritizes public and not-for-profit child care, ensuring that funds are directed towards the care of children rather than enriching corporations. The NDP fought to have public, not-for-profit child care prioritized in this bill to ensure high-quality care and better conditions for child care workers.
Feminist victory: The NDP speakers emphasized that passing Bill C-35 is a feminist victory that has been decades in the making. While the bill is an important step, the NDP will continue to fight for adequate funding to invest in children, women and the future.
Bloc
Supports the bill: The Bloc Québécois will likely vote in favour of Bill C‑35, seeing it as the federal government finally catching up to Quebec's example on social policy.
Predatory federalism concerns: The Bloc is concerned about the federal government encroaching on provincial jurisdictions, implementing policies, and then withdrawing support, leaving provinces with unfunded obligations, similar to what they say happened with healthcare funding.
Future funding cuts: The Bloc is wary that the current financial support for child care may be cut in the future when the government seeks to balance the budget, potentially burdening the provinces.
Progressive social policy: The Bloc sees a successful social policy in Quebec as one that considers multiple factors, such as enabling mothers to enter the labor market, escape poverty, and provide children with early access to education, promoting independence and a brighter future.
Pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the division stands deferred until Monday, June 19, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.
It being 3:20 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-35.
Call in the members.
Links & Sharing
(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)
