Bill C-35

Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act

An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada

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.

Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind members to wait until the hon. member is finished or until I indicate that he is done before they try to ask questions and make comments.

Questions and comments, the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Before I begin, I want to recognize a constituent who recently passed away, Mrs. Kathie Lock. She was the secretary at my elementary school, and I graduated elementary school with her daughter. I wish her family all the best and want to express my condolences in this difficult time. May perpetual light shine upon her.

The parliamentary secretary just spoke about the feminist Prime Minister. We only need to consult people like Jody Wilson-Raybould, Jane Philpott and others who have spoken out to find out whether that is actually the case.

Does the parliamentary secretary support the fact that we should be supporting all parents, like my parents? My father was a shift worker and my mom was a homemaker. Will the parliamentary secretary commit here and now to supporting those people, not just people who work nine to five?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I thought I was being very clear about the legislation and what it would do. It would put into law principles to ensure accessibility, affordability, inclusivity and high-quality child care and early learning. I truly believe that through the financial commitments this government has put in place and through working with provinces, territories and indigenous communities, we will make child care and early learning available for all.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, there was a joint meeting between the Prime Minister of Canada and Premier of Quebec on the issue of compensation. That is great, and we are happy, but why was this not included in the bill? The Prime Minister of Canada said that the federal government would continue to help Quebec, but what will actually happen in five years? Why can it not be written directly into the bill?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, as we try to figure out where the different political parties are on the principles of the legislation, hopefully it will pass sooner as opposed to later. I think a lot will depend on the Conservative Party's positioning on the legislation, but it will go to committee.

The member might want to take up her question with the minister responsible for the legislation. I am sure that at the committee stage she will be able to get a more detailed answer than I would be able to provide her at this time.

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Madam Speaker, every parent should have access to quality, affordable child care when they need it.

The Liberals promised national child care almost 30 years ago, and for decades families have been struggling to afford child care, struggling to find child care and sometimes paying more than their rent or mortgage to ensure their kids are taken care of. I am so glad to see both the current funding commitments and this legislation for the future.

With the federal financial commitments, B.C. has been investing in reducing costs, creating more spaces and recruiting more early childhood educators. That is my home province. The member is from Manitoba, and Manitoba is the only province that has not seen an average reduction in child care fees.

I am curious if the member agrees that we need to see stronger accountability measures so that we actually guarantee that families are going to see a reduction in costs.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, the short answer is that I am absolutely confident there will be a reduction in fees in the province of Manitoba. I could not say right offhand, but I would be very surprised if that was not the case. With regard to the Liberal Party and its history, unfortunately the first time we had agreements that were signed off for child care was back in Paul Martin—

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

The first time you promised it was 1993. I was nine.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I want to remind the hon. member for Victoria that she had an opportunity to ask a question. If she has another one, she needs to wait for an opportunity to ask it.

The hon. parliamentary secretary can finish off before I go to the next question.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, not only do we have agreements once again with all the provinces, territories and indigenous leaders, but now today we are debating principles and putting them into legislation to ensure we are going to have them for future generations.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, I hear calls around me of revisionist history. This is the history; I remember it like it was yesterday.

On November 28, 2005, we had signed child care agreements from every province with the federal government, stickhandled, which is a good use of the term, by Ken Dryden, who was the minister at the time and a former hockey great. That was part of a package of things that had been accomplished, including a plan for Kyoto that would have gotten us very near our Kyoto targets. We could have avoided Fiona if November 28, 2005, had not happened. There was also the Kelowna Accord. This was all agreed to, and tragically my friend Jack Layton, whom I loved, decided it was better to bring down Paul Martin's minority government and turn the country over to Stephen Harper, and we lost child care.

Martha Friendly, child care advocate, will back up every word I just said. We had been working together on it.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I would like to extend my answer a bit beyond that to the current leader of the Conservative Party. I made reference to the fact that he boasted about the cancellation of child care programs, and I suspect those are some of the child care programs he was referring to when boasting. That is why we should all be concerned with regard to what I would suggest is a hidden agenda within the Conservative Party, which does not support the type of child care that I believe, and we in the Liberal caucus believe, Canadians want to see.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Madam Speaker, when I met with residents, I met with women and heard positive feedback. They love the child care idea. We saw that, and there are stats out there. When women get into a second career and go back to the workforce—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to ask the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands and I believe the hon. member for Victoria or the hon. member for London—Fanshawe, as there are some side conversations happening, to take them outside so that the hon. member for Brampton South can be heard.

The hon. member for Brampton South.

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Madam Speaker, more women are getting back into the workforce and starting their second career. I am wondering if the hon. member can expand on how this bill supports economic growth and women who are going back to a second career. Can the member explain that?