Evidence of meeting #8 for Finance in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was federal.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Thank you.
I was actually going to ask you that. You may not agree with the development of what this program is, but you would acknowledge that it is a priority?
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
Yes, it's been identified as a priority. I don't agree that it's been made a priority.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Sorry, you're saying two different things. It's acknowledged as a priority or it is not?
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
I know you've stated that it is one of your priorities, but you have not made it your priority. So I don't agree that it is one of your priorities. It is through your actions.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
I appreciate that you have an opinion on it. That's fine.
How many phases do we have and do you think there are going be in this program? Maybe I'll just ask the question: how many phases do you think there are in the child care program that's being put forward?
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
How many phases in your child care program? Two phases, as they've been positioned.
Conservative
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
The first one, as I've stated, is something that I don't think is child care. It's been called child care, but it isn't child care; it's a family allowance.
The second one is a vague reference to a commitment through tax incentives, or perhaps grants or something, that may generate some spaces.
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
It's good that you hear things. I think you need to know that it's $250 million a year to support the creation of new child care spaces, and the goal is to create 25,000 additional spaces each year. I don't know if that helps at all, but it certainly indicates--
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
Yes, actually that's really helpful because here's how I understand it, and I would really appreciate it if you could correct me if I'm wrong on this. My understanding of it, if we wanted to use the health care analogy, is that it's like creating hospital beds. It's like saying we'll create 125,000 hospital beds. We won't hire doctors and nurses, or buy machines or anything, but we'll just create 125,000 hospital beds. Is that what you're saying about the tax incentives?
Conservative
Rick Dykstra Conservative St. Catharines, ON
Maybe I can clear it up a little further. This is a response that the Prime Minister had to this question, and he stated it, and it's in Hansard:
The leader of the New Democratic Party expresses reservations about whether we will achieve our objective of creating 125,000 child care spaces. Let me just be clear that this is the intention of this government and we will make whatever modifications are necessary to ensure that we reach that goal.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
But there's no operational money there, right? I just want to be clear about this.
Conservative
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
No, no. That's for the creation of spaces. It's a tax incentive to create spaces.
Conservative
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
This is what your minister talked about on Monday when I attended a press conference after she met with the ministers. The way she positioned it was that this was capital money—much like creating beds for hospitals, this is creating some kind of child care space in a business—but that the operational funds were absolutely not coming from this government; that they would be coming maybe from businesses or community groups or parents or somebody, but not from the government. She was very clear on that. If you're telling me something different, it would be really helpful to have it clarified.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Brian Pallister
Thank you, Madam Lysack.
Mr. Pacetti, you will conclude with a brief question, I understand.
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Just to remind the witnesses, we're here to look at Bill C-13 and at whether we're going to adopt it or not and whether there are going to be any amendments. So let me just quickly run through everybody to see whether or not they're in favour of Bill C-13. Should we vote for or against it? Or if you have any amendments to suggest, perhaps you can just tell me what clauses those are on.
Mr. Cunningham.
Senior Policy Analyst, Canadian Cancer Society
With respect to tobacco taxes, we recommend that it be supported in its entirety, with the provisions.
Government Relations Coordinator, Canadian Federation of Students
Use the money that is currently slotted for tax credits to be—
Liberal
Massimo Pacetti Liberal Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC
We don't have that choice. It's either that we're going to vote for it or against or put forward an amendment.
Ms. Lysack.
Executive Director, Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada
There is nothing for child care, so against it.
Vice-President, Economic Affairs, Mining Association of Canada
We think there is still a bit of unfinished business for future budgets, but we're comfortable with what's in this budget.