Finance Committee on May 28th, 2007

[Robert Thibault, Liberal, West Nova, NS]

If I have time for Madam Lysack, the promise that was made, the deal that was negotiated by the previous government with the provinces, was going to create spaces over time, an investment. Has the money, the $100 per month taxable given for children under six, had an effect of increasing spaces? How many, and do you have examples of that across the country?

[Monica Lysack]

No. In fact, the quote that I read earlier from the parent is that families do appreciate income support, but it's not child care; it's not a child care program. There are probably other more effective ways of distributing that $100 a month, like the Canada child tax benefit, where those with the greatest need receive the greatest benefit.

But the $100 a month, while an income program, is not a child care program.

[Nancy Peckford]

I can certainly supplement that by adding that in terms of average annual pre-tax income of both women and men, we're looking at women in Canada with an average pre-tax annual income of $24,000. For men, it's $39,000. So when you look at the average monthly child care costs in Canada, which vary from province to province from $600 to $1,600, you're looking at a substantial amount of income being devoted specifically to child care--not even the costs of raising a child, but the costs associated with caregiving when you have one or both parents at work.

So it simply is not sufficient, given those numbers.

[The Chair, Conservative, Brian Pallister]

Thank you all for your participation again today. We appreciate the time you've taken to be with us, in particular those of you who were involved in both panels. We do appreciate that you've accommodated our committee, as well.

We are adjourned until tomorrow.