Human Resources Committee on May 3rd, 2007

[Yvonne Coupal]

I don't know if I see it differently or not, but being ten years ahead of everything going on in this room right now, I feel like a lot of déjà vu is taking place.

I must say that the fact that Quebec's existing situation is being relatively overlooked I find troubling, to say the least. I would say that last March 26 a large percentage of Quebeckers took their feet, went to the polls, and voted for the party--and I'm not promoting that party in any way, shape, or form--that gave families choice. They went toward the party that gave families choice.

I can only say that ten years down the road the honourable members sitting around this table who are making these decisions today may somehow or other wish they had started the organigram with the family first and then all forms of third party care on the next level of the organigram, you see. It's called family, children first, and then after that we decide--child care, grandma care, neighbour care, home-based day care.

So please remember the organigram, gentlemen and ladies, too. It's very important.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Okay. I want to take a second to--

[Helen Ward]

I would like to--

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Ms. Ward, we'll get to you in one second.

Go ahead, Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

The other point I want to make is regarding the $250 million to the provinces for the creation of child care spots, because in my riding of Edmonton--Millwoods--Beaumont, like any labour situation in Alberta, we are short of child care workers and we do need to create spaces there. That's why it's so important to get that money to the provinces.

That said, nobody knows better the situation in Alberta than the Alberta provincial government in terms of the challenges faced there, and no one is positioned better to make the decisions and to be accountable to their voters than is the Alberta government. I just want to make that point.

I'd like to make a motion too. Is my time pretty close to up, or do I have time for one more?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Your time is up.

I want to hear from Ms. Ward very quickly.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Then I'll make the motion afterwards. Okay.

[Helen Ward]

I would like to correct the record. Under the Conservatives, we don't treat all families equally. Those who use day-care-centre-based care are still far more subsidized than any other form of care. That's a very big concern. The $100 a month is a small step in the right direction, but we're still grossly over-subsidizing one form of care.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Thank you very much.

I will get to that motion. I do want to thank the witnesses for being here today.

We want to thank the people via video conference who weren't able to make it in. It was great to have your input. And to the ladies and gentlemen at the table, thank you very much for your time today.

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I would like to move that before our study is over we invite the members of the child care branch of the human resources department as witnesses here.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's fine. He would like to invite the department to come here before we're done.

We're in committee business, so we can discuss this. The question is whether there's any discussion about that now or whether you're asking for a vote on that at a later point in time.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

Do I have unanimous consent to move the motion? No?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

There's not an interest on behalf of the rest of the MPs to have the department in?

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Who's coming on the tenth?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's just counsel, to go clause-by-clause. They're not there for questions; they're there to make sure that motions and amendments are in order.

[Olivia Chow, NDP, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

So they will be here?

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

No. It will be the drafters of the bill. They would help drafting the bill.

Would it be a possibility to have them there that day, or on their own? What are you asking for, Mr. Lake?

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Sorry. I have a question.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Go ahead. We'll take names.

Ms. Dhalla.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

Where would we propose to fit this in, because we had agreed amongst all of the vice-chairs and you, as chair, that we had set out a schedule of when we would hear from witnesses.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

That's the schedule, unless you guys are prepared to change it.

[Ruby Dhalla, Liberal, Brampton—Springdale, ON]

I think we should just keep the schedule.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

Okay. I don't have unanimous consent for that.

Mr. Lake.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Mill Woods—Beaumont, AB]

I would point out that this was something that Mr. Savage actually also agreed with when we talked about it. It seems ridiculous that we have not heard from the department. We haven't heard from the officials within the department who deal with child care. I think that it has to be a priority. Ms. Dhalla is on the steering committee. I would think that should have come up by now.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dean Allison]

The question is, we could have a vote on this right now, or do you want to defer it until Tuesday to talk about it?

Ms. Dhalla.