Diane Finley

[Seasonal Workers, May 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of pilot projects is to try things out. Once they have been tried out we need to evaluate them. We need to take a look and see what really happened, if we are getting value for our money and to see if we are achieving the goals we have set.

As the program does not expire until June 4, we need time to examine the results to determine if this is truly the best way to serve Canadians or if we should be looking at some thing else.

I have invited my colleagues from the opposition to help in that evaluation.

[Older Workers, May 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as my good friend, the finance minister, said last week, we do recognize the importance of older workers and the challenges that they are facing right now in Quebec, in Newfoundland and in other parts of the country. Anything that will be done on this issue will be done in a national context.

I ask that the hon. member wait until the budget tomorrow.

[Child Care, May 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I said before, we do have a plan . We are working on the details in consultation with the opposition parties, the provinces and the territories to develop the details to make sure it works.

I am surprised, quite frankly, at the member's comments because several premiers, including the Premier of New Brunswick, who she just cited, have endorsed our plan. They see that it is good for parents and as good for the provinces.

[Child Care, May 1st, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, or at least after a number of days in the House should know, we are not talking about the kinds of numbers she is. What we are talking about is real support for Canada's parents: $1,200 a year as a universal benefit to the parents for each child under the age of six.

We are going to do something that the previous government promised for 13 years and never delivered on. We will create 125,000 new child spaces right across the country.

[Child Care, April 27th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the hon. member to have her province join with five other provinces across this country to make sure that parents, and not politicians, get the benefit of this child care allowance. I would also encourage her to wait until the budget next Tuesday so that she can deal with the rest of the story.

[Child Care, April 27th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I explained to the hon. member the other day, we are very keen that this be a universal benefit available to all parents of children under the age of six. We want to ensure that the net benefit to them is fair and equitable no matter what their family structure and no matter what their income range.

In fact, Quebec families are going to receive less than their neighbours in Ontario, New Brunswick or Prince Edward Island unless the hon. members across the floor urge those governments to ensure there is no clawback because we are encouraging equity.

[Child Care, April 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I explained to the House yesterday, our intention for our choice in child care allowance is that it be a truly universal allowance available to all Canadians from coast to coast, regardless of their incomes, and that is not just at the gross level, that is at the net level. I have been working since my very first week in this job with my officials to ensure as many families as possible get as much money net as possible from this new program because we want it to be a universal benefit.

[Child Care, April 26th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to the House that the numbers released in the report regarding this situation were in fact inaccurate.

[Child Care, April 25th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, as I announced yesterday, five of the provinces have already agreed to not hold clawbacks on the child care allowance. This is great progress. As for the federal government, I am afraid we will have to wait until we see the budget.

[Child Care, April 25th, 2006]

Mr. Speaker, our commitment to Canadians is to create 125,000 new child care spaces and we will do that.

We will do it in partnership with businesses, both large and small, because when they see--and many of them already know this--how much more productive their employees are when they know where their children are and know they are being well taken care of, when they see that employees' productivity goes up and their absenteeism goes down, that is good for business.

This is why we are putting $1.25 billion into the creation of new spaces.