Ken Dryden

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, on the contrary, I know, hon. members know and the public knows that the central developmental relationship of children is with their parents. Early learning and child care is another tool the parents have to assist them in raising their children, to use or to not use, to use as much or as little as they wish. It is not a one size fits all at all. That is what we were talking about earlier. There are different circumstances, different sizes of places and different needs, but the same ambitions and goals because there are kids that have the same possibilities.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, as I said in the committee, and I was not noncommittal, I said that an act has been enacted in the United States and that it was something I was very interested in finding out more about. In fact I asked the committee specifically if the committee itself would be interested in investigating more fully a potential national disabilities act.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, first of all the delivery of this system is through the provinces and through the territories. It is up to them to try to find the answers in terms of delivery everywhere. The purpose is that the delivery is everywhere.

One of the great flexibilities of early learning and child care is the fact that the scale is small. The scale can be two, four, five, or eight places. It does not require a massive infrastructure or a massive number of kids in order for it to happen. It would be very much like rural education would have started in the country. One finds the space where something can be created in the space.

[Business of Supply, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Chair, what I said in December had to do with the goal of a national early learning and child care system to be something that is as available and as ambitious as the other systems we have created in this country in terms of health care and education.

In terms of two tier, I do not understand that comment at all. This is a program that is there and available for everyone who wants to choose it. As I will say later in my remarks, it is also a program that is not all or nothing. Parents can choose to use it not necessarily eight hours a day, five days a week, but for mornings or afternoons or a lesser period of time as well.

[Child Care, May 31st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there is no contradiction because there is no contradiction to what I have said. I have said repeatedly in the House that discussions are going on with the province of Quebec. They are going on currently. They are always done within the spirit and the understanding of all of those things that have been done already on early learning and child care in this country and always with the understanding that the province of Quebec will not be penalized for all of the good and ambitious work it has done.

[Child Care, May 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I can only repeat my answer. No conversations or statements were made in that way. Negotiations and discussions are ongoing.

[Child Care, May 30th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, there were no contradictory statements. The questions that were asked last week were answered in the way they have always been answered. There are discussions and negotiations going on between the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec. Officials are speaking and no other statements were made.

[Social Development, May 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier, 12 months ago in this country, as the Canadian public knows, nothing ambitious was happening in the area of early learning and child care on a broad scale. There was nothing in that regard.

Then there was the campaign commitment. Then there was the delivery in terms of the budget. Now there are five agreements with five different provinces. This year there is $700 million and there will be $5 billion over five years. A commitment to create a national early learning and child care system: that is what is at stake.

[Child Care, May 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as members of the House will recall, for the last seven or eight months from that side of the House there have been only discouraging words in terms of early learning and child care, nothing but discouraging words all the way along.

Now there is a technical phrase that has been used about making a commitment to the government's commitment. That is not a commitment. All of us will wait anxiously for what is said by the party opposite.

[Child Care, May 19th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, 12 months ago, before the election campaign, child care in the country was flat and going nowhere, despite great work by child care workers across the country. Then we had the election campaign, then the Speech from the Throne and then $5 billion over five years, $700 million this year in the February budget. All those things are at risk. Five agreements have been signed and there are others to go. This is not $320 for low income which the party opposite has promised.