Ken Dryden

[Question No. 85, March 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is as follows: a) Since its inception, the SDPP has provided $3,909,050.00 of funding to organizations located in Nova Scotia. In comparison to other provinces:

Nova Scotia, which ranks 7

th

in terms of population amongst the provinces and territories of Canada, ranks 5

th

in the amount of funding received under the SDPP.

While interpreting these results please be aware that the terms and conditions of the SDPP require that: “preference be given to projects that have national relevance” during the assessment of proposals for contribution funding; and that successful grant applicants be “national in reach (that is operate or have affiliates in a minimum of three of the following five regions--Pacific, Prairie, Central, Atlantic, North)”.

Some provinces received more funding per resident than others because the distribution of organizations which are eligible for funding from this program does not match the distribution of the population of Canada.

In particular, the figures for Ontario are skewed by the many national organizations which are headquartered in Ottawa or Toronto; Nova Scotia, ranks proportionally higher than other Atlantic provinces because a large number of organizations serving the entire Atlantic region are located in Halifax or Sydney.

b) The percentage of SDPP funding provided to organizations in Nova Scotia by fiscal year is as follows:

1998/1999 -- 6.63%

1999/2000 -- 5.22%

2000/2001 -- 3.73%

2001/2002 -- 2.29%

2002/2003 -- 3.51%

2003/2004 -- 1.87%

2004/2005 -- 2.57%

Note: This program provides funding to National organizations. National organizations of ten conduct projects in, or redistribute funding to affiliates in other provinces. These organizations may have redistributed some of the funding that they received to affiliates in Nova Scotia; those transfers are not captured in the figures above.

c) & d) Since april 2001, the SDPP has received 21 applications for project funding from organizations in Nova Scotia; 16 have been approved.

In 1998/1999 and 1999/2000, 13 projects were approved with organizations in Nova scotia. Under current practices, unsuccessful proposals are kept on file for a period of 5 years. Prior to April 2001, the last call for proposals was held in 1998 and as a result, information on unsuccessful proposals is no longer available.

There are currently 5 applications from Nova Scotia that were received in response to the call for proposals in December 2004. The assessment of these proposals is not yet complete.

[Social Development, March 10th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres, which is the driver of that program, has been a significant recipient of assistance from the government, having received $3.7 million in 2003-04 and over $2 million this year.

A proposal that it made for funding in this past year did not meet the new criteria, and it was not accepted. At the same time, we have been working with the organization on a new proposal, and we look forward to supporting it in the future.

[The Budget, February 24th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the budget is clear. The Government of Canada has made a commitment to invest $5 billion over the next five years.

We will continue to work toward a final agreement with the provinces and territories, but in the meantime, I am pleased to say that in good faith the money will begin flowing to the provinces and territories within a very short period of time so we can get on with it.

I would also like to add that for early childhood educators who, for years and years, have worked with parents and children and who have wanted to deliver more, they will now get their--

[Child Care, February 22nd, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in the House earlier, we know that the language used by a child when he or she first goes to child care will very likely be the language chosen in kindergarten, elementary school and high school. It means that what we do in terms of early learning and child care matters. That point was made significantly and often in our last meetings. The provinces and territories are very aware of the importance of that. We will continue to press that point.

[Social Development, February 21st, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, today we are very pleased to have signed a social security agreement with the Republic of Estonia. There are about 23,000 persons of Estonian descent in Canada, many of whom will qualify for pensions as a result of the agreement.

The agreement will help enable those who have lived or worked in either of the two countries to receive old age, disability and survivor pensions, recognizing the contributions they have made and telling them that their work is valued and respected.

[Child Care, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member on his grandchild.

As I said, as the member said, all of us as parents do feel ambivalent about the amount of time that we do not spend with our children, but what I also said was that what we do not feel ambivalent about, what we feel very positive and very determined about, is doing something for the development of our children, to do as best as we can for our children. That is what we are not ambivalent about.

[Child Care, February 18th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, the comments that the hon. member made are comments that I did not make. That is all I can say to the hon. member.

[Child Care, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, real choice is the opportunity to have, as well as all of the other options that parents have, real child care, real quality early learning and child care. That is real choice. At $320 a year, the plan over there is no choice at all.

[Child Care, February 17th, 2005]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat just a few numbers: $5 billion over five years; a 40% increase to what is now spent on child care; and $320 a year for low income families.

[Child Care, February 17th, 2005]

As I said, Mr. Speaker, the plan over there is a $2,000 child tax benefit. The end result of $2,000 is $320 a year for a low income family and $320 a year is an embarrassment.