Liberal minister presents bill aimed at protecting child-care system from future governments
The federal Liberal government has presented a new bill aimed at enshrining in law their commitment to the Canada-wide early learning and child-care system, and the long-term funding needed to maintain it.
On Thursday, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould tabled Bill C-35, otherwise known as the "Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act."
She said that the bill is needed to provide parents and premiers certainty that the federal government is dedicated to seeing affordable child care remain in place, and to ensure that the nationwide system being built can't easily be scrapped by a future federal government.
"In the last election, every Conservative member of Parliament ran on a promise to get rid of affordable child-care for Canadians. So, we know the threat to this transformational child-care initiative from federal Conservatives is very real. The government and Parliament must protect we have built," Gould said during a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday.
The eleven-page bill seeks to cement the federal government's role beyond the existing five-year agreements now in place across the country, that will see daycare costs reduced to an average of $10-a-day by 2025-26.
"We want to ensure that these achievements are lasting. That is why we are acting to protect this crucial support for families and children," Gould said. "And that we make it that much harder for any future government to you know, basically take apart what we have built."
Bringing in federal child-care legislation to shore-up the Canada-wide system was something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tasked Gould with doing on the heels of the Liberals bringing in a national affordable child-care plan.
As of March, legally-binding early learning and child-care bilateral agreements have been signed with all provinces and territories, and the country is on track to see daycare fees reduced by 50 per cent, on average, by the end of this year.
Included in Bill C-35, the Liberals are looking to:
- Protect elements such as creating more spaces that the provinces and territories agreed to through their funding agreements;
- Enshrine the federal principles that are underpinning these deals such as access, affordability, inclusion and high-quality though these metrics aren't explicitly defined;
- Require the minister responsible to report to the public on an annual basis on federal investments and progress made on the system; and
- Establish the "National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care" which is a recently announced 1-member council mandated to advise the government on issues facing the sector.
Officials from the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada, who briefed reporters on the details of the newly tabled legislation on a not-for-attribution basis, said Thursday the negotiated agreements that are unique to each province’s situation are—and will continue to be—core to the system. Gould described Bill C-35 as "complementary" to the deals, which will still need renegotiating down the line, a task that will bring political challenges for both levels of government.
One official described Bill C-35 as looking "beyond" the five-year deals and "toward future generations of children and families," while respecting provincial and Indigenous rights and jurisdictions.
One of the motivating factors in moving to put into law the federal government's vision of a national early learning and child-care system was the experience of a past Liberal government. In 2006, when Conservative Stephen Harper became prime minister, he quickly moved to tear up the agreements that previous Liberal prime minister Paul Martin had made across Canada.
The bill, while perceived as an attempt to future-proof the Liberals’ approach, has limitations. Future governments can still amend or repeal this legislation, for example. On this, Gould suggested that the procedural hurdle of having to move any changes through Parliament might act as a disincentive to try to go back to the drawing board on daycare.
"They'd have to demonstrate to Canadians why," Gould said." Conservatives wouldn't be able to hide this."
Following through on tabling this legislation before the end of 2022 was a requirement under the Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence agreement made earlier this year.
That deal — meant to keep the minority Liberals in power through to 2025 — saw the federal government vow to ensure that the child-care agreements "have long-term protected funding" and deliver "high quality, affordable" options for families.
In a statement on Thursday, the New Democrats sought to take credit for the bill, saying the NDP alongside child-care professionals, unions, and activists pressured the Liberals to "finally bring in this legislation."
Questioned on this, Gould pointed to the 2021 federal budget —which predates their deal with the NDP — earmarked $30 billion to be spent over five years on the national system, and another $9.2 billion to be spent annually each year following.
"This was always the Liberal government's plan, ensuring that we table this bill," Gould said, noting still, she is happy to have the NDP's support in seeing Bill C-35 move through Parliament.
Given the House of Commons is soon going to adjourn ahead of the holidays, it's unlikely the legislation will advance much before the new year.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
Local Spotlight
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.
Twin Alberta Ballet dancers retire after 15 years with company
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
Video shows gaggle of geese stopping traffic on Highway 1 near Vancouver
A mother goose and her goslings caused a bit of a traffic jam on a busy stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway near Vancouver Saturday.
B.C. mayor stripped of budget, barred from committees over Indigenous residential schools book
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three Quebec men from same family father hundreds of children
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
Here's how one of Sask.'s largest power plants was knocked out for 73 days, and what it took to fix it
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
Quebec police officer anonymously donates kidney, changes schoolteacher's life
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Canada's oldest hat store still going strong after 90 years
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Road closed in Oak Bay, B.C., so elephant seal can cross
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.