children playing

Segment from The Current [CA]

Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version
Author: 
CBC Radio 1
Format: 
Article
Publication Date: 
24 Jan 2006
AVAILABILITY

See text below for transcript excerpts.

EXCERPTS

Anna Maria Tremonti: The provinces have signed agreements on child care with the federal government. What happens now?

Lorne Calvert: We understand, from what we've been able to determine from Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party, that they will honour the one year funding that has been provided. We have big questions in our mind about years two, three, and ongoing with regards to the child care commitments made by the now-former federal government. I would encourage Mr. Harper on the child care front, on the Aboriginal front, on the health care front, to maintain some of the good work that has been accomplished between the provinces and the national government, regardless whether that happened to be a Liberal government or not….

David Peterson: It wouldn't surprise me to see the Conservative approach on this go. That probably isn't an issue that he'd want to go to the ground on, given that the other parties take another approach to child care. So it wouldn't surprise me if he moved on that one.

Anna Maria Tremonti: What do you mean "move on that one"?

David Peterson: Well, he has a very different approach on child care. I mean, it's just, essentially, it's just an increase on the family allowance. That's basically what he was doing. And the other parties are committed to an infrastructure, building a child care infrastructure. I'm not sure he would want to have an election on that issue.

Anna Maria Tremonti: So you think that because of the minority status, there could be some kind of compromise?

David Peterson: That would be my view. That could be one of the issues he could comfortably compromise on without losing too much of his integrity.

- reprinted from the CBC