Excerpts from the budget:
- In this budget, we are investing $3.7 billion over two years for the Universal Child Care Benefit, which will provide all families with $1,200 per year for each child under 6. The Universal Child Care Benefit will not affect federal income-tested benefits and will be provided as of July 1st.
- I would like to commend those provinces which have already stated that they would not claw back this money.
- While the Universal Child Care Benefit will support child care choices by families, we also intend to invest in creating new child care spaces. This budget allocates $250 million beginning in 2007 to create real child care spaces as part of Canada's Universal Child Care Plan. We will work with governments, businesses and community organizations to develop a plan that works, a plan that actually creates spaces.