Mulcair’s child care mirage won’t help B.C. families

August 20, 2015

VANCOUVER – Thomas Mulcair talks a good game about child care, but his plan does not back him up.

• The NDP plan won’t be fully implemented until 2023. (Globe and Mail, October 14, 2014
• The NDP doesn’t tell you they’ll only cover 60% of the cost, downloading $3.3 Billion in costs to the provinces and territories. (Globe and Mail, October 14, 2014)
• It isn’t income tested, meaning the NDP will give benefits to high-income parents: “The net effect of a new [NDP child care plan] looks like it would let very high income parents pay the least for childcare.” (National Newswatch, October 15, 2014)

And Mulcair will keep giving Harper’s monthly child benefit cheques to millionaires.

“What Thomas Mulcair isn’t saying is that his child care proposal overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest Canadians, it won’t be implemented for almost a decade, and it will cost provinces billions,” said Liberal candidate for Vancouver Centre, Dr. Hedy Fry. “Instead of real change from Harper, the NDP will keep giving Harper’s cheques to millionaires.”

“Under Justin Trudeau’s plan for real change, we’ll stop giving cheques to millionaires and instead send middle class and low-income families a bigger, tax-free, monthly Canada Child Benefit,” said Dr. Fry. “It’s worth up to $533 a month per child, which is more than either of Harper’s or Mulcair’s plans.”

“Justin Trudeau is the only candidate for Prime Minister with a plan for real change to grow the economy, strengthen the middle class, and restore fairness,” concluded Dr. Fry.