New Video: Mulcair opposed Quebec child care
September 23, 2015
VANCOUVER – While Thomas Mulcair often points to Quebec’s child care system as a model for the NDP’s child care proposal, new video shows Mulcair aggressively criticized Quebec child care [French only] in the National Assembly.
Mulcair declared that the child care program, “eats up more money in pure structural loss that cannot be justified in enhanced services for the public,” and suggested that the program should be replaced with a “free market” approach focused on “leaving more money in the pockets of taxpayers” to make their own choices. [Translation] (Thomas Mulcair, National Assembly, November 30, 2000)
However, he has not let his hypocrisy on child care get in the way of his rhetoric during the current election campaign. On August 20, 2015, Mulcair claimed the “Quebec model” for child care was “good for the economy.” (Source: LINK)
“This proves yet again that Thomas Mulcair will say anything. The only thing his political experience has taught him is to play politics with everything,” said Liberal candidate for Vancouver Centre, Dr. Hedy Fry.
“It raises even more questions about Mulcair’s commitment to following through on his phony child care proposal,” said Dr. Fry. “Mulcair’s child care mirage is plagued with problems. It will take eight years to kick in and he’s sending the bill to the provinces. Ontario, New Brunswick, and even Alberta are publicly raising questions.”
“And while he doesn’t talk about it, Mulcair’s proposal includes ‘maintaining’ existing spaces. Why is he misleading Canadians to believe there are ‘new’ spaces?” concluded Dr. Fry.
FULL TRANSCRIPT OF MULCAIR’S OPPOSITION TO QUEBEC CHILD CARE:
“My colleague, the MNA from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, has often had the chance to prove that the daycare program now eats up more money in pure structural loss that cannot be justified in enhanced services for the public. That is the fundamental difference between us and the Parti Québécois government. In economic terms, Mr. Speaker, we believe in the free market. We believe people must be free. But, when we are interventionist in the economy and believe we are smarter than private firms, it does not take long to be convinced that we are smarter than the whole population. So rather than leaving more money in the pockets of taxpayers so they can connect to the Internet if that’s what they want, or they can buy boots for their children, if that’s what they want, the Parti Québécois government dictates. They say: ‘I want to keep you in the position of the highest taxed people in all of North America, I’ll keep you there.’” [Translation] (Thomas Mulcair, National Assembly, November 30, 2000)