Secret NDP briefing note reveals Mulcair’s child care deception

September 22, 2015

MISSISSAUGA, ON – Despite Thomas Mulcair’s personal, repeated commitment to “create one million new high-quality childcare spaces,” a leaked NDP briefing note reveals the empty promise includes existing child care spaces.

 Marked “Not for External Distribution,” the internal document reveals the NDP will “create or maintain a million quality childcare spaces in Canada.” 

Yesterday, New Brunswick and Alberta became the latest provinces to publicly question Mulcair’s proposal. “Even Alberta’s new NDP government isn’t fully behind the federal party’s plan,” according to a media report. (CTV National News, September 21, 2015)  

“In cities across Canada day-after-day, Mulcair repeatedly promises one million “new” child care spaces, but it’s all bogus,” said Liberal candidate for Mississauga–Malton, Navdeep Bains. “Including existing child care spaces is exceptionally misleading because there are almost one million spaces in Canada right now.”

 Mr. Bains noted there were 986,000 regulated child care spaces in Canada in 2012.

 “When was Thomas Mulcair planning to tell the truth to Canadians? After Election Day?” asked Mr. Bains. “The only thing Mulcair’s experience has taught him is to play politics with everything.”

 On the road and online, Mulcair doesn’t say his one million “new” child care spaces includes “maintaining” current spaces:

 1. Maclean’s Debate, August 6, 2015: “We want to create one million $15.00-a-day quality child care spaces. That’s not just good for families. That’s good for the economy as well.”

 2. Mulcair media event in Oshawa, July 20, 2015: “We have the concrete plan to help families by creating one million new high-quality childcare spaces at a cost of no more than $15 a day.”

 3. NDP.ca: “As Prime Minister, Tom will create a million childcare spaces for our kids and cap fees for parents – no more than $15 a day.”

 4. Mulcair rally in Vancouver, September 13, 2015: “To help families get ahead, we will deliver 1 million child care spaces at no more than $15 a day.”

 5. Mulcair rally in Edmonton, September 10, 2015: “To help families get ahead we will deliver one million child care spaces at no more than $15 a day.”

 6. Mulcair rally in Peterborough, September 9, 2015: “To help families get ahead, we will deliver 1 million child care spaces at no more than $15 a day.”

 7. Mulcair in Vancouver, August 20, 2015: “My plan is to create a million child care spaces across the country.”

 8. Mulcair in Dundas, Ontario, August 25, 2015: “‘It’s top priority for us to create 1 million quality, $15/day, child care spaces across Canada.”

 9. Mulcair in Toronto, August 27, 2015: “We will create one million quality child care spaces.”