But there are some important differences between then and now-the talking points that were valid in 2005 may no longer be enough.

By the end of November 2005, Paul Martin’s Liberal government had signed Bilateral agreement with Each province Improve the accessibility and services of childcare services. The total federal commitments in five years amounted to 5 billion U.S. dollars.

But these agreements quickly became meaningless. Less than two months after the last deal was signed, the Liberal Party was reduced to 103 seats and lost power.

Fifteen years later, the Justin Trudeau government pledged to provide up to US$30 billion in funding to the provinces over the next five years — and US$8.3 billion annually thereafter — to support the increase in “quality” and “affordability” “Childcare.” Last week, British Columbia became the first province to join. It will receive $3.2 billion in five years and promise to create 30,000 new spaces and reduce childcare costs.

This transaction is not just a simple transfer of funds. It created a joint executive committee and included regulations regarding data collection and communities in need. The agreement includes the federal government’s proposal for new childcare legislation this fall.

A “terrible event”

“This kind of commitment to data collection, monitoring, and disclosure is a very big thing, because you can’t build a system unless you know what you have, what you are building, and how things are changing,” said Armin Jarnizian, Economists and federal members Women’s Participation in the Economic Task Force.

Yalnizyan said that if the goal is to establish a national childcare system, more planning is still needed, but it may be ready to achieve this goal.

If there are still a few weeks before the federal election, Trudeau’s Liberal Party may not get all ten provinces to sign before the government faces voters. But more provinces may reach an agreement next month. If the Liberal Party continues to hold power after the fall elections, other provinces will face pressure to accept funds from Ottawa.

Of course, the Prime Minister can choose to continue to try his luck in Parliament, perhaps giving himself two more years to promote childcare before he has to face elections.The New Democratic Party is Call on him to do this ——Considering how the New Democracy Party helped to overthrow the Martin government in 2005, the Liberal Party may find this news ironic.

“Freedom” funding

The Conservative Party’s response in 2005 was to give parents more money. Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party did not pursue the Liberal government’s agreement, but promised to provide parents with monthly payments of up to $100 per child.

Although the plan was later called the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), its initial advertising campaign was “Choice of childcare allowance“Its main selling point is to allow parents to freely choose the most suitable childcare services for them.

The Conservative Party’s response in 2021… is still a bit mysterious. Since the Trudeau government proposed a proposal in April, O’Toole’s Conservative Party has not explained how they will deal with it if they form a government in the near future.

But the talking points sound familiar.

“Canadians should have the freedom to choose childcare services that suit them and their families,” Conservative family, children and social development critic Corey Tokol said in a media statement last week. “The Liberal Party ignores the personal needs of families who need flexible choices and forces them to adopt a one-size-fits-all system.”

The federal government’s agreement with British Columbia does provide that “federal funds will be used exclusively to support licensed childcare services provided by licensed providers”. But this does not mean that anyone is “forced” to do anything.

The bigger question is what the concept of “choice” means in 2021.

If O’Toole’s Conservative Party wants to do something similar to UCCB, they can accept it Suggestions to strengthen the deduction of childcare expensesCurrently, eligible parents are allowed to deduct up to $8,000 for each child.

but Such a change Only a small part of the funds provided by the Liberal Party. If so, how will the Conservative Party handle the remaining planned expenditures?

It’s not just a matter of money

Now I have to argue that the only thing the family needs is more money. This may be much more difficult, especially because the Liberal Party has done a better job than the Conservative Party in this regard.

Although Martin’s Liberal Party Rudely dismissed In 2005, the Conservative Party’s child allowance, Trudeau’s Liberal Party came to power in 2015, promising to give families more money through Canadian child benefits. The Trudeau government merged UCCB and other family benefits, and then added billions of dollars in new funding to create CCB, It allocated 23 billion U.S. dollars in the first year.

Politically and practically, there is a lot to say about government policies that only give people money, especially if the money is for the people who need it most.

But in terms of childcare, the so-called “demand-side” policy may not play a big role in increasing actual supply. This is where the idea of ??”choice” really gets into trouble.

Kate Bezanson, professor of sociology at Brooke University, said: “Families in Canada now have an uneven childcare service with varying quality, accessibility and affordability.” Advocate the establishment of a national childcare system.

“‘Choosing’ means deciding between equally good choices. The trade-offs between huge costs, low quality, meagre entry and exit from the labor market-usually for mothers-are not choices, but Default. Tax credits or transfer directly to a space in the family, do not solve the quality problem.”

Another difference between 2005 and 2021 is the pandemic—an earthquake proved the importance of childcare and reinvigorated the argument that accessible childcare is not only a good thing, but also promotes gender equality And the important planned economic growth that promotes gender equality.

There may still be controversy about the Trudeau government’s plan. But if the childcare debate is to begin in 2021, it needs to go beyond the simple dichotomy of the past.