TORONTO, October 29, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – REAL Women of Canada (Realistic, Equal, Active, for Life) has sent out an alert, warning of the impending fiasco of a massive government-subsidized national day care plan.
During this year’s June election, Prime Minister Paul Martin projected that a federally-funded day care program would cost Canadian taxpayers $5 billion over five years. “This is ludicrous,” the REAL Women alert says. “In 1986, a federal government’s study of a proposed national day care plan indicated that such a programme will cost a minimum of $11.3 billion annually.”“If this programme is implemented, Canada will turn into a truly socialist country in that the state will be raising our children rather than parents,” the REAL alert cautions. “Parents must make the decision as to how their children should be raised. A national day care programme denies parents any choice on the matter, as the increase in taxation that is absolutely inevitable, will result in more and more women having to enter the paid workforce in order for the family to survive financially.” REAL Women emphasizes that the choice to send a young child to daycare should be made by the parents, not the government. Only the parents “should decide whether the child should be raised at home by a parent or other family member, in private day care, or government-operated day care. These options will be denied parents if the national day care plan is implemented.” REAL Women agrees with Conservative MP Jason Kenney, who proposes a win-win solution: “. . . a flexible system which can be achieved by paying child care funds directly to the parents to allow them to choose the kind of care for their children, according to the child’s needs and the family’s values. Equal child care tax credits should be paid to parents regardless of which type of care they choose – whether home care or substitute care.” REAL women is encouraging all concerned Canadians to contact the Prime Minister or the Hon. Ken Dryden, Minister of Social Development. Dryden is meeting his provincial counterparts in Toronto on November 1 in order to begin the establishment of such a programme. “This programme must not happen,” REAL women emphasizes. “We must take action immediately to prevent this proposed national day care programme from being established.” REAL women also asks concerned Canadians to write their Premier. “Child care falls within provincial jurisdiction, and the provinces have the ultimate say on the matter.” Write to: The Right Hon. Paul Martin, PC, MP Prime Minister of Canada Langevin Building 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Tel: (613) 992-4211 Fax: (613) 941-6900 E-mail: [email protected] The Hon. Ken Dryden, PC, MP Minister of Social Development 355 North River Road, Tower B 20th Floor Ottawa, ON K1A 0L1 Tel: (613) 941-0766 Fax: (613) 941-0889 E-mail: [email protected] Read Wednesday’s LifeSiteNews.com coverage of Conservative MP Jason Kenney’s speech and debate with Liberal MP Maria Minna in the House of Commons: Conservative MP Fights Liberal Government for Fair Treatment for Stay-at-Home Parents https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/oct/04102707.html tv