Friday, June 02, 2006
NDP says corporate tax cuts won’t create child care spaces - Tuesday May 2, 2006
OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jack Layton says there is not enough investment for working families in today’s budget to warrant serious consideration of NDP support.
“This budget won’t create anymore child care spaces than Mike Harris did when he brought in the same failed tax credit scheme in Ontario. Not one single space was created,” said Layton. “How can the Conservatives say they’re providing a choice? Parents can’t choose to put their children in spaces that don’t exist and you can’t create spaces unless you know your funding is secure for the long-term. This budget is more than $3 billion short of the multi-year funding real child care needs.
“There’s nothing here for EI, precious little for training, and they’ve traded away the money to help families send their kids to college that we secured in last year’s budget amendment for infrastructure instead. So, there’ll be lots of empty libraries in this country because students won’t be able to afford to use them. The proposed changes to the student loan program amounts to nothing more than an increased ability for students to go further into debt.
“After years of making working families wait for the services they need and have been promised, in the face of continuing growing budget surpluses, the Conservatives aren’t delivering for working families. They’re no better than the Liberals.
“Just like the Liberals, we see funding for the environment here but there’s no implementation plan. Just like the Liberals, there are large corporate tax cuts instead of investment in sustainable fuels, retrofit programs to help people lower the heating costs and a green car plan.
“Now is not the time cut, now is the time to invest. After years of broken promises working families deserve real investment in the issues that matter to them.
“In the Throne Speech, the NDP secured language on important issues like creation of childcare spaces, cutting greenhouse gasses, and funding for education and training. This budget should have put those words into action. What we’re seeing instead is a child care tax cut scheme that won’t work, an environment cheque with no plan attached, and money meant to make education more accessible diverted to infrastructure instead.
“We were very clear on what we wanted to see in this budget: the priorities of working families finally addressed. We’re very disappointed that we aren’t seeing that here.”
“This budget won’t create anymore child care spaces than Mike Harris did when he brought in the same failed tax credit scheme in Ontario. Not one single space was created,” said Layton. “How can the Conservatives say they’re providing a choice? Parents can’t choose to put their children in spaces that don’t exist and you can’t create spaces unless you know your funding is secure for the long-term. This budget is more than $3 billion short of the multi-year funding real child care needs.
“There’s nothing here for EI, precious little for training, and they’ve traded away the money to help families send their kids to college that we secured in last year’s budget amendment for infrastructure instead. So, there’ll be lots of empty libraries in this country because students won’t be able to afford to use them. The proposed changes to the student loan program amounts to nothing more than an increased ability for students to go further into debt.
“After years of making working families wait for the services they need and have been promised, in the face of continuing growing budget surpluses, the Conservatives aren’t delivering for working families. They’re no better than the Liberals.
“Just like the Liberals, we see funding for the environment here but there’s no implementation plan. Just like the Liberals, there are large corporate tax cuts instead of investment in sustainable fuels, retrofit programs to help people lower the heating costs and a green car plan.
“Now is not the time cut, now is the time to invest. After years of broken promises working families deserve real investment in the issues that matter to them.
“In the Throne Speech, the NDP secured language on important issues like creation of childcare spaces, cutting greenhouse gasses, and funding for education and training. This budget should have put those words into action. What we’re seeing instead is a child care tax cut scheme that won’t work, an environment cheque with no plan attached, and money meant to make education more accessible diverted to infrastructure instead.
“We were very clear on what we wanted to see in this budget: the priorities of working families finally addressed. We’re very disappointed that we aren’t seeing that here.”
# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 12:38 AM 
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