Doug Ford says Ontario close to child-care deal; province is last to strike an agreement
Ontario is close to a child-care deal with the federal government, Premier Doug Ford said Tuesday, as his province remained the only jurisdiction without a deal with Ottawa for $10-a-day child care.
Ford told radio station Q104 Kenora that he is confident Ontario will reach an agreement.
"We're very, very close," he said. "I'm confident we're going to strike a deal that's going to be beneficial for everyone in Ontario."
His comments come after a deal announced Monday with Nunavut leaves Ontario as the last holdout on a child-care deal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday that he is optimistic the government can reach a deal with Ontario.
"We have been ready to reach an agreement with Ontario for many, many months now," he said. "The frame of the agreement has been set out for a long time."
Education Minister Stephen Lecce said Monday that the province is pushing for more than the $10.2 billion on offer from Ottawa to ensure that fees can be reduced to $10 a day since Ontario families pay some of the highest prices in the country for care.
Lecce said that Ontario is also making the case that families who send their children to either not-for-profit or independent child-care settings should benefit from the fee reductions.
The education minister has also previously said that he wants to ensure that any deal will last longer than five years, and that Ottawa's offer doesn't take into account the $3.6 billion a year that the province spends on full-day kindergarten for four- and five-year-old children.
Families, Children and Social Development Minister Karina Gould said Monday that the agreements are specifically about early learning and child care.
"We've been very clear from the beginning that kindergarten is beyond the scope of the agreement," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
RCMP uncovers alleged plot by 2 Montreal men to illegally sell drones, equipment to Libya
The RCMP says it has uncovered a plot by two men in Montreal to sell Chinese drones and military equipment to Libya illegally.
Government agrees to US$138.7M settlement over FBI's botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations
The U.S. Justice Department announced a US$138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Man wanted in connection with deadly shooting in Toronto tops list of most wanted fugitives in Canada
A 35-year-old man wanted in connection with the murder of Toronto resident 29-year-old Sharmar Powell-Flowers nine months ago has topped the list of the BOLO program’s 25 most wanted fugitives across Canada, police announced Tuesday.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.