Ontario still hasn't shown how it would spend child-care deal funding, federal minister says
The federal minister in charge of child-care efforts says Ontario still hasn't laid out how it would spend billions in funding allocated under a child-care deal.
Families Minister Karina Gould told the CBC radio show "Metro Morning" today that the lack of a detailed plan is holding up negotiations for a deal that aims to provide $10-a-day child care.
Ontario is the only remaining jurisdiction without a child-care deal, and Premier Doug Ford told radio station Q104 Kenora earlier this week that the province is "very, very close" to reaching an agreement with Ottawa.
Gould says Ford's comments are "a good signal" that the province wants an agreement, but notes there's still a "considerable amount" of work to do before one can be achieved.
She says, however, that negotiations tend to move quickly once a plan has been submitted.
The Ontario government has said it is pushing to receive more than the $10.2 billion offered by Ottawa under the national $30-billion, five-year child-care plan to cut fees to an average of $10 per day and cut them in half by next year.
Ford also told a different radio station, CJBQ in Belleville, this week that he wants to make sure the child-care funding continues beyond five years.
Gould called that argument "a bit of a red herring."
"We have money booked into the fiscal framework on an ongoing basis, so no other premier has had that issue," she told CBC.
"Ontario is the lone holdout here and every other province and territory has very clearly understood that the reason why we're signing a five-year agreement is because we want to meet those initial benchmarks and those initial objectives, and we want to be able to review them as we're going."
The minister said there is some pressure to reach a deal before the end of the fiscal year on March 31, or else Ontario won't receive more than a billion dollars earmarked for this year.
The upcoming provincial election could also delay a deal until the next provincial government is formed, she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.