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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 19, 2008 - 17 Childcare issue sparks war of words between Halton candidates By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF GOOD CREDIT · BAD CREDIT · NO CREDIT · No Application Refused! Childcare became the latest issue to bring Halton's candidates to a head as Rona Ambrose the minister of intergovernmental affairs visited an Oakville daycare last week. Flanked by Halton Conservative candidate, Lisa Raitt, the minister spoke to an audience of children and parents at the Oak Park Moms and Tots daycare centre about the importance of such institutions. "I'm actually lucky to have worked on the childcare policy with Stephen Harper and the reason that's great is because he is a young family guy, he has two young kids and he and his wife Laureen have struggled with finding childcare, whether it is babysitters, daycare or places like this," said Ambrose. "They know exactly what it's like and so does Lisa." Ambrose noted that Lisa, whose young son Billy attends Moms and Tots, would bring her concerns for childcare and social services with her. The evening ended with both Ambrose and Raitt reiterating controversial statements that the Liberals plan to do away with the $1,200 per year universal childcare benefit, a charge the Liberals have flat out denied. "Stephane Dion is on the record saying only one thing. In an interview with the National Post he was asked clearly will you cancel the Conservative childcare plan and he said, `yes.' That's the reality, those are the facts," said Ambrose. "This is one of the most extensive and important programs to this government. Parents need it, they need the flexibility. The Conservative government has now funded $250 million per year ongoing for childcare spaces. The provinces have committed to 60,000 childcare spaces. In addition to that, we've spent over $1.6 billion just here in Ontario on direct benefits to parents. We don't want to see parents lose that." Raitt noted that in the last election, it was this issue of childcare that caused her to vote definitively for the Conservative Party. "This was a really big thing for my husband and I. To actually receive $2,400 (because she has two children) a year to use for childcare in whatever way we choose, it's good to have that kind of flexibility because we all live very different lives these days," she said. Contacted by the Oakville Beaver, Halton Liberal MP Garth Turner said the Conservatives are lying when they say the sLiberals would end the childcare benefit calling it a lie. "It is based on an interview Dion gave in 2006 with the Financial Post, which has been misinterpreted," said Turner. "Dion at the time was not even leader of the party. He had no status. So, it's completely false. They've made it up. The reality is that the Liberals will not end the child benefit." Turner noted that on June 21, the Liberals had actually announced Halton Conservative candidate Lisa Raitt and Rona Ambrose intentions to increase the universal childcare benefit in two ways. The first method would see families receive a $350 refundable tax credit, while the second would see the benefit doubled for low-income families. Turner said the actions of his opponent mark a low point in this campaign. "For Mrs. Raitt to go around and repeat this lie is extremely disappointing," he said. "For Mrs. Raitt and Rona Ambrose to actually go around and scare mothers and frighten young families, that their financial situation will be worse, is not what a campaign should be about. We should be about giving hope to people, not spooking them." Halton NDP candidate Robert Wagner chastised both Turner and Raitt for bickering about the issue when neither Liberal nor Conservative childcare policies address the need for more childcare spaces. Wagner noted that getting these additional spaces is important because they are desperately needed. Spending money to create them now may actually save money later, he said. "Most families with preschoolers do rely on some form of childcare. Canada, right now, has a patchwork system and one in five are left without suitable childcare. Therefore, we have a shortage of about a million quality childcare spaces," said Wagner. "The data coming out of Europe says that for every dollar spent on suitable childcare, you'll see a twofold return to the economy in the future. So, why are we shortchanging ourselves in the future?" Earlier this week, NDP Leader Jack Layton promised to make universal daycare the free health care of this century by enshrining it in law with a program that would cost $1.45 billion in the first year. Halton Green Party candidate Amy Collard noted her party would bring significant reforms to childcare in Canada. "We intend to create new funding networks for more locally run housing, childcare and health programs. We need to expand child tax benefits and credits, we need to create tax incentives for businesses to implement flexible schedules and on-site childcare," she said. "We would boost funding for early childhood education and work with the other governments to link local childcare and education centres into a national network and we would support child focused programs that inspire self confidence and foster a love of learning in children." OAKVILLE NISSAN'S A+ STK # 91750. Automatic, a/c, power locks, CD, 48,000km lots of factory warranty still remaining. Sales Event Bi-Weekly $ Payment 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA CE Bi-Weekly $ Payment 138 2004 HONDA CIVIC SI STK# T8167A. Manual trans, 88,000km, power locks, windows, mirrors, CD, A/C, Alloy wheels, Sunroof, Dual air bags 2004 NISSAN SENTRA stk#91786. Automatic, A/C, CD, power locks, mirrors, windows, remaining factory warranty. 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