Roundup: Making a provincial problem a federal one—child care edition

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The CBC continues to go out of its way to provide cover for delinquent premiers who can’t live up to their promises, in an attempt to make provincial problems federal ones. Yesterday is was on the early learning and child care system—fewer than half of the promises spaces have been created, and they want to make this a federal problem. It’s not, however—the federal government did their part, and delivered the promised funding, and what is left is for the provinces to live up to the agreements that they signed, and put their own money into the system. Several provinces are not doing that, and yet demanding more federal funding, because of course they are, and because they know they will get away with it.

The federal government did not force or strong-arm provinces into this system. Why? Because every single premier who signed up knew that this was a) popular, and b) economically necessary. We have labour shortages in this country and one of the most fundamental things they can do is to increase the labour force participation of women by providing subsidised child care. Quebec learned this years ago, and also learned that this pays for itself once the tax revenue from those women in the work force rolls in. The federal government wanted to get the ball rolling and provided a certain level of funding, and attached particular strings and metrics to it so that there is uniformity around the country, and some fundamental standards, particularly around things like improving pay for workers, and standards of care, and the choice was made to subsidize not-for-profit spaces because they’re less likely to cut corners for the sake of juicing their profit margins. But there are provinces who haven’t been investing in the system like they agreed to, or those like Ontario who cut the provincial funding they were supposed to invest, and then complain that there aren’t enough spaces being created.

We need to stop giving the premiers a pass on this. This is their problem, because they signed on and now are refusing to live up to their obligations. But the media doesn’t like holding premiers to account for some unknowable reason, so you get this CBC piece that continually frames this as a federal problem where the solution must be more federal dollars. No, the solution is the provinces living up to their obligations, and they have just as many revenue tools as the federal government does—and this will make their money back. But they don’t like to raise their own revenues, and when they get federal funding, don’t like to spend it on the things they are supposed to spend it on. And like Ontario is doing here, they get federal funds, cut their own share, and then demand more federal funds or the programme will suffer. It would be great if legacy media could actually hold them to account for this rather than trying to once again make this a federal problem.

Ukraine Dispatch:

Russian drone and bomb attacks killed four people overnight in the Sumy and Donetsk regions. Ukrainian drones damaged more Russian oil refineries in a second day of attacks. Here is a look at the Russian rebel groups attacking from Ukraine. The artillery purchase arranged by the Czech government should start arriving in Ukraine by June.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau was in Calgary to meet with Danielle Smith, and defended the carbon price before reporters, insisting that his job is to do the right thing, not be popular.
  • Trudeau also admitted that there need to be “significant changes” to federal procurement processes after repeated instances of contractors taking advantage.
  • The military is dropping its aptitude tests for certain jobs and is admitting some applicants with medical conditions as they struggle with the recruitment crisis.
  • It turns out that the Auditor General’s office fired two employees for having undisclosed government contracts and are investigating a third for the same.
  • The federal funding for an East Coast company that recycles tonnes of used fishing gear (which is the main cause of plastic pollution in the oceans) is about to lapse.
  • Here is a look at the situation in Haiti, and the role Canada is playing behind-the-scenes to help stabilise the conflict.
  • Former prime minister Brian Mulroney’s lying-in-state begins in Ontario next Tuesday for two days, before heading to Montreal in advance of the state funeral.
  • One of the ArriveCan contractors appeared at committee yesterday and insisted that what has been reported has been false, and called out being used to score points.
  • Here is a look at Poilievre’s attempt to distance himself from corporate Canada and its lobbyists, while he tries to build his blue-collar image.
  • Surprising nobody, the Alberta Utilities Commission has found that renewables projects pose very little threat to the environment or agriculture. Go figure!
  • Alberta also introduced legislation to give more police powers to their provincial sheriff service, but insists this is about complementing and not replacing the RCMP.
  • Kevin Carmichael makes a roundabout case for open banking reforms while calling for more transparency at the regulatory and macroprudential level.

Odds and Ends:

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One thought on “Roundup: Making a provincial problem a federal one—child care edition”

  1. Pingback: Who is supposed to be running the Government of Canada — the federal government elected by the Canadian people or 10 provincial premiers ?? - Counterweights

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