See text below.
EXCERPTS
Finance Minister Greg Sorbara has not ruled out spending the new
federal money earmarked for early learning and child care. Well,
good. But one would ask how Ontario is spending the funds from
the Multilateral Framework Agreement on Early Learning and Child
Care, also an earmarked federal transfer. Since 2003, Ontario
has received $408.8 million for this purpose.
And one would ask about the hefty "fiscal imbalance" fund
announced last week so provinces can pay for programs like early
learning and child care.
The Ontario budget's ungenerous $25 million for child care
reinforces why - in a federation in which levels of government
compete rather than co-operate - public dollars need to be
clearly designated.
Martha Friendly, Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Toronto
- reprinted from the Toronto Star