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NDP proposes $15/day child care on Regina campaign stop

May 1, 2015 | 12:26 PM

Thomas Mulcair traded question period for story time as he stopped in the Queen City Friday morning to read to children at the Child Care Centre Co-op Ltd.

Along with reading a Saskatchewan Roughrider book to the children and getting a tour of the long-standing daycare, the federal NDP leader announced his party’s proposal regarding child care ahead of this fall’s election.

“To create one million child care spaces that are quality, afforadble child care spaces,” Mulcair told reporters following story time. “And that means $15 a day.”

After consulting with parents, educators and child-care providers, Mulcair said his party considers $15 a day to be affordable while still ensuring quality care. 

Mulcair highlighted Saskatchewan’s lack of regulated child care spaces, and acknowledged that a lot of single parents in Saskatchewan struggle to find and be able to afford child care.

“We’ve always made it clear since the beginning that we want to make sure that we help maintain child care spaces because it’s about getting those child care spaces available.”

It’s no coincidence, Mulcair said, that his party is also looking at bringing back the federal minimum wage which would apply to jobs under federal jurisdiction. That wage would also be $15 an hour. Mulcair said it’s part of the NDP’s stance that no parent should have to pay more than an hour’s wage for child care.

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @princealbertnow