QP: Premier - She-cession - Take Action
PREM.: SHE-CESSION - ACTION
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : My question is for the Premier. On February 5th, 11 months into the pandemic, the former Premier acknowledged for the first time the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women. To address this, he announced a $5 million contribution - a gift - to a venture capital fund. We know that a $5 million investment in child care would increase our provincial GDP by more than $11 million and create 234 direct and indirect jobs.
Will this Premier finally acknowledge that we are in a she-cession and tell Nova Scotians what, if any, immediate action will be taken to address it?
THE PREMIER « » : Yes, I'll definitely acknowledge that we are in a she-cession. This recession has impacted women far more than men. It's different than past recessions where it's hit industrial activity more. This is hitting a lot of our service sectors. It's hitting a lot of employment where we have predominantly women working.
The child care issue is one that I care about very much. I do believe in universal child care. That's why it was mentioned in the Throne Speech as a priority - to start that conversation to see how we can leverage that priority of the federal government. I also support helping women in their entrepreneurial pursuits. I think that we can do both. I don't think that it is one or the other. I think that a conversation has to be had with child care and improving how we subsidize child care.
When we came into government, child care workers themselves were the lowest paid in the country. We raised them up. We've invested year over year in how to subsidize that more, and we're going to continue to invest in child care to support women and parents overall in the province.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Considering that Nova Scotia was the only province in the country not to provide child care for essential workers, and considering the former Premier's belief that child care occurs organically, you can't blame us for our cynicism.
In the Throne Speech, the government indicated, as the Premier just mentioned, that they would work on a comprehensive national child care strategy. Pre‑Primary just isn't enough. Federal and provincial Liberal governments have been promising to deliver universal child care for decades. It was promised in 1993, it was promised in 2004, and it was promised in 2011. The parents of the children in my community - who will lose two regulated child care providers serving over 75 families by July because of the destabilization of the sector - can't wait another 30 years, Mr. Speaker.
Will this Premier commit to investing in a universal, affordable public system of child care in this budget?
THE PREMIER « » : Actually, we were the only province during the pandemic that invested in child care to keep the child care sector whole when we had restrictions come on, and we weren't going to be able to use the capacity at the child care centres. We do support the sector. We are going to continue to support that sector, and the federal government has stated priorities in this area. That makes me very optimistic that we can have that conversation to ensure that we are going to invest towards a universal health care system because I do think that is the next step for our social safety net.
Pre‑Primary is a good program that both Opposition Parties voted against, but we did support that program. It is the largest social program to help people in Nova Scotia in my lifetime. As we move forward, we are going to have to look at ways that we continue to subsidize for those that aren't at the age of four.
THE SPEAKER « » : The honourable member for Pictou West.