Budget 2021-22: Investment in Child Care - Question Period

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Premier. Today we have heard from the government on the subject of investment, but in a time when women are leaving the workforce in huge numbers, when the early childhood education sector is teetering, and when we know the importance of that education to parents, to children, and to our economy, the gaping hole in this budget is the failure to invest a single new dollar into affordable, accessible child care.

We know that per dollar, investing in child care creates more jobs than any other industry. Given the need and the clear economic benefit, I would like to ask the Premier « » : Will the Premier explain why this budget fails to make any meaningful investment in child care?

THE PREMIER « » : We continue to invest substantial funding in the child care sector and, as I said in the Throne Speech, it is a priority for us to have that conversation with the federal government to see where they are going. I believe it is irresponsible to look at investments that may not be the most effective way to leverage a universal health care program.

CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, there are other provinces that have done it and we can do it too.

Given the recent closure announcement from a regulated daycare in Dartmouth after more than 25 years, we know the child care sector in Nova Scotia is not on solid ground. Between February 2020 and February 2021, 2,000 women in Nova Scotia left the labour force. The Premier says we are on the path to economic recovery but that is only true for some of us. The fact is that compared to men, women in Nova Scotia were more than twice as likely to have left a job in 2020 for personal or family reasons. These women and families are not impressed by conversations with the federal government that have been happening for over a quarter of a century with no results.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Premier « » : Will the Premier go further than just acknowledging the difficulties faced by women in the recovery and commit to finally implementing a universal, accessible child care system in this mandate?

THE PREMIER « » : As I said, I've prioritized having those discussions, and I already have with several MPs. I do believe that we should be working toward a universal child care benefit to Nova Scotians, as Quebec has in the past. I want to leverage that opportunity with the federal priorities.

We were one of two provinces to actually invest in child care over the pandemic, to ensure that that sector was stabilized. We're going to continue to ensure that we have a strong economic recovery, and I'm happy to see that women now are back to the employment levels that they were before the pandemic hit.