Debates of October 30, 2006 (day 18)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about day cares and what our government is doing to address the need for more spaces for our children; the inequities that continue to be allowed to exist amongst day care providers, the low number of trained childcare workers, and options that the government should be exploring in addressing the issue.

In February, during our budget session, I asked the Minister of ECE a number of questions regarding the government’s role in addressing the need for more space and the fact that inequities are allowed to exist via charity leases and that some day cares are operating in government-owned premises. Yellowknife and other communities here in the NWT are very expensive places to live. Most families here have to rely on the income of both parents to make ends meet. This government has an obligation to parents to ensure that there is an adequate space and a level playing field when it comes to day cares.

Currently, there is a shortage of available spaces and a shortage of childcare workers. The GNWT has to recognize that we need more trained childcare workers. Are we doing everything we can? I don’t think so. We need more things, such as wage subsidies, incentives for persons to take early childhood courses, and other beneficial programs to grow and retain our childcare workers.

Mr. Speaker, just to put it all in perspective for this government, as a government we spend about $32 million per year in the area of corrections. Do you want to know what we spend in the area of early childhood programming? Four point seven million dollars. This, to me, is a travesty and this government should be ashamed of itself for not making early childhood development more of a priority.

Mr. Speaker, our children are our future and the responsibility for day care and early childhood programming has to be shared with parents, the government, both territorially and federally, and employers. In such a small jurisdiction, maybe we should explore the establishment of government-run day cares. The GNWT is an employer of roughly 4,500 persons and we should also be looking at subsidies for our employees requiring day care. Something must be done, Mr. Speaker. If we can’t rely totally on the federal government, then we must look at our own operation and come up with a better solution than we currently have. Mahsi.

---Applause