(Quebec) The small world of daycare will be completely transformed when Éric Duhaime’s Conservatives take power in Quebec City on October 3.
Posted at 7:51 am
Jocelyne Richer The Canadian Press
The platform, which will be defended by the Quebec Conservative Party (PCQ) in the next election campaign and received a copy from The Canadian Press on Thursday, plans to disrupt the method of funding childcare services that has been in place since the centers were founded de la Early Childhood (CPE) in 1997.
Officially, no type of childcare service (CPE, private or family daycare) would disappear under the Conservative government, but the way the network was funded would be changed to put them in competition with each other and, above all, to reduce in its simplest form the role of the state in this area.
The basic principle propagated by the conservatives: ensure maximum freedom of choice for parents, preferring one model over the other “without ideological bias”.
The chosen formula: In the long term, reduce or even eliminate public funding for the network in order to encourage direct support from parents.
A Duhaime government would therefore commit to offering parents a taxable childcare deposit of $200 per week per child, or $10,400 per year. It’s a bit reminiscent of Mario Dumont’s Action Démocratique “Duty Bonds” from 2003.
The state would then no longer be responsible for financing the network. Say goodbye to the $8.70 daily rate. The right to childcare would be deregulated. Each CPE, private or family daycare could set its own tariff.
During an initial Conservative mandate, the childcare voucher would be introduced “gradually” and “eventually replace public funding of CPEs and daycare or subsidized childcare services”.
The Conservatives want to end “the quasi-state monopoly in childcare”. The document does not say a word about the glaring short-term shortage of university places and does not set a target for the number of university places to be created in the next semester to meet the demand. The waiting list currently has more than 52,000 names.
“The state must support parents and families directly whenever possible, rather than subsidizing standardized services, in order to promote a market for services capable of responding more effectively and quickly to the needs expressed by families,” we can say in the 60s read. page document.
Conservatives are concerned about Quebec’s low birth rate. They prefer large families. A Duhaime government would therefore improve family allowances. It would give families with more than two children an additional tax break. Families with at least two children do not have to pay real estate transfer tax when buying a house.
“The Quebec model of family support is discriminatory,” said the party, which will present its platform to its candidates this weekend during a large rally in Drummondville. The candidates then receive election preparation training.
Éric Duhaime will give a speech on Sunday afternoon, followed by a press conference after releasing his platform, which will focus on specific issues: health, environment, transport and economy.
Like childcare, the education chapter addresses the issue from a funding perspective but is sparse in detail.
school funding
Under a conservative government, school funding will also come from the parents.
“Redirecting resources and decision-making authority to those who work directly with students, school leaders, teachers and parents will encourage the best possible decisions in the interests of students and their success,” the document reads.
The PCQ wants more private investment in schools. This could help to “renew the school inventory faster and more efficiently”.
A PCQ government would also encourage the establishment of charter schools, which are essentially quasi-autonomous and able to determine their own needs in terms of human resources (not necessarily unionized) and materials.
Academic Freedom
A Conservative government would be interested in ensuring academic freedom at the university and would therefore review the law that has just been passed on the subject.
Universities should “promptly set up bodies to monitor free speech.” A report on the activities of these committees will be prepared before the end of the PCQ’s first term in order to make the necessary adjustments.