Making Their Child Care Views Known

Large crowd voices displeasure with Prime Minister's child care strategy.

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke at a Manitoba Chamber of Commerce luncheon on April 19, there was a large group of working men and women outside the convention centre loudly protesting the Conservative government's plans for child care. They left little doubt that paying $100 per month - taxable - to parents of pre-school age children does not constitute a real child care policy.

MFL President Darlene Dziewit voiced the concerns of the demonstrators when she spoke to the rally.

"We demand," she shouted over the noise of the crowd, "that the prime minister reinstate the five-year, $5 billion child care program signed by the former federal government. Harper is on record as saying he has no plans to restore the child care agreements negotiated with the provinces. The biggest benefit of his $100 a month plan will be to high-income families where one spouse stays at home with much less of a benefit to single mothers with modest incomes."

In addition to the current MFL president, two past presidents of the Federation were also at the rally - Susan Hart-Kulbaba and Rob Hilliard.

About the MFL Women's Committee

If you would like to see and hear more from the demonstration, and you have speakers and Windows Media Player installed on your computer, click here for an audio/slide show. (2:40 min - 3 mb)