Tories offer child care payment (Canadian Conservatives offer aternative to status quo)

CanWest via National Post - Canada ^ | December 5, 2005 | Allan Woods

[GMMAC]

Tories offer child care payment
$1,200 for each child under six

Allan Woods, CanWest News Service
(via National Post)
December 5, 2005

OTTAWA -- A Conservative government would scrap child-care agreements the Liberals have signed with 10 provinces and bring in a system of $1,200-per-child payment for families with preschoolers coupled with a $250-million tax credit for businesses and employers to create 125,000 new child care spaces over five years, Stephen Harper said Monday.

Families with children younger than six would receive a $100 payment each month to use as they see fit, Harper said, contrasting it with the Liberal government’s plan to create a national child care system ‹ something the Tory leader called a "child-care bureaucracy."

"Of course, it costs more than $1,200 a year to raise a child, but this will help parents with the choices they have to make. It’s hard enough to be a parent. The government should support your choices, not limit them," Harper said.

The annual $1,200 allowance must be claimed as taxable income, but it can be claimed by the spouse with the lowest income, he said.

"It’s a universal payment, but the heaviest benefits are at the lowest income."

The Liberals allotted $5-billion over five years in last February’s budget to establish their program. The Tory plan would cost $10.9-billion over the same time period, $4.7-billion more than the Liberal plan.

"The Liberal plan is for politicians to pay other politicians," Harper said. "Our plan is to pay families."

The Conservatives have designed their child care program to pick up the support of rural families who might not have access to a more centralized day-care system.

© CanWest News Service 2005

[GMMAC]

Part of a continuing effort - like last week's proposals to cut the 'Goods & Services Tax' (GST) and other taxes - to promote the Party as a positive and viable alternative to the Liberal status quo.

While far from fiscally or philosophically conservative (beyond being pro-family), the CPC's latest proposal respects conventional families & stay-at-home parents, promotes choice & seems much less like a guaranteed income plan for the largely unionized & radicalized 'child care industry' than current Liberal/NDP/Bloc policies.
Advantage: Harper

[GMMAC]

PING!

[Pessimist]

Blatant pandering to a select (albeit large) group of voters... Just like down here in the US.

[Para-Ord.45]

Great to counter with a little more common sensical ideas but....

why do I as a taxpayer have to subsidize other people`s sexual intercourse and child bearing/rearing?

Makes zero sense to me.You want to make babies? Pay for them yourself.

Solution: Flat tax-zero deductions-zero tax credits.

[fanfan]

Currently a Canadian family earning $50k with both earning $25K/yr, get to keep $40-43k/yr after taxes, and send their kids to daycare which is taxpayer subsidized.

The same family earning $50K/yr., with one person working, and one staying at home with the kids, get to keep about $37K/yr., after taxes.

The second family is taxed on one income of $50K for one person.
The first family is taxed on two incomes of $25K, and get to deduct their child care expenses.

The First family, who raises their own children subsidize the childcare of the second family.



The Liberals want to fund only government run day care, and continue to tax the first family at the higher rate.

The Conservatives want to give each family with kids under 6 $100/month towards the child rearing cost, and leave it up to the parents to decide how to go about it.
I believe the Conservatives when elected will also allow the 1st family to split their income between them, and therefore be taxed at the lower rate.

Sounds like a fair plan to me!

[fanfan]

Cross link

Harper mulls income-splitting among tax cuts as campaign enters Week 2

[GMMAC]

While I tried to concede up-front that it's hardly an ideal philosophically conservative proposal, your position - especially if taken to it's logical conclusion - is far too libertarian for my tastes.

As conservatives value the conventional family both from moral and economic perspectives, accordingly, governments we form should rightly reflect as much in their social and economic policies.

Want to see where not encouraging conventional families and corresponding higher birth rates gets you?
(yeah, I know, especially when coupled with brain dead immigration policies, etc, etc)
Visit old Europe!

[Forte Runningrock]

It's far better and cheaper than the liberal plan. This way everyone gets it, instead of those who don't work and sit on welfare, and shouldn't require 'childcare' while those that do work and make over $30,000 get nothing under the liberal plan, but get to pay for it.

[Forte Runningrock]

"Currently a Canadian family earning $50k with both earning $25K/yr, get to keep $40-43k/yr after taxes, and send their kids to daycare which is taxpayer subsidized. The same family earning $50K/yr., with one person working, and one staying at home with the kids, get to keep about $37K/yr., after taxes. The second family is taxed on one income of $50K for one person. The first family is taxed on two incomes of $25K, and get to deduct their child care expenses. The First family, who raises their own children subsidize the childcare of the second family.

Wrong, they both get nothing. Only the family making under 30k gets subsidy. It is reduced and gradualy dissapears completely before 40k.

[aimhigh]

Once this passes, the next step will be to force young mothers out of their homes, in order to support this socialist agenda.

[GMMAC]

Think you've misunderstood:

Under the Liberals stay-at-home parents (unless they're collecting welfare) get nothing from the government.
While $1,200 per year isn't a lot, it's the only money currently being offered to parents who don't wish to put their children in at least part-time daycare.

[rasblue]

I agree that this is pandering, but we have an even bigger problem than ethics, Canadians are not producing enough babies to replenish the population. Bribing taxpayers is immoral, but where do the values go when no one is left to live on?

[proud_yank]

Part of a continuing effort - like last week's proposals to cut the 'Goods & Services Tax' (GST) and other taxes - to promote the Party as a positive and viable alternative to the Liberal status quo

Why would you possibly want to get rid of Liberal policies that are designed to "Help the people" by continuing a dependence on big-brotha govt!?! Are you not listening to what they're saying?? /s o

[GMMAC]

[proud_yank]

LOL! That was pretty good. People seem to really enjoy those Team Martin signs.

[GMMAC]

Today's National Post Editorial: On child care, Harper's got it right