Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach faced a skeptical group of mothers at a Red Deer daycare Thursday as he announced plans to increase daycare spaces and offer tax credits to help parents afford child-care.
"Our plan will leave more dollars in Albertans' pockets and make it easier for them to make choices on how best to care for their families, Stelmach told about a dozen mothers at the Tiny Treasures Daycare.
Parents at the announcement said they did not get concrete answers from Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach.
(CBC)
Surrounded by chalkboards and children's artwork, Stelmach promised to:
- Create 14,000 child-care spaces over three years.
- Help private daycare groups.
- Recruit foreign workers to help daycares that have trouble attracting and retaining staff.
Parents unimpressed with daycare pitch
"I'm sorry but I am not a mathematical genius. He lost me on some of his numbers," said parent Janice Varner.
"OK, he's going to cut our taxes, right, but it still doesn't put a cap on the daycare [fees]," said Sharlene Dolan, who pays $875 a month for her daughter's care. "It can sound really good right now on paper but if the daycare costs go up it doesn't help," she said.
Dolan said she would like to have another child but would never be able to afford daycare and keep working.
'Welcome Premier Stelmach, Kory age 5' said a sign at the Red Deer news conference Thursday.
(CBC)
Annick Baldwin, another mother whose two-year-old is at Tiny Treasures, was also not impressed with the planned tax credits.
"Once I'm at work, when more than half your pay cheque goes toward childcare, I mean, it doesn't do [anything]," she said. "It's insulting."
The Tory promise focused on changes to the Family Employment Tax Credit, which Stelmach said would help up to 170,000 families with tax credits ranging from $639 a year for one child to $1,685 for four or more children.
Stelmach could not say how much money those families would receive as a result of having those additional deductions on their tax returns.
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Riding Profiles
More Alberta Votes Headlines »
- It's 'Ed's Empire' after Alberta election sweep
- Political observers in Alberta are calling it remarkable and opposition politicians are wondering what hit them after Ed Stelmach guided his Conservative party Monday to one of its biggest majorities ever.
- Low voter turnout in Alberta election being questioned
- As Premier Ed Stelmach and Alberta Conservatives savour their sweeping election victory, some people are raising a nagging concern: why so few people bothered to vote.
- Albertans elect historic 11th straight Tory government
- Voters in Alberta stuck with tried-and-true blue, giving the Progressive Conservative party an unprecedented 11th consecutive majority government in Monday's provincial election.
- Political tide turns in Edmonton
- Alberta Progressive Conservative Leader Ed Stelmach has proven true to his word, putting the "Ed" back in Edmonton.
- Conservatives' Calgary fortress resists change
- The Progressive Conservatives' fortress in Calgary stood strong as the party took 18 of the city's 23 ridings Monday night.
