The Conservative policy plank for today is choice in daycare. This is a policy they have been clear on for months. Money is best served going to parents so they can choose what is best for the kids as opposed to the Liberal plan of sending money to the Provinces so they can decide what is best.
This highlights one of the main differences between the Conservatives and the Liberals. The Liberal plan is top down. They have made a value judgment that only parents who put their kids in a institutionalized daycare program deserve a tax break. The Conservative plan is bottom up - fitting their ideal that the best decision is made closer to the citizen. In this case parents themselves will choose which type of daycare fits best with their family situation and ideals. No matter which way you slice this, the Conservative plan makes more sense than the Liberal one.
Here are some details.
...Speaking at an Ottawa day-care centre, Harper promised:
- a $1,200-a-year allowance for every child per household under the age of six -- which families can use in any way they want; and
- $250 million in tax credits every year to fund a community childcare investment program
The $1,200 payment, called the choice in child care allowance, would be taxable in the hands of the spouse with the lower income. Harper said he expects the tax credit system will create 125,000 new child-care spaces over the next five years.
Update: So I've listened to the announcement. Again it sets the right tone. Starting with the mute check. Stephen Harper looks relaxed at the podium which is positioned in a daycare centre, with a back drop of dolls and teddy bears. During the speech you can see kids using the slide behind him. So even without sound you know what he is talking about about. Second it speaks directly to families. "Families are the building blocks of a society. Families provide the love and support to raise the next generation of Canadians and to care for the elderly and infirm". This is a universal value that now only has a home as a Conservative value.
Mr. Harper spoke of his family situation with his wife, son and daughter. Smart - it humanizes him, he knows what regular people go through when trying to make a choice as to the best family arrangement.
The name of the program is perfect - "Choice in child care allowance". You know exactly what it is. Even better, it will be taxed at the lower earners tax rate so it many (most?) cases it will not be clawed back by the government.
And then came the brilliance. "Instead of large benefits for a few we need support for everyone. A new allowance they can see and no government can take away without noticing".
Accountability and transparency. A program that is accoutable to everyone. A program that can be seen and meaured by all Canadians. Again the program fits into a nice coherent package. It is a vision for the future that can be immediately explained and understood.
