Provinces Rob Peter To Pay Paul When It Comes To Child Care And Medical Care Spending
Alberta doubles down on an expensive (and ineffective) healthcare strategy in its latest budget. Meanwhile, provinces play politics with a life-changing program for families.
In today’s issue we will be discussing:
How Provincial budgets are being dominated by medical spending
Provincial governments across the country hampering $10 a day child care
Let’s get into it.
Medical Spending Weighing Down Provincial Budgets
Generation Squeeze founder Paul Kershaw recently published two articles in The Hub – one on BC and one on Alberta – describing how “previous governments did not adequately prepare their budgets for the medical care Baby Boomers use in retirement.” As we discussed on our recent Budget Season Community Call, it was a big milestone to see the BC government recognize this fact – a first for any level of government in Canada:
Across the country, rising medical spending risks crowding out other areas of investment. For example, our analysis of last week’s Alberta budget found that:
Not only is higher medical spending leaving less left over for things like education and child care, but it’s also adding to deficits. In BC:
Increasing medical spending isn’t enough to create health when Canadians lack access to safe homes, good incomes, quality child care, and a healthy environment – the building blocks of a healthy society. This becomes clear when comparing spending trends between the two western provinces. “Alberta’s 2024 budget ramps up funding for a medical care system that already spent more per person than in B.C. and Ontario, while achieving poorer health outcomes.”
BC’s acknowledgment of how medical care expenses are weighing on our budgets is a good start, but there is much more work to do to complete our health system. By investing more urgently in the social conditions where health begins, we can help all Canadians to ‘Get Well’.
Asking Homeowners To Own Their Wealth And Put It To Work
We spoke with journalist Michelle Cyca about one of the hardest truths we grapple with (and which gets us a lot of hate mail). Skyrocketing home prices have made many older Canadian homeowners rich, while making housing unaffordable for younger generations.
Many homeowners resist thinking of themselves as wealthy (even if they find themselves amongst the world’s wealthiest 1%), especially when the subject of taxation comes up. So how do we get more homeowners to recognize their wealth and put it to work fixing Canada’s housing crisis?
We also discuss the high personal stakes of housing unaffordability; how it’s changing Canadian neighborhoods and society; why "just move somewhere affordable" isn't a solution.
“People need to recognize the power and the position that they have through their housing. Housing is the main form of wealth in Canada that most people draw from. And if you have a lot of housing wealth, then you are wealthy. It's uncomfortable. It's not the same as, you know, being Galen Weston, or like a private jet-flying billionaire. But it is real wealth, and it gives you real power. And we can see that power reflected in what our neighborhoods look like.”
— Michelle Cyca
It’s Time For Our Provincial Governments To Get Serious About $10-a-day Child Care
Here’s a letter Gen Squeeze supporter Mallory Alcock from Coquitlam, BC wrote to The Globe and Mail, in response to Paul’s column: “Provinces harm family finances by playing politics with $10-a-day child care.”
“I work as a nurse practitioner providing primary care to more than 700 patients. I’m passionate about my work, but I’m distraught by my recent rent increase and the rising cost of living.
My husband and I are both 31. We have been delaying starting a family for fear of less income and high child-care costs. We don’t want to move but, despite our dual incomes, we do not earn enough to invest in the market.
$10-a-day daycare will not fix the affordability crisis, but it is a necessary step. Not having access to affordable child care forces us to consider other cities or provinces and thus, once again, decrease access to primary care for British Columbians.
The next crisis in primary care will arrive when those who provide care are unable to afford living in the same community as their patients.”
We appreciate Mallory’s leadership, and her willingness to step up and publicly support the article Paul penned to sound the alarm about how provincial governments are playing politics with $10-a-day child care:
“Clearly, $10-a-day child care is a life-changer for parents who can access it. So, we need governments to scale it up fast.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government is leading where the Constitution permits. By 2023, it had almost doubled federal child-care funding — to $5.6-billion from $2.9-billion in 2021. In 2024, federal spending is projected to grow to $6.6-billion and will reach nearly $8-billion thereafter.
By contrast, the provinces are moving slowly. For example, Ontario, Alberta and B.C. are all taking federal funds without adding significant investments of their own.
This isn’t surprising in Ontario and Alberta, where the governments may have decided that the conservative political movement benefits if the federal Liberals can’t take credit for the successful rollout of $10-a-day child care before the next federal election.
It is surprising in B.C., though, where the NDP campaigned in 2020 to add $750-million to expedite the introduction of $10-a-day child care well before Ottawa made its promise. Since then, B.C. has reallocated most of its promised new money, replacing it with funds from federal investments.”
We need all levels of our government to act in unison to protect and scale up the implementation of $10-a-day child care, so all families can benefit from this lifeline. Here are a few actions you can take to help make that happen:
It's not too late to follow Mallory’s lead and share your $10-a-day story with us. We'll continue to amplify your voices in public dialogue and our meetings with government leaders.
Sign Child Care Now's open letter, calling on Minister Sudds and Minister Freeland to fix the shortage of licensed child-care spaces.
Check out Oxfam Canada's social media toolkit.
Watch and share the "Where's Child Care?" video.
That’s all for this time, thanks for reading!