Scrap plan for daycare subsidy during teachers’ strike, says Brooks

NEWS/ POLITICS — The provincial government should scrap its plan to pay $40 a day to parents whose children under the age of 13 years miss school in September due to the ongoing government-teachers’ labour dispute, B.C. Conservative leader Dan Brooks said today (Thursday).

“I believe that Premier Clark and her government should be devoting all of their energy, creativity and resources to finding a way to ensure that B.C.’s public schools open as scheduled on Sept. 2,” said Brooks, whose provincial office is in Kamloops.

“Premier Clark is trying to buy off parents and the suggestion of the $40 subsidy is highly offensive to parents who want their children to be in the classroom learning and not in daycare.

“Premier Clark is clearly planning for a prolonged strike which tells us she is content to let our public schools remain closed well into September to continue her political battle.”

Finance Minister and Government House Leader Mike de Jong has said the government won’t call the Legislature into session before Oct. 6 – the start date for a scheduled fall sitting – to deal with the teachers’ dispute.

De Jong said funds for the daycare subsidy would come out of savings derived by not paying teachers while they remain on strike. He estimated those funds would be accumulated at the rate of $12 million per day.

“Sadly, the impression being left with the public is that we have a premier who relishes a political battle with B.C. teachers, who has no intention of opening schools on Sept. 2, and who thinks parents can be bought off for the price of daycare,” said Brooks.