The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Welcome to the era of weak federalism, said CUPE National President Paul Moist in reaction to Wednesday's Speech from the Throne. "This speech ushers in a new era of weak federalism that won't win Martin support from workers and the public," Moist said. "On health care, child care, cities and aboriginal issues, there's absolutely no sense of urgency to really respond to the challenges we face." Instead we have a federal government that gives money to provinces and territories without requiring enforcement, monitoring or accountability - it won't work, the CUPE leader added. "For example, the recent and much lauded health care agreement is a weak model that is now poised to spread to other social policy areas." "A smart government acting on Canadians' priorities could win support for Martin's minority government," Moist said. "Weak federalism will not." Child care Where is the campaign promise of giving all Canadians access to a quality, affordable national child care system? Liberals promises a pan-Canadian system building on what Quebec already has - regulated, high quality, publicly funded child care at a maximum cost of $7 a day per child. The Throne Speech delivers more talk and unaccountable federal cash transfers. This hasn't worked yet, and it won't work in the future. Canadians need a federally funded not-for-profit pan-Canadian child care program that gives all children a head start. Cities Paul Martin's "New Deal" for cities spreads $2.5 billion over five years. This is a weak response to the urgent needs of our communities. CUPE supports the hub-city mayors' call for five cents per litre of the gas tax by the end of 2007, not 2009. They didn't get it. Meanwhile, the infrastructure deficit at the municipal level is growing by $2 billion a year.
