Child care: Paul Martin and the record

Paul Martin called yesterday from London. On his flight over to the U.K., he'd been reading the newspapers, including The Star, with some frustration. In  reports about Michael Ignatieff's child-care announcement, he kept reading that this was a long-made, long-unfulfilled promise by successive Liberal regimes.

Martin pointed out  that he and Ken Dryden, his social development minister, invested a considerable amount of energy between 2004 and 2006 to get 10 agreements, with all provinces (including Quebec) for a cross-country, federal-provincial system of child care. The story is here.

We did chat about other issues too and yes, I did try to draw him out a bit on Ignatieff's other announcement of the week, in favour of foreign aid to organizations that support abortion. I'd kind of half-hoped, given all Martin's work in Africa since leaving politics, that he might have some views. But his instinct to stay out of the fray prevailed -- he said he wasn't discussing that one, on or off the record.

Comments

[woods]

Working things out with all the provinces is never easy. With the Liberals past experience on getting provincial agreements on this issue, perhaps it could go quicker this time.

[Ontario Voter]

Even Chantal Hebert seemed to have forgotten this in her article yesterday in this paper when she claimed that we had all seen the promised child care movie from the Libs before. So much for political pundits' opinions !!!

[Jim M]

Paul Martin should do for women today what Paul Henderson did for Team Canada in 1972. This video picks up the game at a point where this is a lot of pushing and shoving going on between players, which looks like good reconnaissance for Paul Martin on the situation today… should he feel up to scoring another winning goal. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vp1OvDUGUA

[Bob]

During the election of 2006 the CPC told the public that they would give them $100 and a choice of daycare instead of the "Martin Plan".Which the Liberals stated that the public would spend that money on beer and peanuts,remember that comment Paul, I do. The CPC fullfilled that promise, so why is Mr.Martin squawking now? He has a right just like we have the same right to call him out on his selective memories.

[Jim M]

Since Paul Martin could use an enforcer on his team, Jean Chretien should break into 24 Sussex using an Iqaluit statue and hold Stephen Harper in a headlock until he agrees to reopen Parliament.

[Gabby in QC]

I'm trying again … (Feb 4, 4:17 pm)

You know what? I'm sick and tired of politicians who LOST power, either through a legitimate election or through some party in-fighting, coming back again and again to try to insert themselves into public policy discussions.

They've had their chance in the limelight and in the political arena.

They've had their chance to implement policies they thought were good. 

They left the political life behind.

They've even written their memoirs.
Unless they're thinking of resurrecting their political careers, people like former PMs Jean Chretien and Paul Martin should have the good grace to fade into the background and leave the discussions to those currently in office, i.e. the party in power and the opposition.
Can't these retirees find something better to do than to fight old battles (Martin) or devise new stratagems (Chretien and Broadbent) hoping to unseat the current government?
Give it a rest!

[Jim M]

...and Big Joe.