Demanding affordable childcare

NDP volunteers will take to the streets in the Hillsborough Park area Saturday, asking residents to sign a petition to demonstrate popular support for an all-Canadian plan for accessible, affordable and goodquality childcare.

The volunteers come from the campaign to elect Joe Byrne, federal NDP candidate for Charlottetown.

The NDP’s platform calls for a national program to encourage the growth of a million childcare spaces over eight years, and to offer parents a reasonable cost of $15 a day, modelled on Quebec’s program.

Saturday’s exercise is what New Democrats call a “Day of Action”: teams go door-to-door to raise consciousness of a critical issue and listen to grassroots public opinion.