QUEENS PARK – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced the Ontario government will increase wages for early childhood educators and front-line child care professionals in licensed child care settings. “Parents deserve the peace of mind of knowing their children are in good hands. By investing in early childhood educators, we are supporting nurturing child care environments where children can thrive,” stated Premier Wynne.
Starting this January, Ontario is implementing a wage increase of $1 per hour for eligible child care workers in the licensed child care sector. Another wage increase is set for next year.
In a news release, Premier Wynne states, “The increase will help close the wage gap between registered early childhood educators working in full-day kindergarten programs and child care professionals in licensed child care settings. Ontario’s investment to increase wages also supports efforts to recruit and retain highly qualified and talented educators, and supports parents in accessing safe and reliable care for their children”.
The increased spending is not impressing the Ontario Progressive Conservatives.
As two weeks of province-wide pre-budget consultations begin January 20, Ontarians need to tell their government enough is enough, added Fedeli, PC Finance Critic and a member of the Legislature’s Finance and Economic Affairs Committee.
“Kathleen Wynne already has one hand in your wallet grabbing for money you’ve saved due to the recent drop in fuel prices,” said Fedeli, who urged the government to start controlling its self-serving spending rather than seeking more money from taxpayers.
“Premier Wynne’s refusal to lay-out her plan to balance Ontario’s books coupled with her intention to introduce the Ontario pension payroll tax that will take 3.8% out of Ontario’s economy proves that the Liberals will either continue to increase the deficit and debt or be forced to raise taxes on residents all across Ontario,” added McNaughton, who also sits on the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee.
“The last thing Ontario families and small businesses need is a new tax that will make everything more expensive.”
The Liberals have been told repeatedly by the Ontario PC caucus, the Auditor General, and most recently by the credit rating agencies that they’re taking the wrong approach. Just days after last month’s warning from the Auditor about the consequences of Ontario’s staggering debt and deficit, rating agency Fitch cut the province’s credit rating.
“At a time when we’re seeing health care cuts due to Liberal mismanagement, the last thing we need is a weakened credit position that could add to the $11 billion we’re already spending every year paying interest on debt,” added Fedeli. “Ontarians need to speak out to prevent the Liberals from using these hearings to try to justify raising taxes again and digging an even deeper hole.”
