Thanks a lot for the post and the fantastic links for more info. Sorry the post didn’t get up on the site right away, but to prevent spam I have a filter that sends me any comments that have more than 1 link in them to approve before they go up on the site.

I love CKCU at Carleton, btw. In a previous life I managed a community radio station and worked closely with CKCU folks on numerous projects.

i did a radio interiew for the radio station at Carleton U here in Ottawa about my views on the budget, as an @home parent, who happened to be a dad… i had previously done a piece with the J-school student in question about the whole issue of BEING an @home dad, but it was nice that this time she just wanted me to comment, as a parent, who also happened to be a dad.

as for my comments, like you, i said that although my partner and i have decided that we would prefer that i stay home with our first son at least until he’s 2 (coming TOO soon!), i think it is essential that there be greater availability of affordable, quality, publicly-supported daycare, so that other parents, who may not have the luxury of having one parent stay home, or who may both want to continue to pursue fulfilling employment (not my problem :-), can do so once they have kids.

i agree too with your assessment of the family circumstances that the Tories clearly have in mind when they are talking about “choice in child care” — i.e. a mum who stays at home, NOT a dad… and further, i would say a reasonably affluent family, who can afford to have only 1 income, while still maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, and one in which traditional sex roles are taken completely for granted, and are probably part of an overall social and fiscal conservative world-view.

i think that this is especially borne out when you look at the people who have been the brains trust behind measures like the $100 per month child care credit — sic tax gift to upper middle-class single-earner families… see http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/Detail/?ID=564), — most notably Kids First Parents Association of Canada (http://www.kidsfirstcanada.org/). It is my impression that they are mainly western, conservative, traditional women political operatives, seeking to undermine the basis of publicly-funded childcare by complaining that they have been discriminated against. A representative of this group was also on CBC radio last week responding to the budget and claiming that there still was not enough being done for families.

…incidentally, a lot of the same types were involved in the conference in Ottawa the other month calling for widespread income-splitting. unfortunately, i tend to judge these thinigs by the company they keep, and although my family would likely benefit from income-splitting, ithink that more important than special budget goodies to families is strong ongoing support for universal social programs, and NOT ideologically-driven tax cuts or credits cynicaly designed to curry favour with particular groups that the Tories want to wo for the upcoming election.

an interesting critique of the child care measures in the 2007 budget also comes from the Caledon Institute:
http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/Detail/?ID=622

cheers,
michael in Ottawa

p.s. where are you located? …i’m 38 year-old Ottawa @HomeDad to 22 month-old boy.