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Alistair MacGregor

Member of Parliament
Caucus Chair
NDP

Cowichan—Malahat—Langford
British Columbia
Voting Attendance: 66%
Expenses Last Quarter: $140,733.69

Government Page

Context: House Hansard - 213 - Jun/14/23

Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP)

Jun/14/23 11:40:42 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-35

Madam Speaker, on that last part about choice, I could not agree more with my colleague. Of course families want choice. However, I have to go back to an earlier point. When I first ran in 2015, parents were complaining to me about the lack of choice in the private system. They did not have choice because the costs were too high, and it was not economical for them to go out and get a second job to further the economic interests of their families. By lowering fees and creating a legislative framework to ensure funding, we are giving families choice where it did not exist before. I speak from personal, first-hand accounts from my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford. Choice did not exist before. This initiative is going to create choice for families and I am proud to be supporting it.

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Context: House Hansard - 213 - Jun/14/23

Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP)

Jun/14/23 11:10:15 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-35

Madam Speaker, as a proud representative of a rural riding, I beg to differ. When I first ran in 2015, child care was a huge topic in that election. I can remember knocking on doors throughout communities in my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford. I have heard Conservatives talking about choice; there was no choice. I frequently met parents who were desperately wishing that they could afford to get a second job, but all the money from that income would have just gone to the extremely high child care space costs. I would just like to ask my hon. colleague to reflect upon that. There was no choice in the beginning. This is an attempt to resolve that, to enshrine these funding agreements in place. I am just not sure where she is getting the division from. I see this bill as a positive step to addressing a long-standing problem; this has been called for by child care advocates for more than 50 years now.

168 words

Context: House Hansard - 150 - Jan/31/23

Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP)

Jan/31/23 1:04:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-35

Madam Speaker, we heard a lot of discussion today about the themes of freedom and choice, but a lot of families, particularly in my riding, do not have that option under the status quo. I remember speaking to a lot of families in my riding who said they would love to be able to go out and get a second job to advance their family's economic interest, but the entire income from that second job would go to pay for child care because it was simply too expensive. We need to remember this kind of program is about giving families a choice. It is about giving them the choice to get that second job, because they know their kids will be looked after at an affordable rate and then they can advance their interests. I would like my colleague to underline that aspect. This is another measure to help families get ahead.

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Caucus Chair

Alistair MacGregor