The big child-care question

Plus: Fundraising hat trick, budget debate, 2022 contenders, and the labour bill goes under the microscope

ABOVE THE FOLD

It’s the final stretch before the winter recess. MPPs are back at it in the House debating the budget bill today following last week’s constituency break — and there’s T-minus four weeks to go until this truncated session is slated to end on December 9. (More about what’s on the docket later.)

CHILD CARE BREAKDOWN — With Alberta and Ottawa poised to announce a long-awaited child-care deal today, many in Ontario are asking — what’s the hold-up over here?

Ontario remains a hold-out on a $10-a-day child-care agreement with the feds. The major sticking point: Money. On the table is $10.2 billion over five years for Ontario, but both sides are going back-and-forth over whether that’s adequate and are blaming each other for the stalled negotiations.

Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE has argued that by providing full-day kindergarten, the province is footing the bill for daycare costs for certain families, and Ottawa should take that into account. The feds counter that because …