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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 6, 20 19 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Steve Foreman Regional Director of Media Holly Chriss Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Classified/Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Production Shelli Harrison Halton Media General Manager Vicki Dillane CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 905-234-1016 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 200 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, con- dense or reject letters. Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncana- dianchampion.com or call 905- 234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA EDITORIAL There was broad agreement across Ontario that Doug Ford blundered big-time when he retroactively slashed funding for the province's municipalities this spring. Thank goodness the premier himself belatedly agrees - even if his enlightenment resulted from an unprece- dented free fall in public approval. Suddenly cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in provincial support to municipal governments for child care, public health and paramedic services after those governments had passed their budgets for the coming year was always a terrible decision, an outrage in fact. It was unfair to the municipalities who were left scrambling to find the money they needed through tax or fee hikes or, alternatively, through service cuts. It was a shock to everyone who relies on those vital services and was left worrying whether the health and safety of themselves and their families would be compromised. And they might well have been. It was, to be blunt, a precipitous, ill-considered, dan- gerous move that brought a well-deserved firestorm of public criticism raining down on Ford's head. Whatever else can be said about the man's poor judg- ment, at least he listened and reversed course. Provin- cial funding levels for the municipalities to provide child care, public health and paramedic services will go untouched. For this year at least. That doesn't mean Ford won't put municipal grants back on his chopping block before the 2020-2021 munici- pal budgets are passed. But it means local governments can prepare themselves for change even as they muster support to push back against future cuts. If there's a silver lining in the black cloud that's been spreading over the province from Queen's Park, it's that a groundswell of opposition, not only from municipal poli- ticians but the public, persuaded Ford to cancel the cuts. Elected municipal officials from across the province band- ed together and spoke as one voice. They didn't merely oppose. They co-operated with each other and it worked. Meanwhile, a poll released by Mainstreet Research recently reported a huge drop in public support for Ford's Progressive Conservatives as they approached their first anniversary in office. As for Ford's personal net favorabil- ity rating, it had plunged to a catastrophic -53.5 per cent. That's even lower than former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne's rating before she led her party to electoral disas- ter. Ford insists he wasn't spooked by the dismal polling numbers, but rather he listened to the people of Ontario. Let's hope his hearing grows more acute. His government is, in fact, absolutely right to want to stop spending more money than it takes in each year and to avoid piling new debt on a provincial debt that has topped $343 billion and costs taxpayers more than $1 billion a month simply in interest charges. Putting Ontario's financial house in order must be a priority. But Ford should be less adversarial and more consultative. He should realize haste does mean waste and proceed with more caution. Ontarians shouldn't feel he's leading them over a cliff. FORD SHOULD LEARN TO MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONLY ONCE "I cannot afford to put my child somewhere safe during the day in order to work outside of the home to provide economically for my family. Providing a safe environment and good- quality child care for my child is not an option for me due to the high cost of child care in our communi- ty." For a single mother liv- ing in Halton, the child- care cost for one infant can consume as much as 44 per cent of their median after-tax income because the average infant spot costs approximately $1,500 monthly. This would leave almost no fi- nancial flexibility for oth- er essential items such as housing, utilities, food, clothing and other basic necessities. Ironically, those who care for our children are facing more barriers. Across Canada, 97 per cent of child caregivers are women and one in four re- quire a second job to make ends meet. Early childhood educa- tors earn 40 per cent less on average than women with similar levels of education working full-time in other sectors. Making accessible, af- fordable, high-quality ear- ly learning and child care available to all families across Canada will grow the economy, promote gen- der equality, increase women's labour force par- ticipation and enhance children's well-being and educational achievement. The benefits of a univer- sal, affordable, child care plan supported and funded by all levels of government would have a positive im- pact on our society and economy. The safety, well-being and quality of care of our children should be a topic that all political parties can get behind and support. The future of our society and economy depends on it. Sarah Sabihuddin is senior manager of commu- nity impact for United Way Halton and Hamilton. THE FINANCIAL PRESSURES OF THE SINGLE MOTHER THOSE WHO CARE FOR OUR CHILDREN ARE FACING MORE BARRIERS, WRITES SABIHUDDIN SARAH SABIHUDDIN Column SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT THEIFP.CA