8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday February 22, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Regional www.halton.ca www.halton.ca/takeitback HALTON Get out of Afghanistan and into child care By Melanie Cummings SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Take It Back! Halton is a program that allows residents to return household items to retailers to ensure they are reused, recycled, or disposed of in an environmentally safe way. Items currently accepted by Take It Back! Halton partners include: Batteries (rechargeable) Batteries (disposable) Car Oil Cell phones Cork Eye glasses Ink cartridges Light bulbs Medications Plastic shopping bags Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners Sharps (needles, syringes, lancets) For a complete list of Take It Back! Halton partners, please visit www.halton.ca/takeitback or call Halton Region at 905-825-6000 or 1-866-4HALTON (1-866-442-5866) or TTY 905-8279833. Take It Back! Halton will assist Halton Region in reaching a 60 per cent diversion of residential If your business is interested in becoming a Take It Back! Halton partner, please visit www.halton.ca/takeitback for more information. Justin Trudeau to join Halton Region in recognizing environmental excellence in youth Halton Region is now accepting applications for the Halton Regional Chair's Environmental Awards Program. The Awards Program was designed to foster an appreciation for the environment in Halton's youth and to raise awareness of local www.halton.ca. Award winners are invited to the Regional Chair's Breakfast On The Environment This breakfast features Justin Trudeau as the keynote speaker, and is sponsored by Bell and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to visit www.halton.ca to learn more about sponsorship opportunities and how to order tickets. Halton Regional Meeting Schedule Feb. 27 9:30 a.m. - Regional Council 220208 Gary Carr Regional Chair Tel: 905-825-6000 · Toll Free: 1-866-442-5866 · TTY: 905-827-9833 · www.halton.ca Get Canadian soldiers out of the combat zone in Afghanistan. Halton Liberal MP Garth Turner got this resounding mandate from all but two of 30 residents who came to a Town Hall meeting Tuesday night to air their concerns. Instead, residents want the $1.5 million spent daily to pay for Canadian soldiers to do battle in Afghanistan, invested into childcare. A parliamentary vote on whether to push the current military mission to 2011 will be held in March. The Conservative government is relying on Liberal support to pass this motion as the NDP and Bloc Quebecois have already stated they are not in favour of any type of extension. "We need to go back to our roles as peacekeepers, which was our original purpose," said resident Berris Lodge. Youseff Abboud also urged Turner to "tell the Conservatives that we're not going to follow the cowboy policies of (U.S. President George) Bush. Canada has to stand on its feet and say `no'." Six years ago, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien committed 800 troops as part of the country's NATO effort to keep the peace in Afghanistan. But, over time, Canadian soldiers moved into a more combative role. There are 37 countries in Afghanistan, but only three are fighting: Canada, the U.S. and the third combatant alternates. The remaining nations are rebuilding in the northern part of Afghanistan, where there is stability. While a narrow vote managed to add two more years to Canada's mission, shortly after a committee led by John Manley recommended adding another two years, so long as an additional 1,000 NATO troops are brought in to help and the government secures new helicopters and intelligence gathering equipment. The Liberals want to stop the combat role in 2009. "Liberals say that we have done our bit, that NATO depends on rotation and some other nation should be put into Canada's spot," said Turner. The estimated $5 billion spent so far on this military effort doesn't take into account the additional $5 billion shelled out for capital equipment, such as heavy lift aircraft, 100 tanks, and new fleets of Light Armoured Vehicles and helicopters, said Turner. It has also cost 80 soldiers' lives, he added. "Why would we put money in Afghanistan if children don't have daycare?" asked Dasha Shalimo. Garth Turner "We need to go back to our roles as peacekeepers, which was our original purpose." Berris Lodge, resident The $1,200 annual payment given to parents is part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's election campaign promise. This taxable benefit costs $2.1 billion annually. His other promise to create 125,000 new spaces has not been fulfilled. In fact, no new spots have been opened, said Turner. And according to Shalimo, handing out $100 each month just doesn't cut it when daily childcare costs $30 to $35, or $13,000 per year for a licensed spot. The Liberals want to spend $5 billion over five years to create more spaces. That would direct $23 million to Halton and open up 500 new subsidized spaces. Halton currently has 7,000 licensed childcare spaces available locally and a four-to-six month long waiting list with 9,000 names on it. According to Marilyn Wylie, who has been a private home daycare provider for 22 years, only 20 per cent of children in daycare occupy licensed spaces. "All of this money would only be going to a minority of the population." Even the Ontario government gave $142 million to Best Start Programs for licensed childcare and not one penny went to private caregivers. In Shahid Zahur's view, the childcare solution is a complex one that has to be non-partisan. He runs three for-profit childcare centres, two of which are in Halton. "We have to rise above party politics in this. Childcare is as fundamental as healthcare and educations," he said.