Trudeau joins forces with NDP in BC for massive announcement

The federal government came to an agreement with Premier Horgan in B.C. to see child-care fees in the province average at $10-a-day for children under six in the next five years, the prime minister announced Thursday.

Through this nation-wide program, average fees concerning childcare will be cut in half by the end of next year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posited. This five-year investment will cost $3.2 billion.

Premier John Horgan was also present at the announcement, expressing his gratitude to the federal government's support to reach its goal of reducing the cost of child care.

"We could not get to where we're going … without the full participation of the federal government," Horgan said. "I cannot wait to cash the cheque, prime minster."

Trudeau and Horgan used the COVID-19 pandemic to argue why more childcare is needed.

"We talked about child care during the pandemic," Horgan said. "The child care workforce was the workforce behind the workforce … if we did not have child care spaces open and available, our communities would not function."

Some speculate Trudeau's visit to the West Coast comes amid an announcement for a possible federal election.

The prime minister will also visit the mayor of Lytton, whose town was recently destroyed in a fire.