Karina Gould, a dynamic Liberal leadership candidate and MP for Burlington, made history as the youngest woman appointed to cabinet. She discusses her vision for affordable childcare, emphasizing its role in boosting women’s workforce participation. Gould stresses the need for new leadership to restore trust in politics, citing a pivotal meeting with a former prime minister. She also proposes pausing the carbon tax and advocates for improved social safety nets to support young Canadians in the post-pandemic landscape.
Karina Gould highlights the critical role of affordable child care in enhancing women's workforce participation and its positive economic impact.
Gould stresses the urgent need for updating Canada's social safety net to effectively support citizens during economic hardships and job losses.
Deep dives
Child Care as a Economic Driver
Affordable child care is framed as a crucial economic program that directly impacts women's participation in the workforce. Karina Gold emphasizes the importance of accessible child care, citing how it allows women, particularly those with professional careers, to return to work without financial strain. For instance, after Ontario implemented affordable child care, 100,000 more women entered the workforce, illustrating its significant economic impact. This connection between child care and economic participation is presented as beneficial not only for families but also for the broader economy.
Building Trust and Understanding Canadians' Needs
Gold addresses the erosion of trust Canadians feel towards the Liberal government, particularly as they navigated the economic challenges post-pandemic. She reflects on the government’s slow response to rising inflation and cost of living, acknowledging the disconnect between their actions and the immediate needs of Canadians. This gap resulted in a loss of trust, as many felt that the government was not adequately addressing their current struggles. Gold stresses the importance of listening to Canadians and adapting policies quickly to rebuild that trust moving forward.
Creating a Modern Social Safety Net
Karina Gold highlights the necessity of updating Canada's social safety net to better support citizens during economic hardships, particularly in response to potential job losses from international trade policies. She advocates for a framework that not only provides support in crisis but also empowers individuals to recover and rebuild their lives. This innovative model will address contemporary issues that the existing systems, designed in the 1980s and 1990s, fail to meet. She emphasizes that a proactive and modernized approach is essential to ensure that Canadians have the security they need in today's economy.
Liberal leadership candidate Karina Gould was elected as the member of Parliament for Burlington in 2015 at the age of 28, but it didn't take long before she ended up in cabinet. In fact she was the youngest ever woman named to cabinet and the first ever active minister to take maternity leave.
Gould has played a number of roles for the Liberal's during their decade in government… including Minister of Democratic Institutions, Minister for International Development, followed by Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, all before becoming the Government House leader.
Today, Gould makes her case why should lead the Liberal party, and if she wins, fight the next election.