Pauline Marois calls out Philippe Couillard over daycare cuts

Former Quebec Premier Pauline Marois, who introduced $5-a-day daycare during her time as education minister, is speaking out against the government's cuts.

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Marois addressesPremier PhilippeCouillarddirectly in a video releasedearly Monday morning as part of a campaignby the CSN, a Quebec labour federation.

TheCouillardgovernment is cutting an additional $120 million from daycare budgets this year at the same as increasing fees for parents.

In the video, Marois argues daycaresare a "jewel" that must be protected.

"They offer quality to those who are our future and our hope,"Maroissays.

"Mr.Couillard, don't let them down."

In the video,Marois sayspublicly funded daycareshelp fight poverty, especially for single-parent households and mothers who are immigrants.Sheadds that they also provideequalopportunity for all children across Quebec.

The public programwasintroduced byMaroisin 1997 when she was the province's education minister.

As premier, she was planning to raisethe daily feeto $8 in 2014 and $9 in 2015.

The Couillard government, however, introduced a sliding scale for daycare fees.

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Quebec parents who have children in a subsidized daycarewill have to pay an extra fee based on their family income when they file their income taxes this spring.

For some parents, it could mean owing the governmentas much as $2,300 per child.