Liberal Party's communications director takes a page out of Mike Harris' playbook.

So yesterday on one of the Sunday morning talk shows, Scott Reid, the LPC's Communications Director mused that there is nothing to stop any parent from blowing Harper's $25 a week on popcorn and beer, instead of on child care.

This harkens back to the difference in the two plans. Harper wants to give parents $1200 a year for kids under 6. The parents will be free to use this money in whatever way they see fit.

The Liberal plan is to invest in a national child care strategy that includes federal funding for daycare facilities.

The difference is that in the Liberal plan the money is guaranteed to go to child-care, whereas the Harper-plan has no such guarantee.

So, Scott Reid made a bad move and took something out of Mike Harris' playbook.

Mike, darling of the Conservative Party that he is/was said the following:

Think things have gotten better in the '90s? A completely new family-values style of morality is doing its best to ensure that shame still hovers over unmarried pregnancy. Only one month ago, for instance, Ontario Premier Mike Harris stated that pregnant women on welfare, who for the most part are single, would no longer be getting their $37-a-month pregnancy supplement because he figured they spent it on beer.

So, how is it different? On one hand we have a Conservative challenger stating that parents should be trusted to care for their children and trusted to spend their money as they see fit. On the other hand we have a Conservative Premier who said that un-wed mothers couldn't be trusted to do the same.

Which one is it folks? We're waiting.....

But, really it was a poor choice of words for Scott Reid, and he should be called to account for it.

That said, who didn't think of that as one way to spend the money? I would spend it on a new iPod or a ski vacation myself!

Come to think of it, if we are gonna get $500 credits for kids athletic/physical activities can we spend it on their plane ticket and lodging for a spring break ski trip? Just asking....

A.L.