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“What’s going to happen, as you saw today, is that $10-a-day has been removed to go into consultation to find perhaps another model,” Weaver told reporters.

The NDP did repackage $20 million in funding the Liberals had already announced for child care in February, in an attempt to take credit for creating 4,100 new spaces this year.

Child care advocates said they were disappointed. “It’s a surprise they don’t seem to be moving as quickly as we and families hope,” said Sharon Gregson, whose $10-a-day campaign was endorsed by the NDP during the election.

Gregson said she still believes the NDP is committed to the idea, and suggested the $10-a-day branding could be removed as part of compromises with the Greens to secure the substance of the program — reduced fees and more spaces.

Weaver said he trusts the NDP won’t simply resurrect the $10-a-day plan in its full February budget, as James suggested was the goal.

“They’ve stepped back and said we too want good public policy and maybe some of these numbers that we promised maybe there’s some work that can be done,” said Weaver.

“Because ultimately they did not win the last election. The B.C. Liberals did not win the last election. We did not win the last election. What has the confidence of the house is the CASA (confidence and supply) agreement.”

There was also no new money in the budget for the child welfare system ($147 million was previously announced by the Liberals in February), nor were there funds set aside to accelerate transit upgrades in Metro Vancouver, follow through with a promised $400 annual renter’s rebate, create an empty home speculation tax, hire more conservation officers or eliminate student loan interest rates.