Recently-elected Canadian Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was widely criticized on Dec. 1 because the nannies that take care of his three children are paid for by taxpayer money. The issue made the front page of the Toronto Star.
Canadians have taken issue with the fact that Trudeau had criticized the former Conservative government because they had proposed a universal childcare benefit - which would mean that even Canada's wealthiest families would receive a childcare stipend that they didn't need, reported The Guardian. He explained that low-income families need the help more than they do.
The fact that Trudeau is himself a member of one of Canada's wealthiest families, and that he is having his child care bills paid, seems to place him in an uncomfortable spot. Many Canadians believe that he should be using some of his $327,000 salary to pay for his own childcare, reported The Toronto Sun.
However, taxpayer money has always paid for the staff that works in the prime minister's household. The PM's household employs seven people, including the two nannies that worked with his family before he came into office, reports The Toronto Star. "How is having taxpayer-paid child care different from having a cook or driver if you're prime minister?" asked Matt Galloway of the CBC on Twitter.
"He will be adapting the staff complement to suit his family's requirements, given he is the proud father of three young children. It is an ongoing process and will be finalized in the coming days," Kate Purchase, a spokeswoman for Trudeau, said when confronted on the issue, said The Guardian.
Another side of the debate is attacking the prime minister for not paying his nannies enough; they are earning standard wage for nannies, $15 to $20 an hour during the day and $11 to $13 at night, and many believe that if the money is available, the nannies should be paid a more comfortable living wage, reported The Guardian.
Either way, the issue is likely to blow over quickly due to the "halo effect at work" after the recent election win, said Nelson Wiseman, a political science professor at the University of Toronto. He also explained that many people are sympathetic to the difficulties of raising young children in the spotlight. Previous prime ministers have used taxpayer money to pay for child care, noted Wiseman.
