push for legislation requiring businesses to have day care.

Admitting that it is not something the Government has said it will embrace, Mr. Robinson said he's prepared "to fight the uphill battle''.

"I have always advocated that we need to enact progressive social policy,'' he said. "We are a labour government and if we do not do that, then we are just like the others.'' On the floor of the House of Assembly last Friday Mr. Robinson said he was "saddened to hear'' that developers of an office building at the western end of Hamilton had aborted plans to include a children's nursery.

Speaking on the motion to adjourn, Mr. Robinson said the developers had thrown out the idea because it would be too expensive. But he said he felt the developers were making a "retrogressive step''.

"I think they would have made a fine example for other businesses to follow,'' he noted without stating the name of the business. But there was a veiled threat when Mr. Robinson said what may be legislated in the future.

"Perhaps there will come a time when we will legislate that for so many square feet of office space, there must be so many square feet of nursery space,'' he said.

Mr. Robinson made the comments at the tail end of his discourse on the importance of good parenting and the impact that has on the future well being of people.

Stressing that quality time afforded to a child in the early years of its life benefits it greatly in later life, Mr. Robinson said employers play a large part.

"If we are willing to pay the price early on, the children will benefit,'' he said. "Employers need to be encouraged to increase the amount of quality time parents spend with their children.'' "The alternative'' he continued, "is that we will have to build another costly prison to fill.

"I would encourage employers to have a creche or nursery in their buildings so that we don't continue with latch key kids.''