OTTAWA — There wasn't exactly a child-care olive branch in Tuesday's throne speech as the Conservatives signalled they're ready to scrap the $5-billion Liberal plan.

"We've said we're going forward with $1,200 a year,'' Social Development Minister Diane Finley said outside the Commons.

"That's exactly what we're going to do. There is no compromise on that.''

The speech that set the new government's course underscored the Tory election promise of providing parents $1,200 a year for each child under age six.

The creation of new spaces will also be encouraged "through co-operation with the provinces and territories, employers and non-profit agencies,'' says the brief speech read by Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean as the new Parliament opened.

Conservatives have said they'll offer $250 million in tax credits for businesses and non-profit groups that cover the full cost of creating new spaces.

The Tories say the measure could produce 125,000 more spots. But critics point out that similar efforts by provincial governments failed to motivate corporations.

Child-care advocates and opposition MPs had hoped for greater hints of compromise.

"It wasn't very encouraging at all,'' said Monica Lysack, executive director of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada.

"Multi-year funding is what we're looking for.''

New Democrat Leader Jack Layton echoed that sentiment.

"What we needed to see was an aggressive statement that there will be more child-care spaces funded by the federal government on an ongoing basis. On the other hand, there was at least a reference to the need for more spaces and working with other players.''

Still, Prime Minister Stephen Harper stopped short of saying he'd work with all opposition parties in a very divided Parliament, Layton noted.

The NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois have all blasted Conservative child-care plans.

The Liberals promised $5 billion over five years to build the fiscal foundation of a national child care network.

All 10 provinces signed deals with Ottawa after more than two years of talks. Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec signed five-year agreements, but either side can opt out with one year's notice.

Harper faces a looming showdown with premiers who say he should honour those commitments.

Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe has said Harper's avowed commitment to fix the fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and the provinces will ring hollow if he denies child-care funding to Quebec worth more than $800 million.

It remains to be seen whether a booming economy may give Ottawa enough surplus cash to reconsider extending federal child-care funds.

But Harper has offered few hints that the Liberal plan will be even partially salvaged.

In fact, one of his first moves as prime minister was to douse hopes that he would fund day care centres beyond March 31, 2007.

Finley has acknowledged that demand for child care is high in many parts of Canada. Almost three-quarters of women with children under age six have jobs, but there are regulated spaces for fewer than 20 per cent of those kids.

Child-care advocates say stressed-out parents will be denied spaces that have already been promised.

Other parents, such as Sara Landriault of the Fund the Child Movement, want Ottawa to offer more help for stay-at-home parents. She argues that the Liberal program goes too far while the Conservative plan is too stingy.

The sacrifices of parents who stall their careers to raise children are not recognized, Landriault says.