Mr. Speaker, we are offering exactly that, real choice. My children were one and a half and three when I started out in the House, as a matter of fact.
The investment that we made in the Canadian tax benefit which will reach $10 billion by 2007 gives for the first child a maximum of $3,243 and a supplement of $239 to stay at home parents for each child under seven years old. That choice does exist at the present time.
All the opposition party is offering is $320; $320 is all a $2,000 tax break means to parents. That is what it is offering to parents at the moment. That is not a choice. It is politically expedient to say, “Let us have a tax break”, but that is not a real choice.
The real choice is on this side of the House. In fact we are offering tax breaks for low and middle income families. At the same time we are offering to those who choose to place their children in day care another choice. It amounts to $5 billion over five years. The provinces have agreed that we are going in the right direction.