Finance committee  Thank you.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. The intention is that the federal government will enter into negotiations with provinces and territories at the earliest opportunity to begin to implement the Canada-wide child care system. I should underline that there is already a foundation that has been laid for those agreements.

Finance committee  I can speak a bit about the support for the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. Certainly the Minister of Finance has created the task force for women in the economy, but at this point in time I am not familiar with its work on child care. I will work with my Department of Finance colleagues and undertake to come back to the committee with a written response with more information on that.

Finance committee  The budget did outline the economic and fiscal returns on investments in child care and pointed to a range of studies indicating that for every dollar invested in child care, the return can be anywhere from about $1.50 to I think $2.80. There are a range of studies out there. Many are based on the experience in Quebec, but others take a different perspective or are grounded in different work.

Finance committee  That's right.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. Mr. Chair, within the $30 billion that Mr. Fraser referred to, there is $27.2 billion over five years for provinces and territories. Within that, the $2.9 billion is the first year of that five years of funding. With regard to how the funding was arrived at, I think that is perhaps not a question for me today.

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. My Internet connection is a bit choppy, so I'm hoping that you're able to see and hear me. Mr. Fraser, that's correct. In budget 2021, the budget articulated a number of goals or commitments for child care. Perhaps first among those were commitments related to fee reduction.

Finance committee  That's correct.

Finance committee  Hello, Mr. Chair.

Finance committee  Thank you. Please just let me know if there are any issues with the sound quality. I am here to speak to clause 288. This clause provides for the appropriation of funding for early learning and child care to provinces and territories for fiscal year 2021-22. It includes three elements: first, statutory authority for payments to be made to provinces or territories in connection with the bilateral agreement for early learning and child care in this fiscal year; second, that the minister may establish terms and conditions in respect of those payments; and third, that the maximum total amount that may be paid to the provinces and territories be $2.95 billion.

Finance committee  Yes, well I'm the director general who's responsible for the poverty reduction area at ESDC, so I would be one of the signators, as would Hugues, along the way, as the decisions are going along. Then they would go along potentially north of me to the deputy. The intention is that we will keep the minister informed, but the decisions will rest with officials.

Finance committee  The overall policy direction, yes.

Finance committee  Yes, that decision will rest with officials. Yes, it will be the deputy, and we will keep the minister informed, but the decision will rest with the deputy.

Finance committee  As I said previously, it will be the chief statistician, and then the deputy minister at ESDC.

Finance committee  The ultimate decision will be with officials. We will keep the minister informed, and the decisions will be with officials.