Order, please.
Anyone who happens to have a cell phone would be invited to turn it off now.
We will begin in the absence of a couple of other committee members, who will be joining us very shortly. I welcome our guests on behalf of the finance committee.
We are mandated by the House of Commons on an annual basis to consider and make reports on proposals regarding the budgetary policies of the government. This process is, of course, one that will assist us in preparing a report to the finance minister. The theme of the pre-budget consultation this year is Canada's place in a competitive world, and we look forward to your presentations today. I will be limiting you strictly to five minutes. As our committee has been made aware, and you are, I expect, aware, we will be limited to an hour today, and I do want to leave time for the committee members to have an exchange and to ask questions and for you to respond.
So we'll begin now with a presentation from the Canadian Child Care Federation. Madame Dionne, you have five minutes. Please proceed.