Child care does cost money. It does cost money for us to build the infrastructure to make sure it happens, but we've seen from the experiences that have been documented time after time from the Quebec reality that the program more than pays for itself. To have the highest participation of women today in the Quebec economy speaks to it, never mind the comfort and support. Working families recognize how much this program does for them. I think Jim Stanford was absolutely correct. This program will more than pay for itself over time.
There is a national consensus in labour and business that this is something that needs to be done. We've talked about this long enough. I think it's now for us to get on with it. We may differ about the specifics. We are very biased in loving the Quebec program. It's evolved over the years. By the way, as a program, it hasn't stood still since its creation.
We believe this program equally will evolve as it goes on and will get better. Where we are biased, of course, is where we differ a little bit in terms of the implementation of what the program should look like, but we do believe at the end of the day that this program will more than pay for itself over time.
It will also give the fulfillment, which is.... We live in a very unequal society. Let's face the reality. As much as I would like to pretend, as a man, how much I contribute to my household, I know I do far less than my partner because sometimes most of the burden has fallen to her. I take pride in the fact that my country is now going to do something that can make women's equality a cornerstone of its economic expansion going forward.
I think we all should feel good, and equally, we now should figure out how we can work together to ensure this actually happens at a provincial level. We need provincial support and co-operation. I'm hoping I'll do my part in the congress to help build a broad coalition that can push the provincial governments to come onside to support this program.