Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I also want to thank our guests for their presentations this morning, which were very enlightening and constructive. You have provided the necessary clarification not about the weaknesses, but about the adjustments that must be made to the bill. I think this bill is strong because it dares propose something progressive.
I will address my first comments to Ms. Pitre-Robin, from the Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance. We have had an opportunity to hear from people who were highly critical of the Quebec system of early childhood development centres. They were often encouraged by our friends opposite, which is very worrisome. You raised something very important. The centres were set up following incredible efforts made to by women's groups, by the families as such, and by the Quebec government, despite the opposition, often on the part of the Canadian government.
You raised the issue of funding. We know that the Quebec government set up these centres in 1977. Every year, Quebec families face a federal shortfall of about $240 million. If they were paying themselves, they would receive income tax refunds. So the Canadian government is saving money that is not injected into the Quebec economy. That clearly shows that it is a societal choice, a policy choice.
You mentioned that these measures had considerably reduced poverty among women who are single parents, etc. That is very consistent with what we have seen, for example, for a similar network over the past 10 years in Ireland. In the past 10 years, the poverty rate for families in Ireland has gone from 15% to 6.8%. That is huge, whereas in Canada the rate has stagnated at 16%.
I would like you to go back to the principle of universality. People are very reluctant about that due to the economics of it. My party and I have always claimed that it was not an expenditure, but an investment in our children. I would like to hear you elaborate on the principle of universality.