Thank you, Chair.
I want to thank my colleague from the NDP. She and I have had many conversations about the workforce and the need for really getting it up to speed and making sure that child care.... I know she, herself, was an ECE for many years, and the level of respect for the high-quality training, long hours and strong commitment to our children really needs to be reflected. That's something I continually hope to do in our working tables with the provinces and the Grits. I know that's not the perfect answer, but it's one that's true to the agreements we have today.
I appreciate her efforts in strengthening this. I'd like to make a small subamendment, if I can, in paragraphs (a) and (b), which would be:
(a) a summary of the information in the Minister’s possession and within the Minister’s authority to disclose relating to the federal investments made in respect of the Canada-wide early learning and child care system during the fiscal year;
and
(b) a summary of the progress being made respecting that system, including information relating to the quality, affordability and inclusiveness of early learning and child care programs and services and to the access to those programs and services;
I'll highlight the reason for these slight changes.
We want to make sure that there are agreements in place; that there's information being shared—some of it is fiscal; and that it's not always within the authority of the minister to be able, as per the agreements, to disclose at certain times when it's under review. We also want to make sure we respect the agreements and the communication we have with the provinces in building out this system, while at the same time making sure that there is an information flow-through that can allow for the right improvements that need to be made based on the data that's being provided.
Thank you, Chair.