Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Thompson, child care is a provincial responsibility. In 1997, Pauline Marois, the former premier of Quebec, announced the creation of early childhood centres with a fixed cost of $5 per day. Let me remind you that this initially covered all children aged four and, subsequently, those under four. It has been an incredible success, which Ms. Freeland noted when she created the federal program.
For almost 30 years, Quebec has been a pioneer in this field, working independently.
Why do Canada's other provinces need federal help to set up this type of system?