I wasn't here for the 2006 budget, but I know there were some important decisions as part of that budget. There were also some important discussions here. I know that Minister Flaherty met with his counterpart, including Judy Wasylycia-Leis. In terms of child care, she emphasized the importance of working through the provincial governments. So the $500 million transfer to provincial governments for child care was a factor in that decision.
As I said in my previous intervention, the focus of discussions with our provincial colleagues on women entering the workforce was on creating a new system—the working income tax benefit—that governments can support. This makes a difference in people getting off welfare and getting into the workplace.
The examples we used would show that currently for a single mother in Nova Scotia, going to work costs money. If she has a minimum-wage job, the effective wage rate is about $1 an hour. The working income tax benefit can enhance this, not dramatically up front, but it will almost double the return to $2 an hour.
But we can start working with provincial governments to make a difference by helping people who wish to work. It's a great economic initiative for the country. It helps people enhance their income without being dependent on welfare, which again is the principal focus of our collaboration right now with the provincial governments.