Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
First of all, thank you.
I've worked with and met with your organization for many years. To be honest, it's hard for me to ask a question, because I agree with what you say. I agree with the solutions. I was very involved when the child benefit was initially established. It was meant to grow over time. I was very involved, with my colleagues, on the agreement that was struck with the provinces in terms of the early education and child care program across this country. And of course we were very busy building towards a housing strategy and so on, which is really no longer there.
I agree with you on the $5,100, no question. I believe our leader, Mr. Dion, has already made it public that this is something he would do. But he didn't say $5,100, he said $5,000. He's already made a commitment to reinstate or to establish national early learning and child care. I know he's made a commitment to reinstate the Government of Canada's federal $10 minimum wage. While it doesn't necessarily affect the provinces directly, because we don't have jurisdiction, it does set the bar at where I think we need it to be. That needs to be there.
Your other points are all well taken. I want to ask you a couple of other questions that may flow out of some of this. As I said, I don't quibble with any of this.
As to restoring the EI, extending it to self-employed, I think this is important. You could tell me some more about that. I don't know if you've read the pink book we had; maybe I'll send you a copy.
If we were to raise the personal exemption to $10,000 or $15,000--let's say $10,000 initially--whereby the taxes aren't actually paid since it's a personal exemption, how far would that go to assisting? That's in addition to the things you've mentioned. For me there are a number of things at the core of it--the child benefit, early learning and child care, and a national housing program, at the very minimum. Those three are fundamentally important. Of course, the fourth is the wage increase.
In terms of the last two budgets, could you tell us about the measures in them, about where they help and where they don't? How do they fit into this picture, into the recommendations you've made to us today? And if things need to be changed, where do they need to be changed?