A number of witnesses have made the following point to us. Canada is very large, and every province—I am referring here to Quebec—develops measures to meet the needs of families, women and so on. If I look at what Quebec has done, compared with the rest of Canada, how many so-called universal programs that have been put in place can meet women's needs in a universal way? There are major differences between the various regions, let alone the various provinces.
Take, for example, the demands that come from western Canada. They are very different from the demands and expectations, the needs and concerns, of women in Quebec. Basically, the word "poverty" has the same meaning, but the needs are very different. How can we set priorities and advance the cause of women in a fair way when some provinces are behind others in terms of their programs? Would that not be favouring some over others?