Mr. Speaker, I have heard this argument from not only other members of the opposition but other Canadians, and indeed, I have listened to that argument very carefully.
We want a system, in terms of supporting families and children, that is equitable to all concerned. That is why, when we implemented our tax cuts over the last six or seven years, we have focused on families with children. I will do the calculation between questions and come back with the exact arithmetic, but the largest portion of the benefit of those tax reductions up to now has flowed to families with children, particularly low income families.
We recognize that need to bring down that tax burden and thereby leave more flexibility in the hands of those families to make their child care decisions. However, at the same time, the national system of child care is clearly underdeveloped. We need more spaces. We need more skilled workers who are properly positioned to provide the kind of duties that they are called upon to perform.
We want a system that is high quality, universal, affordable, accessible and developmental. That is what this $5 billion is for, and it is not instead of tax reductions but in addition to tax reductions.