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Hi everyone.

I am very pleased to be back here in Hochelaga with Minister Hussen and MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada.  

Ahmed, thank you for your leadership and all your work for families across the country.

Soraya, I know how hard you work for the community. You are always on the ground helping Quebecers.

So, thank you once again for the warm welcome.

It’s a great pleasure for me to be back here with Premier Legault and Ministers Lacombe and Rouleau. 

François, I’m thrilled to be here again with you today for a wonderful announcement.

The announcement will make a real difference in the lives of Quebecers and help them bounce back from the pandemic.

Speaking of the pandemic, I would like to point out that more than 83 per cent of the eligible population in Quebec has received their first dose, and more than 67 per cent has received their second dose.

Thank you everyone, and thank you François for this incredible, ongoing effort.

Thanks to our teamwork over the past year, the pandemic is nearly over.

But we must remain vigilant.

The number of cases is increasing across the country. That is concerning.

So, if you haven’t received your first or second dose, go get vaccinated.

There’s no time to waste.

As always, the federal government is there to support the provinces and territories.

Everyone must continue to do their part and get vaccinated.

Now, let’s get to today’s announcement.

As a proud Quebecer, I, like you, understand the importance of having quality, affordable child care services for families.

More than ever, the last year and a half has shown us just how essential these services are, especially for mothers who too often have to choose between their children and their careers.

Our message is clear. We will not let the pandemic erase all the progress that women have made in recent years. 

That is why, inspired by Quebec, we are establishing an affordable, quality early learning and child care system across the country.

And today, we are announcing investments to help Quebec improve its system already in place.

Over the next five years, our government will invest nearly $6 billion in your child care system here in Quebec.

This investment will create tens of thousands of new child care spaces, in addition to reducing costs.  

This is great news for families.

As a father, I know that we all want what is best for our children.

I also know that there are a lot of parents looking for a child care space for their kids, and I can tell you that things are going to improve.

These investments will help more families, including low-income families.

And they will help to recruit and train more educators, while providing better working conditions.

For families here in Quebec – and across the country – we’ve got your back as we rebuild from this pandemic.

Quebec has had a reliable, affordable child care system for decades, and is a world leader.

You have a reason to be proud.

And the time has come for the rest of Canada to follow Quebec’s lead.

That is why, in the last federal budget, we presented a plan to offer parents throughout Canada child care spaces at $10 a day.

Our plan for more affordable early learning and child care across Canada will leave no family and no child behind.

We’ve already signed agreements so that families living in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and now Quebec will see quality child care become affordable.

And we’ll continue to work with every other province and territory so that families right across the country have access to affordable, high-quality child care.  

Today’s asymmetric agreement will ensure that thousands more Quebec families will get a child care space, strengthening a system that is already an inspiration for the rest of the country.

And I emphasize the word asymmetric.

We have taken the same collaborative approach as we did in our response to COVID-19.

In other words, we are listening to what you need, to then offer federal support that gives concrete results to Quebecers, while respecting Quebec’s distinctiveness.

Today’s agreement is a great example of the cooperative federalism that we believe in and that benefits people.

Before I finish, I would really like to once again thank Premier Legault and his team for their work with us.

Today’s announcement adds to our long list of projects and accomplishments.

It’s always a pleasure to work with you so that we can deliver results for the people of Quebec.