Hon. Kim Pate: Thank you, Minister Gould, for joining us, and thank you to you and your colleagues for all the work you are doing. It is well appreciated.

As you know, $1 invested in children, including measures like the Canada Child Benefit, results in up to $9 of saved future health, social and legal services system costs. Guaranteed basic livable income programs for working-age adults and their families demonstrate similar benefits: for example, an 8.5% reduction in hospitalizations in the province of Manitoba alone during its pilot project. This is one reason provinces including P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador have expressed interest in partnering with the federal government to implement guaranteed livable basic income initiatives.

Could you please advise us on your progress and what steps the government has taken to collaborate with these provinces around the whole issue of basic income and on any other meetings or negotiations currently under way to assess the feasibility of the initiatives that they are proposing?