MONTREAL - Quebec's auditor general released a damning report on the province's daycare system Wednesday, heavily criticizing the Liberal government for being ineffective in creating more subsidized daycare spots in the province.

Auditor General Renaud Lachance said the entire process was flawed and he blamed the Charest government for botching the process.

As many as 18,000 seven-dollar-a-day daycare spots were promised in March 2008, and more than four years later, 23 per cent of those positions have not materialized.

Lachance said those interested in receiving the additional daycare spots were given only one month to put a proposal together, which he said was not long enough.

He argued that then-Family Minister Michelle Courchesne took a month to sift through all of the applications – which also argued is not ample time -- and that 75 per cent of the projects that were given spaces in 2008 did not pass quality standards.

The report also stated Courchesne never made the selection criteria public and never explained herself or her choices.

It also said she rejected about 3,500 projects recommended to her by the Ministry of Education, but approved another 3,000 that had not been recommended.

In addition, the report showed many of the new spots were added in regions that already had a surplus, such as the Laurentians.

Though Michelle Courchesne is no longer family minister, current minister Yolande James agreed that some changes need to be made to the process, and some already have been made, but argues the quality of the services offered was never a question.

"I think for parents that are listening, they can know that they are in daycares that are of quality and that the laws and regulations of the department are in place, and with the increased numbers of inspectors as well, we are making sure that they are respected," said James.

Both the ADQ and the PQ allege that the Charest government played favourites in the selection process, and awarded spots to Liberal party supporters and donors.

Lachance did not comment on the accusations.

The opposition is calling for Courchesne's resignation. Though she is no longer family minister, the PQ argues the report indicates that she can't be trusted as the president of the Treasury Board either.

This is Lachance's final report as auditor general before he leaves the post to join the Charbonneau commission on corruption in Quebec's construction industry.

Lachance said he hopes the government looks closely at the report and makes some serious changes.