THUNDER BAY, ON, April 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, visited Family Foods Centennial in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to highlight the Government of Canada's new Grocery Rebate and how Budget 2023 is making life more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast.
Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID recession. Canada's economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today, 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic, including 361,600 in Ontario. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row and our unemployment rate is near its record low. Thanks in part to our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 also reached a record high of 85.7% in February.
Budget 2023 builds on this important progress.
To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 delivers the new Grocery Rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most with up to an additional $467 for eligible couples with children; an additional $234 for single Canadians without children; and an additional $225 for seniors, on average. The Government is also taking action to crack down on junk fees and predatory lending, lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, and help Canadians keep more money in their pockets.
To strengthen Canada's universal public health care system, the Budget delivers $198.3 billion, including over $77 billion in Ontario, to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services, and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve. Budget 2023 also introduces the new Canadian Dental Care Plan. It will help up to 9 million Canadians and ensure no Canadian has to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month.
To build Canada's clean economy, the Budget makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. This includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities, and create good-paying jobs.
With a responsible fiscal plan that will see Canada maintain the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, Budget 2023 will help to build a Canada that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast.
"Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable, strengthen public health care, and build a stronger, more sustainable, and more secure Canadian economy—for everyone. We know the rising price of food and other essential goods is a particular stressor for many Canadians, which is why we introduced the one-time Grocery Rebate. This targeted initiative will help put money back in the pockets of millions of Canadians who need it most."
– Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould
- Budget 2023: A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future
- Budget 2023: Address by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
- Backgrounder: Stronger Public Health Care
- Backgrounder: Making Life More Affordable
- Backgrounder: An Affordable Place to Call Home
- Backgrounder: A Made-in-Canada Plan: Affordable Energy, Good Jobs, and a Growing Clean Economy
- Backgrounder: Advancing Reconciliation
- Backgrounder: Stronger and More Inclusive Communities
- Backgrounder: Improving Service Delivery
SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada
For media enquiries, please contact: Philippe-Alexandre Langlois, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]
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