Minister MacAulay highlights budget investments to build Canada's 21st century clean economy in Sackville, Nova Scotia

SACKVILLE, NS, April 5, 2023 /CNW/ - Today the Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, met with Aztek Solar to highlight Budget 2023's investments in A Made-in-Canada Plan to ensure that Canadian workers and companies are able to provide the resources and technologies that the world needs.

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 28,100 here in Nova Scotia. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months straight, our unemployment rate is near its record low, and, supported by our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached at a record high of 85.7 per cent 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 $5.016 billion here in Nova Scotia 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 a new Canadian Dental Care Plan, to help up to nine 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.

Quotes

"Our 2023 Budget will make life more affordable, enhance public health care, and create a more robust, more sustainable, and more secure Canadian economy for everyone. Our Made-in-Canada plan will to help generate jobs, cultivate a prosperous clean technology sector, decrease emissions in our conventional energy industries, and establish new sources of energy. With our skilled and educated workforce, abundant natural resources, and energy sources that will be critical to success in the future economy, Canada is in a unique position to seize the moment."

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs

''Since 2015, the federal government's focus has been on investing in the middle class, growing the economy and making life more affordable for Canadians. Budget 2023 builds on our progress with investments to build Canada's clean economy, fight climate change, strengthen our healthcare system and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers. Communities in Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook and beyond will benefit from these transformative investments for generations to come!''

Darrell Samson, Member of Parliament for Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook

"The solar industry is growing rapidly in Nova Scotia, and that is largely due to the Federal funding that is available through the Canada Greener Homes program. This has provided many homeowners the opportunity to move towards a greener, renewable energy source. It's great to see that the Government will be continuing funding and tax credits in the foreseeable future through Budget 2023. These programs are beneficial for homeowners, small businesses, and the environment."

Brian McKay – Owner, Aztek Solar Ltd.

Related Products

• 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 Veterans Affairs Canada

Media may contact: Erika Lashbrook Knutson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Association Minister of Defence, [email protected], 343-550-6093