Minister Marci Ien highlights budget investments to make life more affordable for Canadians

ETOBICOKE, ON, April 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Today the Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, visited Good Food Market and Our Daily Bread in Etobicoke, Ontario, to highlight Budget 2023's investments aimed at making life more affordable for Canadians through a new grocery rebate for individuals and families who need it most.

Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID-19 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 here in Ontario. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, 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 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. 

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 

"Too many Canadians are struggling with the impacts of global inflation, which is making the cost of living a real challenge and too many are feeling the bite of higher prices at the checkout counter. Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable for everyone. By providing the Grocery Rebate to Canadians who need it most, the government will be able to offer important relief without making inflation worse."

The Honourable Marci Ien, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth   

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SOURCE Women and Gender Equality Canada

Johise Namwira, Press Secretary and Issues Manager, Office of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, 873-353-0985, [email protected]; Media Relations: Women and Gender Equality Canada, 819-420-6530, [email protected]