Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this time to speak on this particular issue today. I know we have a long evening ahead of us, but if members can bear with me for a few moments, I will bring forward my thoughts and some of my findings based on my experience and on my work in my riding.
I will be sharing my time with the able and honourable member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, a beautiful riding just to the east of us here.
I am proud to stand today and talk about our government's plan to put people first and ensure equality and fairness for all Canadians. We know that providing Canadians with the opportunity to realize their full potential is not just the right thing to do; it is the smart thing to do for our economy. By investing to create these opportunities for all Canadians, in all their diversity, we are instilling confidence and reinforcing the foundation for a stronger middle class and a growing economy for the benefit of all.
I would like to spend a few minutes outlining the key elements of that plan, which are included in the supply bill before us today.
It is about a stronger economy that benefits all Canadians. A confident, growing middle class is driving economic growth, creating new jobs and more opportunities to succeed. Our plan is working, because Canadians are working.
Over the last two years, Canadians have worked hard to grow our economy, creating 60% more jobs than the previous Conservative government over the same time period and driving the unemployment rate down to a 40-year low. Middle-class Canadians are now feeling more optimistic about their future, whether their plan is to pay down debt, save for a first home, go back to school to train for a new job, or ease their way into retirement.
In my riding, the average age is fairly high. The issue of those in the middle class transitioning into their senior years is, of course, a very important one, which we find addressed in the bill as well.
The very first thing we did as a government was to raise taxes on the top 1% so that we could lower them for the middle class. Also, through the Canada child benefit, we increased support for nine out of 10 families, putting more money, tax-free, into the pockets of parents for them to spend on things they need. That means more money for books, skating lessons, or warm clothes for winter. These are important achievements for the middle class and the people working hard to join it.
We know there is still hard work ahead of us before we meet our full potential, and there are challenges that must be overcome. We also know that some of our greatest challenges present the greatest opportunities. In the 150-year existence of our country, we certainly know that to be true.
On the international stage, we are members of the G7, and we punch way above our weight, whether it is the strength of our economy or the strength of the exports that we push around the world.
By creating these opportunities, the government is taking action through budget 2018 to make sure that the benefits of a growing economy are felt by more and more people.
We are creating opportunities that draw strength from our diversity to build a country where every Canadian has a real and fair chance to work, to contribute to our economy, and to succeed. That includes Canada's talented, ambitious, and hard-working women. That is why in budget 2018 we focused on issues such as promoting equal parenting for new families, with a proposed new El parental sharing benefit, and tackling the gender wage gap. In short, it is fundamental to a strong and growing middle class. By building on this understanding, the government, through budget 2018, takes us further than ever before toward a stronger Canada.
I would like to talk in detail about one of the things we have been working on for quite some time, first as a party in opposition and now in government.
We know that Canadians are working hard to build a better life for themselves and their families. Low-income Canadians are sometimes working two or three jobs so that they can join the middle class and give their children and grandchildren a better chance at success. Like all Canadians, they deserve to have their hard work rewarded with greater opportunities and a fair chance at success.
That is why, in budget 2018, we introduced the new Canada workers benefit, a new tax benefit that would put more money into the pockets of low-income workers. The new Canada workers benefit builds on the former working income tax benefit, or WITB, to give even more people greater financial benefits from working. The government is also ensuring that, starting in 2019, every tax filer who could benefit from the new CWB will benefit, by proposing changes that would allow the Canada Revenue Agency to automatically determine eligibility for those who do not make a claim.
We have also enhanced access to the Canada child benefit, which we have talked about quite a bit here simply because we are quite proud of what we have done over the last little while. It is a tax-free benefit, especially for those with young families. We fought a gruelling campaign over this issue. We came out on the successful side, promising to do just this, and we are delivering it after two years. Like the Canada workers benefit, the Canada child benefit, or CCB, is a cornerstone in our plan to strengthen the middle class.
We recognize that indigenous communities, in particular remote and northern indigenous communities, face distinct barriers to accessing federal benefits such as the CCB. That is why, in budget 2018, we expanded efforts to reach out to indigenous communities and to conduct pilot outreach activities for urban indigenous communities as well.
I recall that in the last Parliament we sat in front of many stakeholders in the indigenous community and first nations. In Newfoundland and Labrador, I have the only reserve on the island, which is Conne River, or Miawpukek. I remember some of them talking about their concerns for their brothers and sisters who were in urban areas yet full members of their own reserve. They were deeply concerned about the fact that a lot of first nations people living in larger centres were not able to access some of the government funding and programs that were available. That became a priority for many of us, me included, not just about first nations, but all indigenous people in Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly in Labrador.
These efforts would ensure that indigenous people are better able to access the full range of federal social benefits, including the Canada child benefit, putting money into the pockets of those who are unable to afford basic goods for young children. That is what we built our campaign around.
In closing, these investments in budget 2018, included in the supply bill before us today, recognize that new opportunities and equality are at the heart of Canada's future economic success. Fairness demands equality, and the prosperity of all Canadians depends on it. Certainly in an area such as my own, where the unemployment rate is high, we seek out ways so that people can re-educate themselves. We seek out ways by which they can find other forms of income by retraining and other methods.
For seniors, we want to provide a blanket security that provides them with a living and with services so they can continue to enjoy their moments as they slip into their senior years.
By promoting equality, our government will help create long-term prosperity for the middle class and those working hard to join it.
On the other issues we have talked about in the House, both in the past and now as we lead up to this prosperity of a burgeoning middle class and low unemployment rates, I would say that it is best for us not just to create the jobs by which these people would have income relief available to them in case of unexpected job loss, but also to create a just society they can live in.
One of the programs I am very proud of is the new horizons for seniors program. It is not a recent program; it has been around since the early 2000s. I bring up this program because it is an investment in the social well-being of our seniors.
I recently returned from a trip regarding the OECD. Many countries were fascinated by the new horizons program, because it provides a social benefit to seniors that they have not seen before. Many countries get deeply concerned about financial well-being, and it is true that this is the cornerstone, but to build upon that for our seniors is very important. There are other programs associated with it, also for the middle class. That is why we are very proud of the Canada child benefit.
