Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I appreciate that there is a much more interesting committee going on, so I appreciate everyone's attendance here today.
I'd like to thank Deputy Hassan and Colette Kaminsky for being here with me today.
Our new government is on a mission to strengthen Canadian workers and to help our economy succeed, so it's an honour and a privilege for me to be here today to highlight the many actions we're taking to support this mission. This is my first time appearing before this committee. I take the responsibility of my role as Secretary of State for Labour seriously. I'm also proud to represent the riding of Etobicoke North, because there's nothing more important to me than making sure the voices and concerns of Canadian workers are heard.
My job is to listen to Canadians. During my discussions with unions, employers and workers in the past weeks and months, I've heard the same recurring concerns. Job security in the face of tariffs is top of mind. We're listening. We're working hard to reduce the impact. For those who find themselves out of work, we have a strong social safety net. We're helping workers get through job disruptions with employment insurance and the work-sharing program, and working with the provinces and territories to avoid those situations and create the fastest-growing economy in the G7.
One of the ways we're doing that is through the one Canadian economy legislation. It clears the way to eliminate federal barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobility. We are working collaboratively with provincial and territorial governments to improve the mobility of workers in regulated occupations so that they can move more quickly and fill jobs across Canada. Yesterday I presented to the committee on internal trade with all provinces, updating on the progress of the labour mobility plan. We agreed to change the regulations to a 30-day service standard and to reduce onerous administrative burdens on labour mobility. Certainly there's more work to do, but progress has been made.
Helping Canadian workers through these turbulent times is our top priority. We're meeting this moment with strength and conviction. We're protecting our communities, empowering families and investing in Canada. We're standing up for Canada's future and for the workers who are building it every day. Our plan is to empower a new generation of Canadian workers, and budget 2025 is at the heart of our plan. While we can't control what other nations do, we are focusing on what we can control. We're going to build. We're going to build homes. We're going to build transmission lines that power AI and power the north. We're going to build ports, rails and bridges to move critical minerals. We'll build locally. We'll build nationally.
However, we can't create the strongest economy in the G7 without building Canada's skilled trades workforce. That's why we invest nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship supports for apprentices to make trades training more accessible. We do this through loans, project funding, tax credits and deductions, and employment insurance benefits. We are also supporting apprenticeship training, including through the union training and innovation program. In budget 2025, we've doubled the funding, with $75 million over three years. This investment will increase the quality of Red Seal apprenticeship training. It will help unlock our economic growth and make sure there are trained Canadian workers at job sites to build Canada's future.
Those job sites need to be safe and respectful for all workers, because we believe labour rights are human rights. Better working conditions go hand in hand with a strong and agile Canadian economy. We're building a future where every worker is respected, protected and empowered, but we need to better understand the challenges faced by workers. We don't pursue this just at home. We're promoting labour rights for workers with our global trading partners, with funding for such credible organizations as the International Labour Organization. We will continue to set the bar on workers' rights around the world, because every worker deserves a workplace that is fair, safe and equitable.
This is a critical time for Canadian workers. We have the programs and policies in place to help them succeed, but these aren't just policies: They're promises. They're promises to all Canadian workers that the federal government has their backs.
Thank you. I'm happy to take your questions.
