Thank you to the Minister for coming.
I'm going to stay high level here and talk a bit about the middle class and some of the claims that are made from time to time about the state of the middle class here in Canada by the opposition members.
I will start by reading an interesting quote by a well-known Conservative champion, Hillary Clinton, who said:
Canadian middle-class incomes are now higher than in the United States. They are working fewer hours for more pay, enjoying a stronger safety net, living longer on average, and facing less income inequality.
I found that to be an interesting quote because it's the exact opposite of the claims made daily by the opposition members.
I want to talk a bit about our policies and how they relate to the middle class, and give you an opportunity to contrast that with some potential opposition policies. I think about our telecom policy, the manufacturing policy that you talked about, the steps we're taking to end pay-to-pay billing practices, and the connecting Canadians program, all those measures that we've taken. Perhaps you could talk a bit about their impact on strengthening our middle class further in Canada.