Mr. Speaker, this week is Small Business Week.
Small business is the engine of our economy. Today in Canada there are more than 2.4 million small businesses generating over 40% of Canada's economic output. Small business employs over 44% of the labour force.
As a founding member of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada and as a member of Les Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises Mondiales, I believe it is important that we acknowledge that a large majority of successful small businesses in Canada are women owned.
The success of Canada in the global marketplace requires that we support the growth of small business, and the government is doing just that.
The student connection program and Strategis are two initiatives that Industry Canada has undertaken to help small business make the most of the new technologies of the Internet.
Partnership between government and small business creates a fertile environment for innovation and entrepreneurship, the winning formula for Canada's continued economic success.