A high quality of life for Canadians and a strong, united Canada are inseparable. The Government will continue to take a comprehensive approach to strengthening the unity of our country. All its actions will serve to strengthen Canada by enhancing the quality of life of Canadians.
Our federal system allows us to value the different strengths of each region of our country. It guarantees all citizens equal rights and freedoms. And it enables Canada's wealth to be shared by all citizens no matter where they live—from Newfoundland in the east, to British Columbia in the west, to our newest territory, Nunavut, in the north.
Over the last two Parliaments, Canadians have built a foundation for even greater success. Our economy is strong. Our citizens enjoy expanding opportunities and increasing choices. Our artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers draw admiration from around the world. And Canada itself earns the respect of the community of nations as a symbol of peace, democracy and compassion.
The best way to achieve the promise of Canada for every citizen is to work together to build the highest quality of life for all Canadians. But there are some who would pull us apart rather than bring us together. Even though Quebeckers do not want a third referendum, the Government of Quebec continues to talk about holding another one. The Government of Canada therefore reaffirms the commitment it has made to Quebeckers and all other Canadians that the principle of clarity, as set out by the Supreme Court of Canada, will be respected.
To seize the opportunities and meet the challenges of a new global economy, we must work together in the Canadian way and concentrate on what matters most to Canadians. We must take bold steps today to make Canada even stronger in the next century. This requires national will, national strategies and partnerships across the country. Citizens and governments must collaboratively build an even stronger and more united Canada, a Canada that remains an example to the world.
Canadians expect their national government to focus on areas where it can and must make a difference. And they want this done in the Canadian way—working together, balancing individual and government action, and listening to citizens. Canadians expect their Government to be fiscally prudent, to reduce the debt burden, to cut taxes, and to pursue the policies necessary for a strong society. The emerging global marketplace offers an enormous opportunity to create more Canadian jobs, more Canadian growth and more Canadian influence in the world. It provides expanding opportunities to secure a higher quality of life for all Canadians. To seize these opportunities, we must build on our strengths.
Achieving a higher quality of life requires a comprehensive strategy to accelerate the transition to the knowledge-based economy, promote our interests and project our values in the world. Together, we will strive for excellence. This demands that we collaborate with our partners to:
develop our children and youth, our leaders for the 21st century;
build a dynamic economy;
strengthen health and quality care for Canadians;
ensure the quality of our environment;
build stronger communities;
strengthen the relationship with Canada's Aboriginal peoples; and
advance Canada's place in the world.
Children and Youth: Our Leaders for the 21st Century
Our Children
Because of the changing nature of the world economy, the prospects for a high quality of life in any country will depend—as never before—on having a population that is adaptable, resilient and ready to learn throughout life. The foundation for this is laid in the very early years. No commitment we make today will be more important for the long-term prosperity and well-being of our society than the commitment to invest our efforts in very young children. Parents and families have the primary responsibility for the care of their children. But all of society must work together to ensure that our children develop the abilities to succeed.
The Government will extend and make more accessible Employment Insurance benefits for parental leave, to help parents take more time from work to spend with their children. It will make its own workplace policies and those of federally regulated employers more family friendly. Through further tax relief, it will put more dollars in the hands of families with children. And, with its provincial and territorial partners, it will work to reform family law and strengthen supports provided to families to ensure that, in cases of separation or divorce, the needs and best interests of children come first.
Federal, provincial and territorial governments are developing together the National Children's Agenda. As part of this work, it is the Government's objective to reach an agreement among governments by December 2000 on a national action plan to further support parents and families. This plan will be consistent with the Social Union Framework Agreement. It will set out common principles, objectives and fiscal parameters for all governments to increase resources and further strengthen supports for early childhood development.
To make it easier for families to break the cycle of poverty, the federal, provincial and territorial governments also established the National Child Benefit. The Government of Canada is already investing an additional $1.7 billion annually in low-income families with children, while the provinces and territories are investing in complementary services. The Government wants no family to have to choose between a job and benefits for their children. Therefore, by 2002, the Government will make a third significant investment in the National Child Benefit, while seeking a commitment from its provincial and territorial partners to increase their investment in services for families with children.
Young Canadians
Young Canadians are the leaders of tomorrow. Already, they are at home in the wired world. They have energy, ideas and technological savvy, and they want to contribute to building their country in the 21st century. In our global and connected world, young Canadians are acquiring knowledge and skills at an earlier age. They deserve more and earlier opportunities to get involved, develop their talents and expand their skills. In doing so, they will become active and engaged citizens.
The Government will focus on providing young people with more opportunities to connect to the Canadian experience, to view their country in all its splendour, to gain a first-hand understanding of the different regions, and to be challenged by what they learn from their fellow citizens across this land. The Government will:
draw on the expertise of young Canadians to help connect rural and urban communities to the information highway, by hiring them to put in place additional Internet access sites for public use;
create a single-window service—Exchanges Canada—to give 100,000 young Canadians every year the chance to learn about another part of the country;
ensure that younger Canadians—from age 13—are given an opportunity to apply their creative abilities, by providing them with a chance to produce their “first works” using traditional approaches and new technologies in the arts, cultural, digital and other industries;
actively engage tens of thousands of young Canadian volunteers to participate in community and national environmental projects and to help others improve their literacy skills; and
enable young Canadians to apply their energy and talents overseas, by participating in international internship programs and helping developing countries get connected to the Internet.
In addition, the Government will continue to place a priority on providing young Canadians with career information, access to work experience, and learning opportunities.