Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, November 24, marks National Child Poverty Day. I draw attention to the importance attached to this day.
Canadian children are the future of the country and are our largest investment. This means we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the early years that pave the way for the child's future development physically, emotionally and cognitively. We must continue to make children one of our key priorities by helping families ensure that their children get the best possible start in life.
It is for this reason that we invested nearly $9 billion last year to help families with children. It is for this reason that we are putting billions back into the hands of Canadian parents to help provide clothing, food, adequate housing, day care, dental care and toys. It is for this reason that the government committed to a third significant investment into the national child benefit in the Speech from the Throne by July 2001.
We must continue on the path toward the eradication of child poverty in Canada. Children are our future.