Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to announce to the House that today is International Literacy Day.
Today, some 22% of Canadians face barriers because of problems with reading and writing, and 26% do not have the skills required to work in today's economy, the knowledge economy.
There is a direct correlation between literacy and health, economic growth, crime prevention and social cohesion.
Therefore, I invite all of my colleagues to join me in highlighting the importance of literacy and its contribution to Canada's development.