Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Small Business Week.
As a small business owner, I know first hand the hard work and sacrifices required to start and grow a business. Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy, accounting for 30% of our GDP and employing over eight million Canadians, including many in Surrey.
Not only have we cut the small business tax rate by 2%, we have launched Innovative Solutions Canada, which allows small businesses to access government procurement tenders, and we have increased the capital available to entrepreneurs through the $400 million venture capital catalyst initiative. Under our government's leadership, the BDC has announced a new $50 million fund to support women in tech and has exceeded its lending target of $700 million for women entrepreneurs.
All of this has made Canada the best country in the G7 to start a business. To all middle-class entrepreneurs and small business owners across British Columbia, across Canada—