Mr. Speaker, it is a tremendous pleasure to rise today to speak to the budget implementation act, the first step in implementing budget 2018, a truly progressive, activist budget that will create even more opportunities for Canadians.
This budget is the first to integrate a full gender-based-plus analysis to make sure that women in Canada are included in every aspect of the budget. It is significant to me that the budget does not look at women only as beneficiaries of government policy but as full contributors to our national economy, because we know that we see better outcomes when women and diverse groups of Canadians are included.
Budget 2018 is about growth, increasing the GDP, and ensuring that everyone can contribute to their fullest potential.
Canada is a country built on hard work, and we solve problems by working tirelessly and helping each other. The budget also invests in people. Over the past two years, our economy has been growing and strengthening. Our investments are working.
Our plan to invest in Canadians is working. Our current GDP growth is the highest in the G7, at 3.2%. For comparison, the second-highest are Germany and the U.S., at only 2.4%. We have a low and declining debt-to-GDP ratio. The proportion of our debt compared to our income is going to be the lowest that we have seen in 40 years.
The International Monetary Fund says Canada's net debt-to-GDP ratio is the lowest in the G7, and in fact it is less than half the G7 average. The IMF says that Canada's economic policies should go viral. What this means for Canadians is over 600,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate has dropped from 7.1% to 5.7% since we took office. That is the lowest unemployment rate in the last 46 years, in my lifetime.
Why are we seeing this growth? It is because we are investing in the future. We are making smart investments in infrastructure and innovation, and we are seeing the impact of these investments in my riding of Ottawa West—Nepean. There is $5 million for Nelson House women's shelter. LRT phase 2 will bring light rail to Algonquin College and all the way to Moodie Drive. We are investing in 42 new affordable housing units for seniors linked to the Carlington Community Health Centre, and there is $22 million to Algonquin College for a new centre for innovation and entrepreneurship, including indigenous entrepreneurship.
Our Canada child benefit has raised 300,000 children out of poverty in our country. In Ottawa West—Nepean, over 16,000 children benefit. On average, each family is getting about $640 a month tax free.
Our new Canada workers benefit will lift 70,000 low-income Canadian workers out of poverty. In fact, a worker earning $15,000 a year will receive $500 more and be able to take home more of his or her paycheque.
We have invested $5 billion in mental health and $6 billion in home care, on top of a $1.4-billion increase in the Canada health transfer, and this budget adds $20 million for autism.
We are supporting seniors with the increase to the GIS of $967 a year for the poorest seniors and a new $20-million fund for dementia caregivers, and we are enhancing the Canada pension plan so that in the future the maximum benefit is going to increase from $13,600 a year to $21,000 a year.
We have kept our promise on a pension for life for veterans. In fact, a 50-year-old fully disabled veteran will now be receiving $9,000 a month tax free for the rest of his or her life.
We have introduced a national housing strategy that commits $40 billion to cut homelessness in half in our country. There will be 100,000 new units, including new family housing units on Michèle Drive in Ottawa West—Nepean, and 300,000 units are going to be repaired or upgraded.
Here in the national capital region, I am very pleased to note there is $55 million to the NCC for critical infrastructure and $73 million toward a new national library combined with the Ottawa Public Library.
Our growth is taking place because we are working to ensure that we are not leaving out half of the population when it comes to our economic prosperity. I am talking about women.
Budget 2018 is significant in addressing the gender wage gap and enhancing women's workforce participation, which is not only the right thing to do but is good for the economy. We are doing this in a number of ways, including through proactive pay equity legislation based on the report of the special committee, which I was very proud to have chaired. I commend the work of the committee members from all parties.
There are five weeks of additional “use it or lose it” parental leave for the second parent, usually the father, which will rebalance the burden of caregiving in our country. There was $7.5 billion in previous budgets for child care, which is creating over 40,000 affordable child care spaces. There are changes to EI that allow more flexibility for parents and caregivers. We are supporting women in high-income jobs, such as in STEM. There is $1.4 billion in financing for women entrepreneurs, because we know that only 16% of businesses in Canada are owned by women, and we want that number to increase. There is also almost $20 million in apprenticeship grants for women in the trades.
We are making Status of Women Canada its own department. We are allocating $100 million to front-line organizations that support survivors of gender-based violence. We are extending the unified family court pilot project, to make it easier for people who are going through a separation or divorce, by allowing them to deal with a single legal system. We are providing legal assistance for victims of workplace sexual harassment.
I am also very proud that budget 2018 would increase our international assistance envelope by $2 billion to make our feminist international development policy a reality. We know that we see more progress toward the sustainable development goals and longer lasting peace agreements and better outcomes when women are included in the design and implementation of development projects.
Our economic growth is also a result of a successful policy of progressive international trade. Between CETA and the CPTPP, our preferential market access for Canadian goods and services has increased from 31% to 63% of the global market.
Diversity is Canada's strength and is at the very heart of our identity. This is why our government committed to investing $23 million in multiculturalism programs to find new ways to combat discrimination, with a focus on racism and discrimination against indigenous peoples.
Our most important relationship is with indigenous people. Over the past three budgets we have committed over $13 billion for indigenous peoples, more than double what was in the Kelowna accord.
We are fully implementing Human Rights Tribunal orders regarding services to indigenous children. Almost 20,000 children are currently receiving care as a result.
Boil water advisories have been lifted in 52 communities, with 81 to go, and all of those will be done by 2021.
We are investing in housing, schools, recreational infrastructure, and mental health supports.
We are doing all of this while ensuring fairness in taxation. Canadians in the middle-income bracket are now paying 7% less in income tax, and those in the top 1% are paying more.
With respect to small businesses, 97% will see a decrease in their taxes.
We are going after overseas tax avoidance through 1,000 offshore audits, 40 criminal investigations, and $44 million in penalties to third-party advisers.
We are investing in Canadians. Austerity was tried by the previous government and did not work for Canadians. We are growing income, and making benefits more inclusive. We are ensuring that women and other equity-seeking groups can be full and equal participants in our economy. We are already seeing the results, with the lowest unemployment rate and the strongest economy in the G7.