Mr. Speaker, October is Small Business Month, and with over 19,000 businesses in Vaughan, our city's entrepreneurial spirit is second to none. We see it from family-run businesses like Sweet Boutique to innovators like Summer Fresh Salads and dedicated visionaries like Quality Cheese, all in Vaughan—Woodbridge.
Vaughan is York Region's economic engine, fuelled by its entrepreneurs. They have everything Canada needs, and I will always have their backs.
To help Canadian businesses thrive, we have invested in them through the Canada summer jobs and my main street programs. We lowered the small business tax rate from 11% to 9%, saving businesses $6 billion every year.
By this year end, we will be delivering to them $2.5 billion through the Canada carbon rebate for small businesses and cutting credit card transaction fees by up to 27%, or $1 billion over five years.
This is what real leadership and commitment to economic growth and prosperity for small businesses looks like.