March 31, 2023 Winnipeg, Manitoba Employment and Social Development Canada
Today the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, met with members of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, to highlight how Budget 2023 is making life more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast, including new investments in dental care.
Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID recession. Canada's economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today, 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic, including 19,300 in Manitoba. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, our unemployment rate is near its record low. Supported by our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached a record high of 85.7% in February.
Budget 2023 builds on this important progress.
To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 delivers the new grocery rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most with up to an additional $467 for eligible couples with children; an additional $234 for single Canadians without children; and an additional $225 for seniors, on average. The Government is also taking action to crack down on junk fees and predatory lending, lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, and help Canadians keep more money in their pockets.
To strengthen Canada's universal public health care system, the budget delivers $198.3 billion, including $7 billion in Manitoba, to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services, and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve. Budget 2023 also introduces the new Canadian Dental Care Plan, helping up to nine million Canadians.
To build Canada's clean economy, the Budget makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. This includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities, and create good-paying jobs.
With a responsible fiscal plan that will see Canada maintain the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, Budget 2023 will help to build a Canada that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast.
