April 11, 2022 Hamilton, Ontario Employment and Social Development Canada
Through Budget 2022: A Plan to Grow Our Economy and Make Life More Affordable, the Government of Canada makes targeted and responsible investments to create good jobs, grow our economy, and build a Canada where nobody gets left behind. Today, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould participated in a roundtable with stakeholders to discuss investments for making the switch to zero-emission vehicles more affordable and building a national network of electric vehicle charging stations.
The first pillar of the budget is investing in Canadians and making life more affordable. Budget 2022 housing measures will put Canada on the path to double housing construction over the next decade; help Canadians save for and buy their first home; ban foreign investment in Canadian housing; and curb unfair practices that make housing more expensive for Canadians. Budget 2022 also invests in ensuring Canadian workers have the skills they need for the good-paying jobs of today and tomorrow, and will make it easier for the skilled immigrants that our economy needs to make Canada their home. The Budget makes further significant investments in affordable child care, in our public health care system, and in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Second, Budget 2022 invests in economic growth and innovation-the key to Canada's long-term prosperity. This includes launching the new, world-leading Canada Growth Fund, which will attract tens of billions of dollars in private investment in Canadian industries and Canadian jobs, and a new innovation and investment agency that will help drive productivity and growth across our economy. The Budget also proposes to implement Canada's first Critical Minerals Strategy-one that will create thousands of good jobs and capitalize on a growing need for the minerals used in everything from phones to electric cars. Measures also include steps to build more resilient supply chains, and to cut taxes for Canada's growing small businesses.
The third pillar of Budget 2022 is investing in a clean economy. To help Canadians and Canadian businesses benefit from the global transition to a clean economy, Budget 2022 includes new incentives for the development of clean technologies and carbon capture, utilization and storage. In addition to further investments to protect our land, lakes and oceans, the Government will also make it more affordable for Canadians to purchase zero-emission vehicles, build and expand a national network of zero-emission vehicle charging stations, and make new investments in clean energy.
Canada entered the pandemic with the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio of all G7 countries-an advantage that has since increased relative to other countries. Canada has seen the best jobs recovery in the G7, and as of March 2022, has recovered 115% of the jobs lost at the height of the pandemic, with an unemployment rate that sits at just 5.3%-the lowest rate on record since 1976. With Budget 2022, Canada will maintain this leading position, and maintain its fiscally responsible approach to economic growth and to building an economy that works for everyone. Crucially, it upholds the Government's fiscal anchor-a declining debt-to-GDP ratio and the unwinding of deficits related to COVID-19, which will ensure that Canada's finances remain sustainable in the long-term.
