This is a challenging time in the world, and I know families are squeezed in a whole bunch of ways, which is why we need to look for reasons to be optimistic about the present and the future. And certainly, with inflation finally coming down to pre-pandemic levels, with interest rates coming down as well, there’s a lot to feel optimistic about it, particularly when we look at the overall situation of our economy, which is predicted to grow faster than most of our peers, including faster than the United States next year, where we have the lowest deficit in the G7, we’re drawing in foreign direct investment to create jobs and opportunities in Canada at a faster rate than most of our other peer countries.

So, there’s lots of big reasons to be positive about the economy, but at the same time, Canadians are squeezed. People are hurting, people need direct help. And that’s why we’ve been stepping up as a government on many, many different initiatives that are making a huge difference in the cost of living for Canadian families. Here in P.E.I., child care has come down to $10 a day, we’ve created spaces that exist through great leadership and partnership with the Government of Prince Edward Island to actually deliver child care in a way that’s supporting Canadians here in P.E.I., but right across the country as well.

We’ve moved forward on a dental program that has already helped a million people, most of them seniors being able to access dental care, some for the first time in years, and it’s making a huge difference, both on the cost of living and on opportunities to stay healthy. We’ve made investments on a range of things, including most recently announcing that there’s going to be a significant tax holiday over the next two months as people won’t have to pay HST. That’s 15% off here on Prince Edward Island, that’s going to make a real difference on groceries, on restaurants, on toys, on kids’ clothes, on so many of the things that, as a families, we know add up really, really quickly.

So, we’re going to continue to step up, and today, we’re stepping up once again to announce that we’ve reached an agreement on the School Food Program with Prince Edward Island. We announced a billion dollars for a National School Food Program, which is all about putting that money directly in school food programs in school districts and schools right across the country. And the agreement we’ve come to with Prince Edward Island is focused on delivering thousands more nutritious meals to kids across the Island over the coming years.

It’s about $7 million over the next three years, that means more snacks, more breakfasts, more supports for more kids across the island. And that makes a huge difference, because we know that starting the school day with a full belly, being able to concentrate is so important not just now, but for years to come. I saw it personally when I was a teacher, what happens when kids don’t have full bellies, this is something that is really going to make a difference for them, but it also makes a difference for parents.

We all know how rushed we are in getting them out the door in the morning, throwing together a nutritious breakfast, giving them a lunch that’s going to sustain them for the day, these are some things that sometimes that sometimes we can’t quite get to. Sometimes the box of granola bars is empty when you reach for the fridge, sometimes you’re jammed and you’re not able to actually get everything together you want to. This is about knowing that there will be good, nutritious food that they can get if they need it, as they need it, at school. And for those who need it more, it’ll be there every day. This is about taking an extra pressure off parents, both in time in the mornings, but also save a family of four about $800 on groceries. These are things that really matter that we can step up on and deliver for people.

The National School Food Program will deliver school food to 400,000 more kids right across the country. These are concrete investments that will deliver for schools to help parents, and above all, kids.

The School Food Program adds to other programs we’ve stepped up on. Increasing the Canada Child Benefit that’s now up to about $7,700 per child as a maximum every year. This is doing a huge amount in lifting kids out of poverty and supporting the families who need it most with the Canada Child Benefit. We’re moving forward with the Canada Carbon Rebate, which actually takes money from the price on pollution and puts more money back in the pockets of middle-class families right across the country.

We’re continuing to step up on more and more people accessing dental care, we’re moving forward on pharmacare, we’re moving forward with this two-month tax break that Canadians are going to feel, particularly here in Atlantic Canada, where it’s 15% off with the HST combined. That’s going to make a big difference at a time where families are squeezed. And even the Working Canadians Rebate is going to deliver for hardworking folks who have gotten us through the pandemic, who got us through the inflation crisis, but need that little extra help as they’re supporting their families and their communities.