Thank you, Bob, for that kind introduction and those kind words and thank you all for this incredibly warm welcome today.

Bob, you’ve talked about how your employees as a diverse, creative, innovative workforce are the secret to your success. Well, I can reassure you that, yes, taking a little time off this morning to motivate them is going to allow them to work even more effectively for the rest of the day.

And from the smiles on the faces here I know that’s definitely true.

I want to thank everyone for being here today and I want to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Woodbridge on being named one of Canada’s best-managed companies.

I’ve heard for a long time about the incredible work that the Woodbridge Group does for quite sometime now, so you can imagine how excited I was to get the full tour. This organization has proven its ability to innovate and compete on the global market. And when you ask people like Bob what lies at the very heart of Woodbridge’s success, the answer is simple: it’s people. The women and men who work at Woodbridge are the ones who have made this place what it is today. That’s the kind of thinking that this government shares because, like you, we know that Canada’s greatest strength is our people.

In March we presented our second budget, the next step in our ambitious plan to grow the economy and create more opportunities for the middle class and those working hard to join it. And with Budget 2017, we’ve chosen to put people first while taking into account the changing realities and demands of today’s economy.

As we all know, every aspect of our lives has been changed by innovation, advances in technology. This forces us to adapt and do things differently. There is no doubt that these changes have created unprecedented opportunities for Canadians, but also major challenges that cannot be ignored. Across the country, we have heard young people who are worried that they won’t be able to find jobs once they’ve finished their education. We’ve also heard from those already on the job market who are concerned that their job might disappear as a result of automation. These fears are founded.

Innovation and technological advances have led to considerable changes, and it’s a source of concern for many. That is why we have decided to invest in skills training to give Canadians the tools they need to succeed in the current economic climate.

We are doing things like creating new internship opportunities so that kids can get the work experience that they need for a competitive job market.  And we’re offering more support to parents who want to return to school and upgrade their skills so they can get the training they need while providing for their families. With our diverse, creative, and skilled workforce Canada has the potential to become a global innovation leader and we’re taking meaningful steps to get us there.

We’re making smart, targeted investments in key sectors including the auto industry and other sectors of strategic importance. Our recent commitments to major auto manufacturers like Honda and Ford are examples of just that. We intend to continue investing in this sector to help companies like Woodbridge grow. If we are to position Canada as a leader of the global economy, we need to make sure that entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need to bring their ideas to life and turn them into thriving businesses.

We’ve launched a global skills strategy that will help Canadian companies bring the talent necessary to grow their businesses while also making it easier for global companies to settle in Canada. These entrepreneurs will in turn create more of the good, well-paying, middle-class jobs for Canadians across the country, and our kids will be ready to seize those opportunities. That’s how we will help build an economy that works for everyone.

Once again, I want to thank you all for the amazingly warm welcome here today and all of the incredible work that you do.

I’m happy to take your questions now.  

Thank you very much everyone.