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Hello, everyone.

Today, I want to talk about vaccines and what we’re doing to rebuild after this pandemic.

I also want to talk about the measures we’re taking to continue moving forward on the path of reconciliation.

Let’s start with vaccines.

I can now confirm that Canada will receive over two million doses of the Pfizer vaccine every week until the end of August.

Following our shipments this month, that means more than nine million doses arriving in July, and another 9.1 million in August.

Given the demand for these vaccines, we’ve also negotiated an option for three million more Pfizer doses to be delivered in September.

We’ll keep getting shipments secured until everyone can get their shots.

At the pace we’re going, that target is well within reach.

Sixty-five percent of eligible Canadians have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

That makes Canada the G20 country with the highest percentage of the population with a first shot.

That is really encouraging because the more people are vaccinated, the safer we all are and the closer we all get to being through this crisis.

In other words, you have reason to be hopeful about this summer and this fall.

So let’s start looking forward to more of what we love, from camping to dinner with friends.

Vaccines are our path to better days.

Yesterday, I had a chance to sit down with volunteers from the “Faster, Together” campaign – a group that brings together leaders from business and industry to unions and every walk of life – to encourage people across the country to get vaccinated.

They’re doing great work, and we’re here to support this kind of initiative.

We’re all working toward the same goal.

Speaking of working together, today, I also want to talk about another very important topic: reconciliation.

This has been a painful week for so many Indigenous people and communities across the country.

On Wednesday, Minister Bennett announced funding that is ready to be deployed immediately to support survivors, families, and communities harmed by the terrible wrongs of the residential school system.

Twenty-seven million dollars are now available to Indigenous communities to find and honour children who died at these institutions.

This is something that communities have asked for, and we’ve long been here to support that.

Of course, we also know that residential schools were only one piece of a larger, colonial system.

And the work to right these wrongs, both past and present, is far from over.

Yesterday, the National Action Plan was presented in response to the final report of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

As part of this plan, we also launched our contribution, the Federal Pathway that outlines what our government will do to address the calls of the final report.

We are accelerating our work and our investments to improve the lives of Indigenous peoples, all while working in partnership.

In 2015, this was the reality:

Indigenous kids were receiving on average only two thirds of their share of funding for education as compared to non-Indigenous students.

There was under-investment in schools on-reserve across the country.

Zero Jordan’s Principle requests were granted.

And no serious work was done on lifting long-term drinking water advisories.

In the years since, we have made progress.

Since 2015, about 33,000 kids now have new or better schools to learn in.

We’ve supported over 828,000 requests through Jordan’s Principle for what kids need to stay healthy.

We have implemented equity on funding for K-12 education for Indigenous students, including to ensure kids finally have access to language and culture education guided by local priorities.

And across the country, we have made progress to close the gaps that have existed for too long, including lifting more than 100 long-term drinking water advisories.

And these are just a few examples of what we have accomplished.

Just this week, in Parliament, we officially created the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

We’ve moved forward so that our citizenship oath now includes recognition of Indigenous peoples.

And the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has made it through the House and I call on the Senate to ensure that it passes very soon.

Overall, 80% of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action that fall under our government’s responsibility are completed or well underway.

This is progress, but there’s much more to do.

That’s why we’re giving more control to Indigenous communities over healthcare, as well as making sure there are fewer Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system.

Indigenous peoples across this country should feel safe and respected, and should have a real and fair chance at success.

Together, that is the future we must all build.

Finally, I want to talk about this morning’s news that the economy lost 68,000 jobs in May, particularly part-time jobs, because of the third wave.

If you lost your job, we’re here for you.

The wage subsidy, the stronger and more flexible EI, the Canada Recovery Benefit – those were designed for you.

We have your back, as long as this crisis lasts.

We’re focused on beating this pandemic and making sure everyone comes roaring back.

Thank you.