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Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to Rideau Cottage. You don’t need to be alarmed, we’re here because I need to be in lockdown, not because you necessarily need to be.
Today I want to talk to you about our plan to safely adjust our border measures, and what we’re continuing to do to support and protect people across the country.
Let’s start with the border.
Yesterday, we shared the first phase of our plan to safely ease our border measures for Canadians who are fully vaccinated.
To be considered fully vaccinated for travel, you must have received a full series of a vaccine, or a combination of two vaccines, at least 14 days before entering the country. And the vaccines you got must be approved in Canada.
As of July 5, Canadian travellers who have submitted proof of full vaccination will no longer have to quarantine at a hotel or at home.
They also won’t have to take a Day 8 test, but they will still need to complete mandatory testing both pre-arrival and once in the country.
Let me be clear.
This is the first step of what will be a gradual, careful plan to safely reopen to travel.
The pandemic is not over.
There’s still variants circulating around the world so there’s a number of important measures that need to stay in place for now.
For travellers who are partially vaccinated, the measures that are currently in place do not change.
And the travel restrictions for people from other countries are still in place.
I know many people are eager to travel, but reopening has to be done right and it has to be done carefully.
More and more Canadians are fully vaccinated and things will, slowly, become more normal.
One of the reasons we can start easing our border measures is because more and more Canadians are vaccinated every day.
Over 75 per cent of eligible Canadians have now received at least one shot and over 21 per cent are fully vaccinated.
We will have received a total of more than 50 million doses by the end of June and a total of over 68 million doses by the end of July.
On the topic of vaccines, I would like to acknowledge another piece of good news that was announced by Minister Champagne this morning.
The construction of the new Biologics Manufacturing Centre in Montréal is now complete, ahead of schedule.
This is an important step in rebuilding our vaccine production capacity here in Canada.
Whether it’s to produce vaccines for COVID‑19 – as needed – in the coming years, or to respond to another virus, we are making sure that we are better prepared for the future.
While we are working hard to protect Canadians now and in the future, we are also continuing our efforts to rebuild a Canada that is fairer for everyone, including persons with disabilities.
We know that people living with a disability are more likely to live below the poverty line, and the pandemic has made the situation even harder. Many people have lost their jobs.
So, if you are a person with a disability and you are having financial difficulties, know that we are continuing to take action to better support you.
This morning, Minister Qualtrough took an important step forward in creating a new Canada Disability Benefit.
This Benefit would supplement, not replace, existing supports.
The goal is to lift hundreds of thousands of people living with a disability out of poverty.
Yesterday marked the second anniversary of our government's ground-breaking Accessible Canada Act.
And today we’re moving forward to deliver on the first-ever Disability Inclusion Action Plan.
This plan will reduce poverty, help more people with disabilities get quality jobs, and make sure everyone can access federal programs and services.
Of course, provinces and territories play a lead role in providing supports and services to Canadians with disabilities.
Which is why we’re going to be continuing to work with them as partners.
I want to thank Carla for all of her outstanding work on this important file.
Together, we will continue to make sure that no one gets left behind as we rebuild from this pandemic.
Building a better Canada also means building a safer Canada – safe from COVID-19, but also safe from gun violence.
Today, Minister Blair will announce additional common‑sense measures that will help fight gun violence in Canada.
As of July 7, when someone applies for a firearms licence, the background check will cover their whole life instead of just the past five years.
We also strengthened oversight of how firearms are transported.
Other regulations tabled in Parliament yesterday make it a legal requirement for retailers to properly verify a buyer’s licence before making a sale, and to retain inventory and sales records for all firearms, including non-restricted ones.
This is the best practice for most reputable retailers, and it will help investigators trace firearms used in crimes.
These new measures are just one part of our plan to protect communities and Canadians.
Last year, we banned assault weapons.
We’re also fighting the illegal gun market by giving more tools to police and border officers.
And we continue to fund gang-prevention programs, with a focus on community-led initiatives.
In the last few days alone, we’ve seen heartbreaking gun violence in some of our cities.
No child should be caught in crossfire.
No community should be torn apart by tragedy.
It has to stop.
In 2019, for example, firearms were used in 40 per cent of murders in Canada.
We know that the presence of firearms in the home can increase the risk of femicide and suicide.
The new measures proposed this week, which include expanding background checks to cover a person’s whole life rather than the past five years, will help save lives.
And for our government, your safety is the most important thing.
Before wrapping up, I would like to talk about the session of Parliament that ends this week.
We have important bills to pass.
Yesterday, the House passed the bill to support our artists and require web giants to pay their fair share.
But there is still more to do to protect the environment and be carbon neutral by 2050, to defend LGBTQ2 communities by banning conversion therapy, and to support families and SMEs.
These are priorities for Canadians.
These are progressive Bills that will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians.
Thank you.