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Good afternoon.
It’s an honour to speak after Prime Minister Mulroney.
Brian, I’m glad I had the opportunity to chat a bit with you and Mila earlier.
Thank you for the introduction.
Of all the former prime ministers, it’s not easy to speak after Brian, but I promise I’ll try my best.
I’m glad to be joined by Ministers Fraser and Petitpas Taylor, who worked incredibly hard with organizers to make this event happen.
Ginette, as Minister responsible for ACOA, you’ve done great work helping the Atlantic economy grow.
Sean, not only do I get to visit your riding, but your alma mater!
Great to see other members of our Nova Scotia caucus, too.
Premier Houston, thanks for having us in your province. And Former Premier McKenna, Frank, it’s great to see you, as well.
President Hakin, Andy, it’s an honour to be here at St. Francis Xavier University.
Before I begin, I want to offer my condolences to the community of Dauphin, Manitoba. Fifteen people died as a result of Thursday’s bus crash, with many others in hospital.
We are feeling for the family, friends, neighbours and all the loved ones of the victims.
And I know that the people of Canada are keeping you in their thoughts and in their hearts.
Dauphin is a small community, like Antigonish. Communities like this are strong.
It’s the people that make them so.
And when we support people, and believe in them, people can be there for their communities.
That’s what Brian Mulroney did four decades ago when his government created the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
It was an act of faith in the economic future of Atlantic Canada, an act that recognized the untapped potential of Atlantic Canadians.
And likewise, he saw the potential of all of Canada when he signed NAFTA.
Brian, you and I are now both members of a very small club that knows what a juggernaut negotiating NAFTA is.
Actually, you know it better than me because you’ve done it twice.
A few years ago, when NAFTA was re-opened, you were so invaluable to me, to Team Canada, and to all Canadians.
This trade deal has delivered extraordinary growth and millions of jobs, but we shouldn’t take it for granted.
There will be a mandatory review of it in 2026, and with a presidential election between now and then, we’re going to have to stay on top of things.
So Brian, we’re going to need all hands on deck, just like last time, no matter who the President is.
Because we can never stop making sure we are getting the best possible deal for Canadians, and for their future.
Today, we’re here to look at how we can unlock economic growth for the next four decades, and beyond.
And, let’s be honest, this is a very consequential moment.
To put it in terms people around here know well: We need to look at the future horizon with clear eyes and set our sails accordingly.
The impacts of climate change are becoming more and more costly, even as people are still struggling with inflation and are looking to leaders, in government and in business, to make sure that the benefits of economic growth are being shared fairly.
Putin’s brutal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine continues to impact global food and energy prices.
I was in Ukraine last week and I addressed their national legislature and reaffirmed that we will stand with Ukraine with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.
In this moment, it is critical that we all recognize that economic policy is security policy is climate policy is social policy.
We need to meet this moment, and make sure our economy is positioned to thrive in this future.
Here’s the great news –Atlantic Canada has all the right ingredients to succeed.
Many of you will recall that it was in Stephenville, Newfoundland and Labrador, that our government signed the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance last year.
This deal will see Canadian companies exporting clean, renewable hydrogen to Germany as soon as 2025, creating great middle-class jobs and strong economies everywhere in this region.
Exporting clean energy means that we also have to produce and deliver clean energy here at home.
In Nova Scotia, you have the expertise and the resources, and you have winds that blow all the time and some of the strongest tides on the planet.
Last summer, I was here to announce an investment in a series of wind turbines – and batteries to store the clean energy they produce – enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes with affordable electricity.
Prince Edward Island runs almost entirely by renewable energy and is a leader in wind energy. This isn’t just keeping the air clean; it’s keeping home energy bills low.
Currently, in Canada, almost 84 per cent of our electricity is already generated from non-emitting sources.
But we have to get to 100 per cent by 2035. Both for future generations and for great jobs now.
And that last 16 per cent will be challenging and will require us to work together.
We need to get off coal to eliminate its harmful emissions.
And I don’t have to tell you why:
The East Coast has been profoundly affected by the impacts of climate change.
Last year, Hurricane Fiona devasted communities in all provinces, and this June’s forest fires have been terrifying and costly.
Just a few hours ago, I had the opportunity to see firsthand some of the impacts down in Hammond Plains, chat with first responders, community members who lost their homes, lost their pets, and were heartbroken and devastated.
But the one thing I was hearing from those first responders, even as I was thanking them for their heroism and their incredible dedication, was concerns about next time, being prepared for the future, having the right equipment, having the right communications protocols, making sure that people are better ready to respond.
Because, yes, this has been one of the worst forest fires in history, but people know that extreme weather events are going to continue to happen, with increasing frequency, and we all need to both step up and be prepared for them--even as we minimize the impacts they'll be having decades from now on our kids and grandkids right across the country.
I know that all of you in this room, as business people, also understand the solid business case for clean power:
In this day and age, a clean grid is absolutely essential for drawing in major investments.
As the global marketplace races towards net-zero, investors are flocking to regions where the energy that is generated and transmitted doesn’t pollute.
We saw it with Volkswagen’s historic decision to build their first-ever overseas EV battery plant here in Canada, in St. Thomas, Ontario.
The company looked carefully across North America and one of the reasons they came here was because, in their mission to build clean cars, they are making sure their manufacturing uses clean electricity.
We want to see investment like this coming to Atlantic Canada, too.
This is what our commitment to building the Atlantic Loop is all about.
Just think of it, the East Coast could be a clean energy powerhouse.
And we want to help you make this happen.
Because not only is it the fastest and most cost-efficient way to get off coal, it will also make sure that the Atlantic Region has power to meet growing electricity demands.
In this year’s budget, we announced a 15 per cent refundable tax credit for clean electricity generation, storage, and transmission projects between provinces.
We’re also making major clean electricity investments through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, including science-based offshore wind projects here on the East Coast, in addition to funding for the Atlantic Loop.
Let’s be clear, getting off coal is not just climate policy, it’s economic policy.
I know all of you here have looked at what’s happening in the U.S. and in Europe and understand this economic imperative.
We have a plan to grow a competitive economy with great jobs, here and right across the country.
It uses powerful tax incentives, targeted investments, and a predictable price on pollution that returns money to families – people here will be getting their first rebates starting in just a few weeks.
By setting this economic policy framework, we are attracting investments and driving clean innovation that makes us competitive in the global race for clean solutions.
It’s important that we work together, including with the provinces and territories, to make sure Atlantic Canada has every competitive advantage possible.
And that’s what I’ve talked to all four premiers about, so that we can give companies in the region a leg up and make sure that there are great jobs here, not just today but for decades to come.
We’ve got a great example of what investing in the clean economy can mean for workers right here in Nova Scotia.
In March, I visited the Michelin plant over in Bridgewater. Plants like this are the lifeblood of small communities.
And we’ve all seen the hurt that follows if they close.
Keeping them going is about supporting these communities, and the workers who are at the heart of it all.
For three generations, Canadian workers have made it one of the top performing facilities in the world.
Workers like Jason, who is a repairman, and Nataliia, who got a job at the plant after coming to Canada from Ukraine a decade ago
Our investment will not only reduce emissions at the plant, but also modernize operations so they can help meet the global demand for EV tires.
Workers and the surrounding community rely on the factory remaining strong.
Because of our investments, Jason, his co-workers, and the 9,000-person strong community of Bridgewater can count on good stable jobs for the next generation.
Nataliia actually came to Ottawa in March and was in the House of Commons when President Biden visited.
This is just another way your community and your voices resonate in Ottawa.
One of the things we need to always remember is that economic growth isn’t just about a big number on the bottom line.
It’s about creating opportunities for people and giving them a future to believe in, to invest in.
So they, in turn, can invest in their communities.
Take our government’s commitment to affordable early learning and child care, for example.
We launched this program two years ago, and one province in the region – kudos to Newfoundland and Labrador – has already reached the target of $10 a day.
And I know that the others have already managed to cut fees in half.
Thanks to this initiative, not only are families saving a lot of money, but women’s participation in the workforce is at an all-time high in Canada.
This means more workers, more money for families and more opportunities for everyone.
We're also making major investments in public health care, including primary care.
No matter where you live or what you earn, you should be able to get the care you deserve.
And we’re also setting up a national dental care program.
And we are working to build a national dental care program to make sure care is affordable for everyone. Already, the Canada Dental Benefit has helped over 300,000 kids get healthier smiles.
Programs like health care, dental care, and child care create the social stability that helps our economies grow.
These aren’t just social policies; they are economic policies.
When I talk to major investors from around the world, they tell me that Canada has the best workers in the world.
Because, in addition to being one of the best-educated countries in the world, we have a social safety net that ensures that Canadians are healthy and well supported.
Our strong middle class is the reason that companies from around the world want to invest here.
And this is a self-reinforcing policy, because not only does it attract investments that further strengthen the middle class, it’s also helping Canada attract global talent, that again, gives investors confidence in our potential.
Canada is now the fastest growing country in the G7, number one in terms of population and number two, only to the US, in terms of economic growth.
And already we’ve had higher than expected GDP growth in Q1.
Strong population growth is helping fuel economic growth, and Atlantic Canada is proof of that.
Halifax, Charlottetown, and Moncton led the country in population growth in 2022.
And since 2015, Atlantic Canada’s overall population has grown by over 160,000 people, 15,000 of whom are immigrants.
The programs and services Canada is providing is also helping newcomers thrive here and contribute to the Atlantic economy.
We’ve seen incredible renewal in this region over the decades since ACOA was created.
This is the legacy of Prime Minister Mulroney and Dr. Donald Savoie and we can all be grateful for what their vision accomplished.
Brian, earlier today, I delivered, to you, the original report that established ACOA, to be preserved for the future here at Mulroney Hall.
In the cover letter that Dr. Donald Savoie wrote, he declared that you had put together the most comprehensive plan to promote economic development in Atlantic Canada we had ever seen.
In 2016, our government launched the Atlantic Growth Strategy, to further revitalize the region.
Today, we see the success of these initiatives as the East Coast has become:
A place with great colleges and universities, like St. FX, that are doing leading research;
A place teeming with start-ups;
A place that is attracting talent from all over the world;
A place that is more diverse and full of opportunity than ever.
One of the great Canadian stories of the past eight years comes from right here in Antigonish.
The story of a Syrian refugee – yes, a lot of you probably know where I’m going with this – who came to Canada after his family’s chocolate factory was bombed.
Tareq Hadhad arrived in 2016, and with his expertise, founded a new chocolate company, Peace by Chocolate.
They got support from ACOA and has now created many jobs right here in town.
This is not just the story of Tareq, or of Antigonish. This is the story of Canada;
A country that is welcoming;
A country that invests in people;
A country that not just sees the future but seizes it;
A country where everyone has a real and fair chance at success;
A country that is rooted in community.
Throughout our history, Canadian political leadership has never lost sight of that.
Today that’s more important than ever.
We have enormous challenges ahead of us.
Climate, war, supply chains, global inflation – we need to take a realistic approach to meet these challenges.
And we need to put people at the centre of what we do.
We need to meet the challenges of today with strength and optimism, not despair and anger.
We need to be fiscally responsible, yes, but at the same time, we need to be unrelentingly ambitious to seize every opportunity we can for our workers and for our economy.
There seem to be two kinds of politicians today: those who want to burn things down. And those, more Brian Mulroney was, who want to build things up.
Our government is, and always will be, focused on how we can invest in people and in the future of their communities.
And that’s what we’ll continue to do every day to help the Atlantic Canadian economy keep growing, ensure that every region of the country prospers, and help build an economy that works for all Canadians.
Thank you.