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Hello everyone.

Thank you, Seamus.

You – and everyone here from our team – are incredibly strong voices for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and for all Canadians.

Obviously it’s great to be joined today by Premier Furey as well. Andrew, it’s always good to see you, and mostly work with you on the issues facing not just Newfoundland and Labrador but the entire country. It’s great to have a friend and ally around the federation table.

Thanks as well to Justin Ladha and the St. John’s Board of Trade for organizing this event, and all of you, thank you for joining us this afternoon. More than ever, we need your leadership as we rebuild a stronger economy for everyone.

We’re all looking forward to the moment when this pandemic is behind us once and for all.

One of the things I’ve missed the most is being able to sit down with people like you, especially in Newfoundland and Labrador where I’ve experienced your hospitality in every corner of the province over the past many years.

The good news is those days will be back soon.   

I know that Premier Furey, last week, shared his plan to reopen safely, and that the province aims to be ready to start welcoming visitors again on Canada Day.

That’s great, and other provinces are reopening, too.

With over seventy percent of eligible Canadians having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, we’re well on the way to getting back to a more normal life.

It just goes to show that when we all work together as one Team Canada, we get things done.

But, of course, I’m not here to talk about vaccines. I’ve done plenty of that in the past few months.

Today, my friends, I want to focus on how we keep working as a team to rebuild a stronger economy and grow the middle class in our cities and rural communities.  

During this crisis and after it, our government will always be there for workers, businesses of all sizes, and entrepreneurs.

In the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with small business owners, like many of you, who have told me how difficult the year has been.

As I have said many times: You are the heart of our communities and we are there for you.

In the past year, I’ve heard from small business owners that programs like the Canada Emergency Business Account have been a lifeline. Well, we’re not going to cut help while people still need it. To make sure that businesses and workers alike continue to get the support they need, in our 2021 Budget, we extended the rent subsidy and the wage subsidy until September.

This means millions of jobs will continue to be protected while our economy reopens.

While we reopen, it’s also important to make sure businesses aren’t afraid to hire workers.

That’s why we’re introducing the new Canada Recovery Hiring Program for eligible employers that continue to be hard-hit by the pandemic.

The faster we get people back to work, the faster we will all recover.

During this crisis, we knew that we had to respond to the specific needs of different parts of our economy.

So when I say that our government is here for all workers, that includes fishery workers, too.

Last year, we created the Fish Harvester Benefit and Grant Program to help fisheries keep employees on the payroll.

Not only are we here to support the fishing industry during the pandemic, we’re thinking of the future as well.

For example, it probably comes as no surprise to many of you that ninety percent of Canadian seafood goes through small craft harbours. Harvesters depend on this infrastructure to support themselves and their families. That’s why we’ll invest over the next two years to repair, renew, and replace small craft harbours.

Fish harvesters put good food on our tables. They support Newfoundland and Labrador’s economy, and we’re going to continue to be there for them.  

Of course, just like we’re there for fishery workers, we’ve also got the backs of workers in the energy sector.

Look, I know this pandemic has been particularly hard for workers in the offshore.

A lot of people who thought they would work in the offshore until they retired were forced to change their plans because of COVID-19.

A job is a way to put food on the table, but it’s also part of someone’s identity, and part of a community’s identity.

We get that.

We will continue to support this industry as it evolves, and be there for the proud, hard-working people who are part of it.

Just this year, we made significant investments to maintain jobs and lower emissions in the offshore. And, last month, we announced funding for projects to innovate emissions reduction technology, which is key to building a cleaner future.

But the energy sector in your province doesn’t only mean offshore rigs.  

Newfoundland and Labrador’s hydroelectricity potential is huge.

Our government has committed to working with the province to ensure the Muskrat Falls project remains on stable financial footing.

In December, the first phase of the restructuring process was completed and we appointed Serge Dupont to coordinate efforts across governments to create a lasting solution, and to advise on next steps to support the Atlantic Loop.

We’re working closely with Premier Furey and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to find a path forward on this important project.

There’s still a lot of work to do, but the bottom line is this: our government will continue supporting clean energy initiatives that create good jobs for the middle class.

And while we support clean innovation for industries and workers, we support it for families, too.

I think of something like the Canada Greener Homes Grant, which we launched just two weeks ago.

To explain what this means for Canadian homeowners, Seamus even shot a video with Newfoundland’s own Randy from Rock Solid Builds. Seamus, it looked like you’ve done TV before.

We also met Mike and Jessica from Pasadena who are looking for a new heat pump to help them cut their energy bills.

Programs like this will put more money in people’s pockets, all while strengthening our economy as we rebuild, but I don’t have to tell you that.  

You already know that replacing doors, windows, and old furnaces creates opportunities in our communities, and strengthens our supply chains to build even more jobs for the middle class.

In the coming year, this initiative is expected to create 110,000 jobs all across the country.

And it’s just one part of our plan to create 1 million jobs.

This kind of initiative is good for the economy, good for the middle class, and good for the environment. It’s a win-win-win, and that’s what building back better is all about.  

When I talk about a better future, I’m also talking about a future where we’re in good financial health as a country and as communities.

I know that the province’s fiscal situation has understandably been on a lot of people’s minds.

On that note, I saw what’s in the Greene report, and the first steps outlined in the Budget tabled on Monday. There’s a lot of hard work ahead, but just like Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were there to support their fellow Canadians by sending medical teams to Ontario during the third wave, we’re going to be there for you, too.

Part of making sure we’re well-positioned for the future is continuing to grow our tech sector.

One thing I know is that Canadians have a lot of ideas and creativity to offer the rest of the world.

And to be future leaders in the technology sector, young people need to have the tools required to maintain a leading edge.

This is why we will invest so that more young people can learn to code, regardless of where they are in the country.

Like I said, the world is changing fast. And that’s something that all of the small and medium-sized business owners here today know better than anyone.

To make sure you can keep pace, we’re launching the Canada Digital Adoption Program. This program will help with everything from expanding your customer base with an online store, to getting the expertise you need to improve your use of technology.

Of course, through all of this, we will not forget the tourism sector.

We know how important tourism is for economy of the Atlantic provinces.

Many tourists can’t wait to rediscover the rich history and unique culture of St. John’s, and the entire province, as soon as it is safe to do so.

Earlier, I mentioned Premier Furey’s plan to have Newfoundland and Labrador start greeting visitors again this summer.

It’s been an incredibly tough year for the tourism industry, but with the right support, things will start looking up. For example, we’ll be there for festivals and community events. When it will be safe to have them again, this will help draw visitors to communities and create jobs for everyone from vendors and technicians, to people who work for small seasonal businesses.

We’re all looking forward to our communities coming back to life.

We still have a lot of work to do but the future is bright.

Whether it’s the initiatives I mentioned today, or our support for projects like the Newfoundland-Labrador fixed transportation link, we’ll continue to be here for you. 

Together, we will make sure our economy comes roaring back.

And together, we will rebuild a cleaner, more prosperous Canada for everyone.

Thank you my friends.