THE RIGHT HONOURABLE JUSTIN TRUDEAU (Prime Minister of Canada): Hello everyone. Thank you for being with us today.

It’s great to be here in beautiful Shelburne, at the ‘Out And About’ Day Camp. And I’m glad our MP for South Shore – St.Margaret’s, Bernadette Jordan, could join us today. Thanks for being here Bernadette. Thank you for all the great work you do here in the community. I want to also highlight Colin Fraser who came down the road to see us as well. Thank you for all the work you guys are doing this summer, connecting with the communities, but summer is going to be over soon enough, and we’ll have you back in Ottawa. So, enjoy every minute of it. I know I am. When this is work, I’m doing great.

This week, I’ve been visiting communities in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia to chat with folks about an important, exciting new initiative put in place by our government twelve months ago this week. I’m talking about the Canada Child Benefit.  Now, many of you know what this benefit is all about, but it bears repeating because it really is making a difference in peoples’ lives. You see, the old system used to be set up so that all parents who had kids received help from the government, and that sounds good in theory, but in reality we had a bunch of millionaires getting cheques every month that they didn’t need, while a single parent, or lower income family still struggled to get by. Well, we didn’t think that was right. In our minds, the folks who need help should get it, and those who don’t shouldn’t. It’s as simple as that.

So we decided to correct the old system, and a year ago, parents started receiving the new Canada Child Benefit. This new monthly consolidated benefit is a tax‑free monthly payment. It is more generous and fairer than the old system. And millionaires no longer receive child benefit cheques.  

And the impact on families across the country, including here in Shelburne, has been significant. Whether you’re using Canada Child Benefit to buy groceries, enroll your kids in summer camp, or help cover childcare costs, we see the CCB being put to good use. I mean, let’s face it, raising kids is expensive.... It’s really expensive. So if we can help put some extra money back into the pockets of parents each and every month, we’re going to do that, because we believe in helping families get ahead while also growing our communities.

The CCB means more money for nine out of ten Canadian families, and it means 300,000 fewer kids living in poverty across this country. Our government is working hard to make life better for Canada’s middle class, and those working hard to join it. And the CCB is just one more way we’re proud to deliver.