Yesterday, I was down the road in Vancouver to launch our 2024 budget. It was a great announcement about how we're going to make the economy fairer, fairer for every generation. We talked about key housing measures supporting renters because we know that having a place you can afford is a foundation of our economy. But another part of that foundation of a fairer economy, a part that Canadians have always taken great pride in, is a strong social safety net. That promise that we will take care of each other, that we invest in each other and we make sure that everyone gets a fair shot.

That means dental care, where we help people afford to go to the dentist. It means a pharmacare plan that will give millions of people access to free prescription contraceptives and insulin.

It's about how, no matter your income, your health, where you live or what you earn, you have support for the essential facts of life, and no matter your age. That's what our Canada-wide $10-a-day childcare plan is all about. It's support that starts at the youngest age, it's giving every kid the best start in life because we know that access to high quality child care can help them do better in school and is a building block to success in life. It supports young parents so that they can afford to give their kids the best shot and afford to keep building good careers at the same time that they want and that can leave their family better off. It supports everyone in the economy, it's estimated that for every dollar invested in child care, the economy gets $2.80 in return.

Well, three years ago, in Budget 2021, we made a generational investment in child care. I want to take another moment to recognize the leadership of the government of British Columbia on this initiative. We signed the first affordable child care agreement with them and today we're announcing that as part of last year's budget, we're investing in new child care spaces for B.C. families. That investment combined with the investments and hard work of the province, means that families across the province are saving up to $6,600 per year, per child, or even more if you already have a space that's reached $10-a-day.

Accessible, affordable child care gives families greater opportunities. All across the country, it now costs less to send kids to daycare, and the money that’s saved can be used for coping with inflation and the cost of living.

The federal government continues to make sure affordable child care is delivering for families, so are a lot of provincial partners because families are counting on us. And in this year's upcoming budget we're going to make investments to expand and grow the program. We'll do this by providing over $1 billion in low-cost loans and grants directly to public and non-profit child care providers.

This funding will be through CMHC, a common-sense approach that will help child care be developed alongside housing, helping us build liveable, accessible communities. We’ve funded 100,000 spaces so far, and we're going to keep going. We're also going to be supporting the amazing early childhood educators who care for our youngest Canadians by increasing training opportunities for them and by increasing student loan forgiveness for those who choose to work in rural and remote communities. That means more affordable spaces and more access in more communities across the country.

I want to take a moment to talk to young moms, many of you millennials. You've grown up with so many pressures in this economy; the 2008 recession, COVID, climate change. You're a huge part of the economy and we want to make sure that everyone, especially moms raising kids, has the best chance to succeed and thrive.

We've invested in creating more child care spaces across Canada so that there are well-trained educators in more communities. We're doing this so that all families get a fair shot at success. Affordable child care isn't just about social policy, it's economic policy, and it's what we do to support workers. And that's what attracts investment from all over the world. For us, it's very clear that the prosperity of our workers promotes the prosperity of our businesses and our economy, so everyone benefits.

We all depend on Canada's future success, and Canada's success depends on the youngest generations doing well. As Canada grows, as families grow, we want to make sure more kids can access high-quality child care. Everyone deserves success, whether you're a six-month-old with a wonderful early childhood educator or a parent who gets to go to a job they love, or a grandparent watching your family thrive, that's what fairness for every generation is all about. Thank you very much,