Look, it’s always a good day when you wake up on Prince Edward Island. It’s true; you’re here. And today is an especially good day, it’s a big day. So I want to get… I want to get right to it. One of the reasons, seven months ago, that I decided to run for Parliament was to bring Canadians closer together so that we could build Canada strong. 

And back in early February, when I visited Charlottetown, had those conversations with Heath, with Sean, with Lawrence, with Bobby – Lawrence MacAulay at the time, the Kent MacDonald of his day, Lawrence MacAulay – had those conversations. And that caucus made this point to me and I made a promise then, obviously to Islanders, but to all Atlantic Canadians that we would cut the tolls on the Confederation Bridge to $20, and that we would cut the fares on the Eastern Ferries and Marine Atlantic in half. And today, we’re making good on those promises.

(Applause)

And we’re doing that to bring Atlantic Canada closer together, to bring Canadians closer together. There’s around 3,000 vehicles crossing Confederate Bridge on average every single day, it’s a million vehicles every year. And each time drivers leave PEI on the bridge – I don’t know why they’d leave PEI on the bridge, but they have to go – they’re paying over $50 right now. For trucks, the toll’s even higher, and those trucks are often driving back and forth multiple times during the day to transport goods. 

And the Eastern Ferry Service and the Marine Atlantic are essential transportation corridors between the Island, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. And there’s over 2,500 people, 1,200 vehicles, both passengers and commercial, that take those routes every single day.

And the costs of the bridge and the ferry don’t just fall on tourists like Angelo; they hit his family, they hit Islanders. Angelo’s staying an extra day – I’m going to tell you-… I’m going to tell you why he’s staying –…

(Laughter)

… They hit Islanders, Newfoundlanders, Nova Scotians, New Brunswickers and Quebeckers, and Canadians commuting to work or visiting family and friends. They make it more expensive for businesses of all sizes.

Canadians have been dealing with a cost of living crisis for a few years now, and the new Government of Canada remains focused on lowering costs so that Canadians can keep more of their heard-earned money and businesses can prosper. 

If we’re going to build a stronger, more united economy – and we are doing that – we are going to need to make it more affordable to travel around this country for people and for businesses, and that’s what we’re doing today. As of August 1, the day Angelo and his family are now leaving the Island…

(Laughter)

…Canada’s new government is reducing the toll for all vehicles on the Confederation Bridge by more than half, from $50.25 to $20.

(Applause)

And we’re reducing the tariffs, the fares, by 50% for passengers, for vehicles, for commercial traffic on Eastern Ferries, those Eastern Ferries that are federally supported, and funding Marine Atlantic to reduce its passenger fares by 50% on both routes (inaudible).

(Applause)

So, this is big, you know, it’s big money. Combined, this is going to save users approximately $100 million, and that’s $100 million that can go back into our economy year after year, savings that will get funnelled back into local businesses, that’ll catalyze new investment and forge deeper connections. For example, the reductions to the Marine Atlantic fares in Newfoundland and Labrador alone are expected to bring over $28 million into that province’s economy and boost out-of-town, out-of-province tourism. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats.

(Applause)

The new Government of Canada has been given the mandate to build a stronger economy, a stronger Canada, an affordable Canada. To do this, we must first ensure that everyone has the resources they need.

On day one in government, we cancelled the consumer carbon tax, so it’s a lot less expensive to drive cars in Canada this summer. Our first order of business in the House of Commons following the election was to cut taxes for all Canadians, including the middle class, to reduce the costs of housing for first-time homebuyers, making the goal of homeownership a reality for many Canadians. These measures provide immediate relief for hard-working Canadians, but the brighter future that Canadians deserve requires much more. And that’s why we’re transforming our national economy, we’re moving from reliance to resilience, from potential to prosperity. 

And a big part of this transformation is to bring the country closer together, because economies are additive of one another. When we connect regional economies through travel and trade, they’re stronger than the sum of their parts. That’s what we’ve been doing with our One Canadian Economy Act, which is eliminating all federal barriers to the movement of goods and people. And I want to thank the Minister of Transport, who’s also the Minister of Internal Trade, Chrystia Freeland, for leading that effort. And we’re working with the provinces and territories, now under Premier Lantz’s chairship, to remove far more significant barriers that exist between provinces, and there’s huge progress being made on that.

We can give ourselves more than any foreign government could ever take away from us. When we create a single Canadian economy instead of 13, we are stronger. That is the ultimate goal when we remove internal trade barriers, when we build large projects – like the Confederation Bridge – that connect our country, when we make crossing this bridge more affordable for Canadians and businesses.

When we make it more affordable to travel between provinces, we increase mobility across the region, we build a stronger Atlantic Canada, and with more opportunity and greater prosperity. And that’s exactly why we’re also focused on building major projects, such as new energy and trade corridors that will connect our provincial and territorial economies and create new links between Canada and the rest of the world, to build Canada strong. Nation-building projects that will create high-paying careers and turbocharge our industries of the future, from agriculture – close to Heath’s heart and my heart – agriculture to artificial intelligence. 

Look, I’ll finish by observing, and I have to observe on a day like this, I’ve been fortunate in so many ways, including being here on Prince Edward Island on a gorgeous summer day. Today’s announcement will mean more Canadians can see more of Atlantic Canada. And so all Canadians, families can have the chance to enjoy our beautiful country this summer, we’ve also created the Canada Strong Pass so families can visit our national parks, our museums, our galleries, and our historical sites for free. It allows Canadians to take the VIA Rail through the Rockies with their kids at a lower cost, drive across Confederation Bridge to see Cavendish Beach in PEI National Park – where I’m headed right after this, I might add.

Or, when you go back, visit the Village Historique Acadien so your kids can learn about the Great Upheaval – and today is the Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval – and Acadians’ incredible and resilient history, as I had the chance to do yesterday.

We, as Canadians are fortunate to live in the greatest country in the world. It’s also-… this is true. Yeah, yeah. 

(Applause)

It’s also one of the largest countries in the world, and with today’s announcement, we’re bringing it a bit closer together as Canadians come together to build Canada strong. Thank you very much. Thank you. 

(Applause)