Minister of Transport highlights budget investments to make life more affordable

News release

March 30, 2023           Scarborough, Ontario             Transport Canada

Today, the Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, was in Scarborough to highlight Budget 2023’s investments in making life more affordable.

Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID-19 recession. Canada’s economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today, 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic, including 361,600 in Ontario. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, our unemployment rate is near its record low, and supported by our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and childcare, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached at a record high of 85.7 per cent in February.

Budget 2023 builds on this important progress.

Groceries are more expensive today, and for many Canadians, higher prices on essential goods are causing undue stress. To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 delivers the new Grocery Rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most. On average, it will help vulnerable people put more affordable food on the table by providing up to an additional $467 for eligible couples with children; an additional $234 for single Canadians without children; and an additional $225 for seniors.

Ensuring that Canadians receive affordable goods on time is essential. Canada’s transportation supply chains play a critical role in our economy in enabling our businesses to move their products to ensure timely access to goods. Budget 2023 acknowledges the need to mitigate vulnerabilities in our supply chains through targeted investments including $27 million over five years to establish a Transportation Supply Chain Office. The Supply Chain Office will work in collaboration with industry to respond to disruptions and better coordinate action to increase the capacity, efficiency, and reliability of Canada’s transportation supply chain infrastructure. Strengthening Canada’s supply chain will help keep money in Canadians pockets and contribute towards building an economy that works for everyone.

With a responsible fiscal plan that will see Canada maintain the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, Budget 2023 will help to build a Canada that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable for people from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Quotes

“Across the country, Canadians are calling for actions to make life more affordable, and that is exactly why our government is taking steps to improve the performance of our transportation supply chains. Budget 2023 provides a concrete plan with strategic investments to ensure our transportation and supply chain are resilient and reliable, bringing goods to our communities and enabling our businesses to export their products around the world. With the creation of the new Supply Chain Office and the Grocery Rebate, we are directly tackling the rising cost of living and helping to put money back in the pockets of Canadians.”

The Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport

“I hear from Scarborough residents every day how it seems everything is getting more expensive. And it’s forcing families to make difficult choices to stretch every pay cheque as far as they can. Anything we can do to bring prices down, and keep more dollars in the pockets of those families that need it the most, is a big help. Measures such as the Grocery Rebate will help many Scarborough families, and as a government we will remain laser-focused on affordability.”

Salma Zahid
Member of Parliament for Scarborough Centre

“Scarborough–Agincourt has many people, especially seniors and families who will benefit from the new Grocery Rebate. While times may be challenging, the new Grocery Rebate, along with other newly announced measures, such as the Canadian Dental Care Plan and cutting down on junk fees, will make life more affordable for all Canadians.”

Jean Yip
Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt

 

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Contacts

Nadine Ramadan
Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
Office of the Honourable Omar Alghabra
Minister of Transport, Ottawa
Nadine.Ramadan@tc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
media@tc.gc.ca
613-993-0055

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