The 2000 United Nations Human Development Index (UNHDI )
June 29, 2000
For the seventh year in a row, Canada has been
ranked by the United Nations as the country with the best quality of life in the
world- news to savour as we prepare to celebrate the first Canada Day of the 21st
century.
This news tells us what we Canadians all know in
our hearts - that we live in the best country in the world.
Canada has ranked number one on the Human
Development Index eight times since it was first released in 1990 (1992 and 1994
through 2000) -- a record that is unsurpassed.
It is especially good news that this year’s
UNHDI shows that our ranking in terms of life expectancy at birth and school
enrolment have gone up in the last year, while the long-term unemployment rate
and percentage of Canadians living below the poverty line have gone down.
While the UNHDI did show that Canada dropped from
4th to 8th place on the Gender Empowerment Index - which
measures opportunities for women.
But its also showed that, for the fourth year in
a row, Canada ranked first on the Gender Development Index - which measures
women's progress in achieving the same levels of literacy, education, life
expectancy at birth and income as men.
The percentage of Canadian women who are
professional and technical workers increased from 51.1% to 52.2%.
The UNHDI also showed that Canada’s
ranking on the Human Poverty Index dropped from 9th to 11th
place out of 17 industrial countries - a fact which only reaffirms our own
belief that we must we must do more as a nation to address poverty.
And our government has no higher priority than
taking the action necessary - in partnership with all levels of government,
communities and the voluntary sector – to ensure that every Canadian has a
fair shot at being part of our great national success story.
Taking Action to Reduce Poverty
Our government has taken concrete action to
reduce poverty - with a special focus on combatting child poverty.
Our Jobs and Growth strategy has revitalized the
Canadian economy:
- Over 2 million new jobs have been created
since we first took off in 1993;
- The unemployment rate has fallen to 6.6% - its
lowest level in almost 25 years; and,
- The economy has grown for the last 18 straight
quarters - the longest streak ever recorded.
In 2000-01 the total value of the Canadian Health
and Social Transfer (CHST) - cash and tax points - will reach an all-time high
of $31 billion. The CHST assists the provinces and territories to fund health
care, post-secondary education and social assistance.
In 2000-01 the Equalization program will provide
the less prosperous provinces with $ 9.5 billion to help them fund essential
public services.
We announced a federal investment of $753 million
over the next three years in a national strategy to help alleviate and prevent
homelessness in Canada.
In 1997 - working with our provincial and
territorial partners - we created the most innovative new social program in a
generation - the National Child Benefit (NCB). Through the NCB, an additional
$1.7 billion annually is going specifically to low-income families with
children.
We have announced that by 2004, the Canada Child
Tax Benefit will be enriched by $2.5 billion - to more than $9 billion annually.
Under the Five-Year Tax Reduction Plan laid out
in Budget 2000 families with children will enjoy an average reduction in their
net personal income tax of at least 21% annually by 2004.
And we are also doubling EI maternity and
parental leave to allow a parent to have 12 months of leave to be at home with
their new child.
It is also clear that income support alone will
not reduce child poverty. Families - particularly single-parent families - need
high quality, community services and supports to ensure that their children get
the good start they need in life.
That is why, in the 1999 Throne Speech, we called
on our provincial and territorial partners to work with us - in the context of
the National Children’s Agenda - toward an agreement on ways to further
support parents and families.
Federal and provincial officials are working on a
national framework on early child development.
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