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 21^st 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 4^th to 8^th 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 9^th to 11^th 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.