Highlights of 1999

Canada: the Place to be in the 21^st Century

We laid out a Throne Speech with a plan to make Canada the place to be in the 21^st century. It continues our comprehensive, balanced approach to building a strong, dynamic economy and a secure society by focusing on:

• Children and families; 
• knowledge and innovation; 
• strengthening our health and the quality of health care; 
• ensuring the quality of our environment; and, 
• lower taxes.

A More Secure Society

Fulfilling a Throne Speech commitment, we tabled the Clarity Act, legislation that defines what conditions will have to be met for the federal government to enter into negotiations following a referendum on secession.

Fulfilling a Throne Speech commitment, we released a proposed strategy to protect species at risk in Canada.

Fulfilling a Throne Speech commitment, we an announced a federal investment of $753 million over the next three years in a strategy to help alleviate and prevent homelessness in Canada.

We made the largest single investment in any area since first taking office to strengthen and modernize Medicare. Over the next five years, the provinces and territories will receive an additional $11.5 billion in cash under the Canada Health and Social Transfer.

In the Throne Speech, we pledged to make a third significant investment in the National Child Benefit by July 2002.

In the Throne Speech, we pledged to lengthen and make more flexible Employment Insurance benefits for parental leave by January 2001.

With nine provinces and the territories ,we have embarked on a new era of flexible federalism by agreeing on a new Social Union Framework - that will strengthen Canada's health and social programs to better meet the needs of Canadians as we enter the 21^st century.

We introduced amendments to the Criminal Code that will strengthen the voice of victims of crime in the criminal justice system, and increase the resources that the provinces and territories have to deliver services to victims.

The House of Commons passed the Nisga'a Final Agreement, an historic agreement that clearly sets out land and self-government rights for the Nisga'a people of British Columbia .

A Strong, Dynamic Economy

The unemployment rate fell to 6.9% - its lowest level in 18 years! And a 4.5% decline from the 11.4% rate we inherited just after we took office in October 1993. More than 1.8 million new jobs have been created since October 1993!

We announced $7.7 billion in new tax relief over the next three years. Combined, the tax relief announced in our last two budgets amounts to $16.5 billion over three years and will benefit every single tax payer -- 600,000 low-income Canadians will pay no federal tax whatever!

In The Throne Speech we announced that a multi-year tax reduction strategy will be introduced in the next budget

We brought down our second consecutive budget that was balanced or better - the first time this has been done in almost 50 years.

We announced our sixth consecutive reduction in EI premiums -- from $2.55 to $2.40. Leaving $1.2 billion more in the pockets of workers and businesses this year. We have reduced premiums every year since we took office in 1993 - saving Canadians some $5.2 billion in lower EI premiums over that time.

We announced an additional investment of more than $1.8 billion over the next three years to boost knowledge and innovation in Canada - including the creation of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

We announced that the Government of Canada will fund the creation of 1,200 new 21^st Century Chairs for Research Excellence in Canadian universities over the next three years.

A Leader in the World