"This marks the seventh straight year that the United Nations has chosen Canada as the best country in the world in which to live - something to savour as we get ready to mark the first Canada Day of the 21^st century. I am particularly pleased that the report shows that life expectancy at birth and school enrolment in Canada 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.

This international recognition is a tribute not only to prosperous nation we have built together, but -- above all -- to the way we have built it: the Canadian way.

We are a nation of unmatched diversity and tolerance, boundless generosity and and deep compassion. A nation that rewards excellence, encourages entrepreneurship and fosters innovation. A nation that shares prosperity and opportunity. A nation unshakably committed to ensuring that none of our people is left behind as we move ahead. A nation that looks forward to the challenges of the new century with optimism and confidence.

Scoring first place on the HDI has become common for Canada over the last decade, but it has never become commonplace. If anything, year after year of achieving such remarkable recognition has only whetted our appetite to ensure that our quality of life is not only sustained but enhanced.

Governments, communities, businesses and individual Canadians - each of us - has a role to play in taking the great Canadian success story to new heights in the 21^st century.

This is our common cause and our shared challenge."