Today, we issued an additional $2 billion in green bonds. That brings our green bond issuance in total to $11 billion. We are finding there is high demand for Canadian green bonds. It’s a space where we’re going to continue to be active.
Today, I will tell you about the new measure our government is taking to build new housing. Minister Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Public Services and Procurement) will tell you about the latest additions to the Canada Public Land Bank, a very important program that continues. And after that, Minister Terry Beech (Minister of Citizens’ Services) will tell you about the impact of these measures for Canadians.
Today’s announcement is really what happens when different levels of government, the city and the federal government, work together for the people who we represent.
Canada has now been the first G7 country to cut interest rates for the first time, the first G7 country to cut interest rates for a second time, and the first G7 country to cut interest rates for a third time, and we have now seen wages outpacing inflation for 19 months in a row.
Welcome to the first economic press conference of the season. I will speak about the Canadian economy and the new mortgage rules. Minister Virani will talk about the new framework to protect renters and home buyers. Finally, Minister Boissonnault will speak about what these new mortgage rules will mean for young workers and for families across Canada.
I am delighted to be at Evergreen Brick Works today. And I am really glad to be here with my friend and neighbour MP Julie Dabrusin, and glad to be here with Lois Lindsay (the Chief Program Officer at Evergreen Brick Works) and Jennifer Angel (CEO of Evergreen Brick Works).
Our investment tax credits are already working to give businesses like Shell the certainty and the support they need to make historic investments in Canada that create great jobs while reducing our emissions at the same time. We are also supporting Canadian workers, and good-paying jobs in Canada, by linking many of our investment tax credits to labour requirements. That gives businesses and employers an incentive to pay a prevailing union wage and to create apprenticeship opportunities.
This is a place where history is being made. Things are happening here that aren’t happening anywhere else in the world, and this is made in Canada, made in Alberta innovation and technology.