Speaking Notes for the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos for the OECD Social Policy Forum 2018

Speaking Notes

for

the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos,
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development,

for

OECD Social Policy Forum 2018: Canadian vision for social policies that benefit everyone

Montréal, Quebec

May 14, 2018

Opening

Good morning to all.

On behalf of Canada, it’s my great pleasure to welcome you all to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2018 Social Policy Forum and Ministerial Meeting.

Before I begin, I first want to thank Mohawk elder Ka’nahsohon (KAH-NAH-SOHN) Deer for leading our opening ceremony, and acknowledge again that we are meeting on the traditional territory of the Mohawk people.

This is truly an honour to be hosting this meeting outside of Paris for the first time in the Social Policy Forum’s history.

It is also an honour to be here in Montréal with my provincial and territorial colleagues, representatives from national Indigenous organizations, international guests, social partners, social policy experts, academics, members of civil society and business leaders.

And I would especially like to thank the OECD Secretary-General, Mr. Angel Gurría, and his team for working so closely with my department to plan this event, as well as Portugal, Greece and Sweden for agreeing to co-chair this forum.

I believe that Canada is uniquely positioned to be hosting this gathering, because, in many ways, we are built on many of the same principles that led to the founding of the OECD.

This organization was, after all, founded in the years following World War II, as countries around the world recognized their interconnectedness, and realized the best way forward was through cooperation.

They understood then, just as we understand now, that by working together and sharing our diverse experiences, we are more likely to find solutions to our common problems.

While each member of the OECD is unique, we are also coming together because we all want what is best for the world.

Because of our vast size, our shared history and the diversity that is both our strength and our pride, Canada also values the power or cooperation.

Canada and the OECD also share common challenges.

Demographics are shifting. New technologies are changing our ways of working and living. The workplace is evolving. Globalization means that the line between local issues and international ones is constantly growing blurrier. Extreme wealth exists alongside extreme poverty and vulnerability, and in between those two extremes, people in the middle class face uncertainty—for themselves, and for their families.

In this context, the theme of this year’s Social Policy Forum seems entirely appropriate: Social Policy for Shared Prosperity: Embracing the Future.

And that is particularly true from a Canadian perspective.

Middle class Canadians, like middle class people around the world, wonder about their place in society, and what the future holds for them and for their children.

They see rapid social and economic change, and they feel unsure of their place. As we have seen in many places, this can lead to feelings of exclusion and frustration.

When we see how these feelings of social exclusion—sometimes legitimate, sometimes imagined—generate increasingly worrying political tensions, I think it’s important to recognize the value of inclusion, not just for social reasons, but also for economic development and political reasons.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said recently:

“Concerns about losing out are not unique to Canada. We see it, in widespread calls for nationalism over globalization, and in those who promise to build walls instead of tearing them down. When prosperity isn’t shared, people increasingly feel left behind, and they start to look to deceptively easy solutions.”

This is as true in Canada as anywhere else. In fact, since taking office in 2015, one of our government’s most important goals has been to ensure that the effects of growth and prosperity are felt by all Canadians, particularly by the middle class and those who are working hard to join it.

Canadian vision

So, how have we responded to this challenge?

In no small part, it has been by embracing and defending those values that Canadians hold dear: Diversity. Fairness. Inclusiveness.

Domestically, our Government believes that making sure all Canadians have a real and fair chance to succeed is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do for growing the economy in the short and in the long term.

Internationally, this means supporting organizations like the OECD to ensure that together we continue to build bridges.

Internationally, it also means fulfilling our responsibility towards global development, and working towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

It further means, in the context of Canada’s presidency of the G7 this year, that we are making gender equality a main focus of our plans and actions.

At a national level, we’ve taken some steps to help allay that anxiety and to help people deal with the uncertainty of a changing world.

For example, we increased taxes for the wealthiest 1 percent of individuals in order to lower taxes for the middle class. We did not do it out of lack of consideration for people who are very successful in life, but rather because we believe that middle class families need more help.

We also transformed financial support to families by introducing a new Canada Child Benefit (CCB), the most significant Canadian social policy innovation in a generation.

The CCB is a non-taxable, more simple, more transparent and more equitable benefit than the earlier complex system of boutique tax credits and support for higher income families.

Since its introduction, this form of guaranteed minimum income for families is giving nine out of ten Canadian families more money to raise their children and is lifting 300,000 Canadian children and their 200,000 parents out of poverty.

We also implemented the first National Housing Strategy, which will enable more Canadians to have a safe, affordable home where children can learn and grow, where parents can find the stability that they need to be successful in the labour market and where seniors can live in dignity.

We also increased the amount of assistance students can get, helping make post-secondary education more affordable.

In 2019, we are going to implement the new Canada Workers Benefit, which will put more money in the pockets of low-income workers.

This benefit will help over 2 million Canadians who are working hard to join the middle class and will lift 70,000 workers out of poverty by 2020, while encouraging more Canadians to join or stay in the labour market.

We are also investing in a range of training and employment programs for unemployed and underemployed Canadian workers, allowing them to upgrade their skills so they can be ready for the modern workplace.

These are just a handful of the things we have done to help people adapt to and feel confident in the presence of the changes we are all feeling.

I would like to add that Canadians are well aware that we cannot allow ourselves to leave out half the population.

That is why we are implementing various measures to help more women access the labour market.

Supporting pay equity, women’s entrepreneurship and the participation of women in non-traditional jobs are some of those important measures.

We also encourage gender equality, not only at work, but also at home.

That is why we are providing significant support to provinces and territories so that they can offer high-quality, affordable child care services.

Taking gender equity seriously means taking child care seriously.

In addition, our recent Budget provides for a new Parental Sharing Benefit that aims to increase gender equality and promote more equal parental roles.

Strengthening the middle class and helping those working hard to join it—this is our vision.

It continues to guide us in everything we do; and our plan is working, because Canadians are working.

Over the last two years, Canadians have grown our economy, creating nearly 600,000 jobs and driving the unemployment rate down to nearly the lowest level in 40 years.

Responsive social policies—putting people at the centre

As policy makers, our responsibility is to improve the lives of all, especially marginalized and vulnerable groups—such as women fleeing family violence, immigrants, Indigenous people, people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ2 community.

We must also give those citizens a voice in the process leading to policy making itself.

Citizens also know that when policy making processes are inclusive, respectful and representative of diverse interests and opinions, they lead to better results.

Continuous engagement also favours people-oriented policies, reminding elected and non-elected officials for whom and for what they must be working hard every day.

Innovation and partnerships

It has become increasingly clear that the challenges arising from the accelerated pace of social, economic and environmental change can no longer be addressed by a one-size-fits all approach or by a single individual, level of government or organization.

Whole-of-government approaches and partnerships between sectors are essential to developing and implementing innovative solutions to sustainably improve the quality of life of all our citizens.

We all have a role to play, whether it’s stakeholders, community organizations or researchers providing the evidence needed to inform the development of our social policies.

That’s why leveraging social innovation has become a priority for Canada. Social Innovation is about developing new solutions to social and economic challenges, addressing multiple issues for some of our more vulnerable citizens and leveraging the power of partnership.

Closing

As famed economist Amartya Sen once said, “Economic growth without investment in human development is unsustainable—and unethical.”

For us, for Canada, this means creating lasting economic growth that grows the middle class, inclusive development that leaves no one behind, and sustainable development that protects the health of our families and our environment.

We are all faced with similar and significant challenges and opportunities that come with a rapidly changing world.

The OECD's work and vision help us to design forward looking social policies and to anticipate these changes in order to build a society that benefits all.
Over the next two days, let’s work together and share the most effective ways to ensure that everyone has a real and fair chance to succeed.

Thank you.

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