Minister MacAulay highlights budget investments to build Canada’s 21st century clean economy

From: Veterans Affairs Canada

News release

Today the Minister of Veterans Affairs, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, along with Jenica Atwin, Member of Parliament for Fredericton met with Potential Motors to highlight Budget 2023’s investments in a Made-in-Canada plan to ensure that Canadian workers and companies are able to provide the resources and technologies that the world needs.

Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID recession. Canada’s economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today, 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic, including 14,600 here in New Brunswick. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, our unemployment rate is near its record low, and, supported by our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached at a record high of 85.7 per cent in February.

Budget 2023 builds on this important progress.

To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 delivers the new Grocery Rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most with up to an additional $467 for eligible couples with children; an additional $234 for single Canadians without children; and an additional $225 for seniors, on average. The government is also taking action to crack down on junk fees and predatory lending, lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, and help Canadians keep more money in their pockets.

To strengthen Canada’s universal public health care system, the budget delivers $198.3 billion, including $3.803 billion here in New Brunswick to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services, and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve. Budget 2023 also introduces a new Canadian Dental Care Plan, to help up to nine million Canadians and ensure no Canadian has to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month.

To build Canada’s clean economy, the budget makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. This includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities, and create good-paying jobs.

With a responsible fiscal plan that will see Canada maintain the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, Budget 2023 will help to build a Canada that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast.

Quotes

“It is a challenging time in a challenging world, but there is no better place to be than Canada. Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable, strengthen public health care, and build a stronger, more sustainable, and more secure Canadian economy—for everyone. This plan is about creating jobs, building a thriving clean technology industry, lowering emissions in our traditional energy sectors, and building up new energy sources. We have a highly skilled and educated workforce, natural resources and energy sources that will be vital for success in the future economy -- Canada is uniquely positioned to seize the moment.”

Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs

“From creating the Canada Child Benefit to providing dental coverage for kids and making life more affordable for everyone: Budget 2023 is focusing on delivering for Canadians, strengthening our healthcare system, and continuing with our much-needed efforts to combat the climate crisis.”

Jenica Atwin, Member of Parliament for Fredericton

“We are very much charting unknown territory as far as the global automotive software space is concerned. Thanks to a number of Federal agencies, including the National Research Council (NRC), who worked so well with our team, we've been able to grow quickly in a super capital efficient way, and create a world leading technology right here in Atlantic Canada.  The environment for innovation is definitely here, and we’re looking forward to seeing increased investment and innovation in this space, thanks in part to Budget 2023’s commitment to clean tech.”

Sam Poirier, CEO of Potential Motors

Quick facts

  • About Potential Motors:

    Potential Motors is involved in the development of advanced A.I. powered driver assistance technologies for off-road and industrial vehicles.  Our proprietary OROS software enhances driver safety, improves efficiency and can dramatically extend range of battery and combustion powered vehicles with limited hardware changes.  Founded over five years ago by graduates of University of New Brunswick, Potential is privately funded with high profile investors like Marc Benioff (founder of Salesforce), Brightspark and Build Ventures. 

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Contacts

Erika Lashbrook Knutson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Association Minister of Defence
Erika.lashbrookknutson@veterans.gc.ca
343-550-6093

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