Budget 2021 is the Government of Canada's plan to finish the fight against COVID-19 and ensure a robust economic recovery that is inclusive of all Canadians.
Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, and the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Terry Duguid, met with women farmers from Manitoba to discuss the experiences of women in agriculture and investments from Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience.
Women in Canada's agricultural sector contribute daily to farming and food establishments across Canada, while raising the next generation of Canadian producers. Budget 2021 proposes new investments totaling up to $30 billion over the next five years in early learning and child care. Combined with previous investments, a minimum of $9.2 billion per year ongoing will be invested in child care, starting in 2025-26. These investments will help support women, including those in agriculture, and reduce the demands placed upon them in the care economy.
The plan will aim to reduce fees for parents with children in regulated child care by 50 per cent on average by 2022, with a goal of reaching $10 per day on average by 2025-26 for all regulated child care spaces in Canada.
Budget 2021 is a plan to bridge Canadians and Canadian businesses through the crisis and towards a robust recovery. It is a plan to drive economic growth, a plan to secure women's place in the workforce, and a plan to offer each and every child in Canada the best start in life. It proposes to extend business and income support measures through to the fall and to make investments to create jobs and help businesses come roaring back. It will support almost 500,000 new training and work opportunities including 215,000 opportunities for youth. Budget 2021 is a plan that puts Canada on track to meet its commitment to create 1 million jobs by the end of the year.
Canada entered the pandemic in a strong fiscal position. This allowed the government to take quick and decisive action, supporting people and businesses, and put it in the position to make historic investments in the recovery.
Quotes
"Before the COVID-19 pandemic, women in agriculture already had to face the challenges of balancing responsibilities and expectations tied to their jobs and families. For farm families, we need services that allow women farmers to better balance their lives between family, farm, off-farm employment and community leadership. By investing in early learning and child care, we can help women of the agriculture sector tackle these needs with intelligence and determination."
The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
"The measures announced in Budget 2021 recognize the important contributions that women in the agriculture sector are making today, and into the future. Diversity and inclusion are integral to creating an economy that works for everyone. The perspectives and insights of these women are needed to tap into opportunities and address challenges facing the sector, especially in a changed world post COVID-19."
Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Terry Duguid
Quick facts
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Budget 2021 includes $101.4 billion over three years in proposed investments as part of the Government of Canada's growth plan that will create good jobs and support a resilient and inclusive recovery. Key measures include:
- Supporting women, Black Canadians, and other underrepresented entrepreneurs who face barriers to launching and owning businesses through $300 million to enhance initiatives like the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
- Providing up to $146.9 million over four years to strengthen the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy. Women entrepreneurs would have greater access to financing, mentorship, and training. Funding would also further support the Women Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Fund and the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub.
- Making available up to $450 million on a cash basis over five years, starting in 2021-22, for a renewed Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative that would increase venture capital available to entrepreneurs. Of this amount, $50 million would support a new Inclusive Growth Stream to increase access to venture capital for underrepresented groups, such as women and racialized communities.
- Creating a more inclusive, sustainable, feminist, and resilient economy that values women's work. The Government of Canada will continue its progress to build a feminist, intersectional Action Plan for Women in the Economy that will work to push past systemic barriers and inequities, for good.
- Proposing to introduce legislation to extend the waiver of interest accrual on Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans until March 31, 2023. This action would mean savings for approximately 1.5 million Canadians repaying student loans, the majority of whom are women.
- Providing $15 million over two years, starting in 2021-22, to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to extend the Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot initiative, which will continue to improve their employment outcomes and career advancement.
