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Read Morneau’s speech to parliament:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Last week, I was back home in Toronto—where I had a chance to visit with some young people at the Boys and Girls Club in Regent Park.

It was March Break last week, so they were pretty focused on having fun, like kids their age should be.

But it was also clear to me from their questions, from their simple interactions, how much they cared about each other. About their community, and the world beyond it.

It was a good reminder of what’s at stake—and of who is counting on us to get the big things right.

Today, I am happy to share our Government’s fourth budget: Investing in the Middle Class.

The title should come as no surprise, Mr. Speaker, because investing in the middle class began with our first day in office … and it’s what we’ve been doing every single day since.

Investing in the middle class means good, well-paying jobs today, and the promise of a better future—even in a world filled with change.

It means building a better Canada—a stronger, more connected country.

It means delivering the real change that Canadians sent us here to do.

And alongside all of this is the most important relationship our country will ever have—the one with Indigenous Peoples.

As we look ahead, Mr. Speaker, I think it’s worth spending a moment remembering where we came from.

When we came into government in the fall of 2015, unemployment was stubbornly high, wages were stagnant, and consumer confidence in decline.