Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged in his New Year's greetings to focus his energies for the coming year on sustaining the economy and greening the transition, as the specter of a recession hangs over the country for 2023.

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“In the new year, the Government of Canada will continue to build an economy centered on the well-being of all Canadians,” Mr. Trudeau promised in his end-of-year address.

The Premier, who has made many announcements about transportation electrification at auto plants in Ontario over the past year, also pledged to continue "attracting unprecedented investment in our supply chain electric vehicles – from the extraction of critical minerals to the manufacture of vehicles”.

In addition, Mr. Trudeau has pledged to move forward with his bill to ban certain firearms. The law has drawn the ire of some indigenous groups and communities, with some of the weapons targeted being prized by hunters.

Unity

Reflecting on the past year, the Prime Minister acknowledged that Canadians have faced many difficult times, but believe that they have been there for each other.

“We went for a booster dose to protect ourselves and our loved ones. We came together to help Atlantic Canadians in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. We have also supported the Ukrainian people, who are courageously defending their country, and we will continue to do so,” said Mr. Trudeau.

“We have many reasons to be grateful for the year that is coming to an end. Indeed, we have started doing what we love again, like getting together with our friends and family. In addition, we have experienced one of the strongest economic recoveries in the G7, and the number of jobs created has exceeded the number of jobs lost due to the pandemic,” added the Prime Minister.