 Good afternoon everyone great to see you all I apologize in advance for having my back to you for the rest of this But we'll chat afterwards because they really are a great-looking group. I have you. That's Canada right there And thank you Paul for that introduction and for the vision that you and power have had and Engaging in great Canadian success stories and supporting folks like Michael because you know that Canada can and should Be leading the way in the kinds of positive engagement to empowering citizens Recognizing different perspectives different diversities are a source of tremendous strength for us and your vision has been very strong in that as well And I want to thank Mike and all the folks at wealth simple for inviting me to be here today as we celebrate this great Canadian success story that is a story just beginning to be written I also want to recognize and thank Adam Vaughan my friend local MP here for Spadina, Fort York who has long and constantly boosting the great You know people the great products the great companies in his writing and I'm so glad to be here today to celebrate Outstanding example of what is great about this part of the the city this part of the country. Thanks for being here Adam Je veux pas prendre trop de votre temps mais puisque je suis sur scène j'aimerais dire quelques mots et expliquer pourquoi l'innovation est si importante pour assurer notre succès collectif As one of Canada's most innovative online investment services wealth wealth simple is an example of FinTech innovation at its finest Hitting a billion dollars in assets is no small feat for any company let alone one That's only two years old to put it mildly the success of this business has turned heads all over the world How is it that in such a short period of time over? 30,000 people have entrusted wealth simple with their hard-earned savings I think that at the heart of it this business must be succeeding because it's putting people first making the process of investing accessible and even Powering to individuals in the current economic climate middle-class families are looking for a few things They want good jobs They want to know that they have the skills to succeed in a modern workplace, and they want to keep more of their own money On top of that they want to feel like they have a bit of control over their future That they have a sense of where they're going of how they're going to succeed and how they're going to create Opportunities for their kids and for future generations These are their priorities which make them our priorities as well Whether we're cutting taxes for the middle-class by raising them on the wealthiest 1% or investing in skills training Our government is committed to helping Canadians get ahead from coast to coast to coast In March, our government has set its second budget and we are committed to helping companies that innovate, to develop and to stay in Canada We know that we have brilliant students who come out of universities, colleges, CGS, and many talented workers who have new ideas to share In Canada, we've got the diversity, work ethic, and creativity to position our country as a global hub for innovation And so we're not only backing Canadian companies, we're backing Canadians And whether we're developing AI technology, expanding public transit, or upgrading our college campuses Everything we do is with an eye to the future, both in creating the jobs of tomorrow and making sure our kids have the right skills to fill them So on that, thank you all once again for having me here today This really is a tremendous milestone for wealth simple and for Canadian fintech across the board To Mike and the whole team keep innovating and keep up the great work Thank you everyone for allowing us and all of Canada to be part of your success Merci tout le monde