The Speech from the Throne delivered today in the Senate Chambers in Canada’s House of Commons was in effect, short, sweet and to the point.
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Trudeau also said publicly that his decision to propose legalizing cannabis was strongly influenced by his late brother Michel facing possession charges for a “tiny amount” of marijuana before his death in an avalanche in 1998. According to the federal police, nearly 1,200 aboriginal women have been murdered or gone missing since 1952.
Ms. Ambrose said she will wait to see the Liberals’ ways and means motion next week.
As the great American conservative thinker Thomas Sowell has said in an observation that can be applied perfectly to Trudeau’s Liberal logic: “I have never understood why it is “greed” to want to keep the money you have earned, but not greed to want to take somebody else’s money”. “There will be a lot of spending that will lead them to higher taxes”. At 7,286 words, it is one of the longer throne speeches in modern history.
The speech did not address another security-related campaign promise, however, to repeal controversial aspects of the anti-terrorism legislation that was brought in by the previous Conservative government.
The tax cut was touted as an “immediate priority”, with the speech by Johnston referring to it as “the fair thing…and the smart thing to do for Canada’s economy”.
“Bottom line is there is no mention of the private sector, which was very concerning when we’re thinking of the fact that we need job creation in this country and we have to focus on the economy”. “It is just about government, big government”.
The tax cut for middle-income earners won’t help those in the lowest tax bracket, but the government also made its new child benefit a key initiative in the throne speech that will help them if they have children.
In a broader vein, the government said it will make “significant new investments” in public transit, green infrastructure and what the government calls social infrastructure, with no reference to highway and related transportation infrastructure.
The government devoted an entire page of the speech to environmental issues, promising, among other things, to work with the provinces on pricing carbon emissions and to introduce new environmental-assessment processes.
“In this Parliament, all members will be honoured, respected and heard, wherever they sit”, Johnston said.
The speech also says the government will work with First Nations to ensure every child receives a quality education.
More support for veterans and their families, as well as a review of the military with an eye on “building a leaner, more agile, better-equipped military”.
“The Speech from the Throne may set the tone for a renewed relationship, but the budget will deliver on securing our rightful place in Canada”.
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In a small reflection of his father’s occasional unconventional ways, Mr. Trudeau was the only male parliamentarian wearing brown shoes instead of black along with coloured socks.
