“Parliament shall be no exception”.
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“This is the fair thing to do, and the smart thing to do for Canada’s economy”, Gov. Gen. David Johnston said in the speech.
It also promised significant new investment in infrastructure, including public transit, to boost the stagnant economy. Instead, the government pledged to carry out its agenda “while pursuing a fiscal plan that is responsible, transparent and suited to challenging economic times”.
The government promised to work with indigenous peoples to improve their lives, namely by implementing recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, launching an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and improving education for First Nations children.
The speech also reiterates Trudeau’s promises to run an open and transparent government, reform the electoral system, empower backbenchers, work with the provinces to put a price on carbon. The prime minister’s mandate letter to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said Trudeau wants a process that included the provinces and territories, and Canadians may hear more about that today.
Several new Canadians, including Syrian refugees, and local high school students, greeted Johnston and Trudeau as they walked to the Senate. For instance, the speech does not repeat the campaign pledge to keep the size of annual deficits below $10-billion a year.
Defence spending: Repeating language from the Liberal election platform, the Speech suggests the new government may not move ahead with all of the military purchases planned under the Conservatives. “None of that is mentioned in the Speech From the Throne, so we are very concerned about that”, she said.
Ambrose said the Liberals also fell short in terms of explaining how the government would address the threat of the Islamic State. “All of our coalition partners step up and enhance their role in the fight against ISIS and Canada is stepping back”. He says his support for the legalization of marijuana is influenced by the fate of his late brother, who was charged with drug possession for having “a tiny amount” of weed before his death in an avalanche in 1998.
That also receive kudos from NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
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The Liberals have also indicated that they may revisit the Conservative’s response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on prostitution, which decriminalizes prostitution but makes it illegal for people to pay for sex.
