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Speech from the Throne to Open the First Session of the
38th Parliament of Canada
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HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE,
MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
I congratulate both the returning members of Parliament, as well as the more
than one hundred who are newly elected, as you take up your duties in the House
of Commons for this Thirty-Eighth Parliament of Canada.
This year, Canadians commemorated the 60th anniversary of D-Day and the
landing of allied forces in Europe—an event that spelled the beginning of the
end of the Second World War. Canadian soldiers, sailors and aircrews fought with
dogged bravery and were ultimately victorious on Juno Beach that day.
Shortly, I will be going to Italy to commemorate the significant campaign in
which six thousand Canadians sacrificed their lives. To me, personally, these
commemorations are a symbol of our eternal gratitude and an affirmation that we
have not forgotten.
On these occasions, we are reminded of the huge debt we owe to those in
uniform who have served this country—then and today. Our veterans connect
generations and Canadians. As a country and as individuals, we gain in pride and
in purpose from their deeds and their service.
I recently concluded extended visits to six cities of varying size—Saint John,
Quebec City, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver. In them, I found
remarkable, innovative projects for social renewal and individual commitment.
They express the confidence and love that we all hold for this country. This is
the spirit of Canada I see as Governor General.
The Government starts this new session with a commitment that all
parliamentarians share—regardless of political affiliation—to contribute to
real progress for Canadians, for this country, for our future. The Government
faces a new Parliament fresh from an election. The people of Canada want this
Government, and all parliamentarians, to rise above partisanship to address the
public interest. They want their political leaders to catch up with Canadians’
own ambitions for the country and their readiness to take on the world with
confidence.
Each of us must take responsibility. The Government will do its part to
ensure that this minority Parliament works. Working together, we can unite the
voices of all Canadians in common purpose.
The Government’s actions on behalf of Canadians will be guided by these
seven commitments:
- to be unwavering in the application of fiscal discipline, the foundation
of so much of Canada’s success over the past decade;
- to promote the national interest by setting the nation’s objectives and
building a consensus toward achieving them;
- to pursue these objectives in a manner that recognizes Canada’s
diversity as a source of strength and innovation;
- to aim for tangible, practical results for Canadians and report to them so
that they can hold their governments to account;
- to defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to be a steadfast
advocate of inclusion;
- to demand equality of opportunity so that prosperity can be shared by all
Canadians; and
- to assert Canada’s interests and project our values in the world.
Together, we can move Canada forward.
A STRONG ECONOMY
Our quality of life, job opportunities and capacity to support our social
goals rely on a globally competitive economy.
Canada has a solid record of economic achievement. Over the past 10 years, we
generated over three million new jobs. Since 1997, we have led all G7 countries
in the growth of living standards. And low interest rates have made home
ownership easier than it has been in decades.
This has not happened by accident. A virtuous circle led to
increased confidence, lower interest rates and robust growth of well-paying
jobs. The increase in revenues and the recovery of fiscal sovereignty have in
turn permitted the Government to reduce and improve the fairness of taxes, and
make new social and economic investments. This virtuous circle will continue.
We have been successful, but we will not be complacent. The Government will
not spend itself into deficit. It will continue to pay down debt. Its objective
is to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 25 per cent within 10 years. It will
provide transparent, accountable management, treating every tax dollar with
respect. The Government will make the difficult decisions among competing
priorities and systematically review all expenditures, reallocating from old to
new, from past to future.
Canada must now elevate its economic performance to the next level. Advancing
technology and pervasive global competition demand of Canada a commitment to
excellence, the pursuit of greater productivity, and a vision directed outward
to the challenges and opportunities the world presents.
The Government will pursue a five-point strategy to build an even more
globally competitive and sustainable economy.
The first element is to invest in people, Canada’s greatest source of
creativity and economic strength.
We must invest in helping workers to continuously enhance their skills to
keep pace with constantly evolving workplace requirements. To that end, the
Government will develop a new Workplace Skills Strategy, including steps to
enhance apprenticeship systems, and to boost literacy and other essential job
skills. This will be
complemented by up-to-date training facilities and labour market agreements to
be developed in collaboration with the provinces and territories, unions and
sector councils.
The Government will continue to review the Employment Insurance program to
ensure that it remains well-suited to the needs of Canada’s workforce.
Efforts to improve the recognition of foreign credentials and prior work
experience have yielded too little progress. Looking to the growing contribution
that will be required from new Canadians as our population ages, this Government
will redouble its efforts, in cooperation with the provinces and professional
bodies, to help integrate them into the workforce.
To increase access to post-secondary education, the Government will introduce
legislation to implement its Learning Bond, an innovative savings vehicle that
it announced to help low-income families provide for their children’s
post-secondary education.
The second element of the economic strategy is to strengthen Canada’s
ability to generate and apply new ideas.
The Government of Canada has made substantial investments—more than $13
billion since 1997—that have built a strong foundation in basic science and
technology, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, health research and
other initiatives to create leading-edge capabilities. It will continue to build
on this strength.
The National Science Advisor is assisting the Government to ensure that these
investments are strategic, focused and delivering results, and is working to
bring about a fuller integration of the Government’s substantial in-house
science and technology activity.
The next challenge is to turn more of Canadians’ bright ideas into dynamic
businesses, great jobs and growing export earnings. To that end, the Government
will ensure a supply of venture capital, particularly for early-stage
businesses—for example, through the venture financing arm of the Business
Development Bank of Canada.
The Government will develop policies to foster Canadian capabilities in key
enabling technologies—such as biotechnology, information and communications,
and advanced materials—which will be drivers of innovation and productivity in
the 21st century economy.
Providing “smart government”—the third element of our economic
strategy—aims to make it easier for businesses to do business in Canada.
Smart government includes a transparent and predictable regulatory system
that accomplishes public policy objectives efficiently while eliminating
unintended impacts. This can be a key competitive advantage for Canada. That is
why the Government welcomes the just-released report of the External Advisory
Committee on Smart Regulation.
Smart government also includes providing an up-to-date legislative framework
for business. The Government will therefore propose changes to modernize the
Competition Act.
The fourth element of the Government’s overall economic strategy is a
commitment to regional and sectoral development.
The Government will do its part to enable the success of important sectors,
including automotive, aerospace and other manufacturing, as well as agriculture
and other resource-based industries.
Canada’s regional economies are a vital source of economic strength and
stability. Support for regional and rural economic development will target the
fundamentals—skills upgrading, support for research and development, community
development, and modern infrastructure such as broadband communication—by
employing the regional agencies and tools such as the Atlantic Innovation Fund.
The Government’s regional objectives will be complemented by the most
fundamental reform of the Equalization program in its 47-year history. The
objective is to make more stable and predictable the total payments by the
federal government to the less-wealthy provinces in support of key public
services.
A region of particular challenge and opportunity is Canada’s North—a vast
area of unique cultural and ecological significance. The Government will
develop, in cooperation with its territorial partners, Aboriginal people and
other northern residents, the first-ever comprehensive strategy for the North.
This northern strategy will foster sustainable economic and human development;
protect the northern environment and Canada’s sovereignty and security; and
promote cooperation with the international circumpolar community.
Promotion of trade and investment is the fifth pillar of the Government’s
economic strategy.
Strong investment will be the primary generator of growth and good jobs for
the future. The Government will foster investment by attending to the conditions
that encourage entrepreneurs and providers of risk capital. These include sound
monetary and fiscal policies as well as competitive taxes, efficiently targeted
to promote economic growth.
Canada has always been a trading nation, but never more so than today. It is
therefore vital that we secure and enhance our access to markets, both in North
America and the world. To this end, the Government will continue to push for an
open, rules-based international trading system and a successful conclusion of
the Doha Round of global trade negotiations.
Issues such as softwood lumber and BSE underline the importance the
Government attaches to obtaining more reliable access to U.S. markets. It will
build on the successful Smart Borders initiative and on measures designed to
develop a more sophisticated and informed relationship involving business and
government officials in the United States.
The Government will enhance its capacity to expand international trade and
commerce, with a particular focus on North America and emerging markets.
To complement its international commerce initiatives, the Government is
determined to forge a stronger Canadian economic union, free of the internal
barriers that still diminish opportunities and reduce our competitiveness.
THE HEALTH OF CANADIANS
Canadians have told their governments, year after year, to renew Medicare, to
stop bickering and work together to ensure that it will be there for them and
their children. Governments have responded. On September 15, all fourteen First
Ministers agreed on the Ten-year Plan to Strengthen Health Care.
The Plan sets out a clear commitment, shared by all provinces and
territories, to achieve tangible results—results for patients. What united all
First Ministers was the commitment to a meaningful reduction in wait times for
health services because it is key to transforming the health system. The Plan
holds all governments to account by establishing a requirement for
evidence-based benchmarks, comparable indicators, clear targets and transparent
reporting to the public on access to health care. This means that the needs of
patients will drive change.
The Plan will accelerate reform and ensure better access to key tests and
treatments. It will increase the number of doctors, nurses and other health
professionals. This will be helped by quicker assessment and integration of
those who have received their training abroad. The Plan will improve access to
home and community care services and to safe and affordable drugs.
The Plan commits to a 10-year track of substantial, predictable long-term
funding, closing what has been called the “Romanow Gap.” The Plan creates a
Wait Times Reduction Fund, so that Canadians can see tangible progress in key
areas such as cancer and heart treatment, diagnostic imaging, joint replacements
and sight restoration.
The Plan addresses the unique challenges facing the delivery of health care
services in Canada’s North, including the costs of medical transportation, and
encourages innovative delivery of services to rural Canada.
As part of the Plan, governments will, for the first time, set goals and
targets for improving the health status of Canadians. The Health Council of
Canada will provide an annual report on health status and health outcomes, and
will report on progress in implementing the Plan.
Funding arrangements will require that jurisdictions comply with the
reporting provisions agreed to by First Ministers.
Better health for Canadians requires more than just timely access to health
care. It requires the promotion of healthy living, addressing risk factors such
as physical inactivity and nutrition; the prevention of injury; and integrated
disease strategies. The Government will also work with partners to enhance
sports activities at both the community and competitive levels.
The Government has already appointed a new Chief Public Health Officer for
Canada to drive real change. The Government will also proceed with new health
protection legislation. And it welcomes the development of the Pan-Canadian
Public Health Network, which will strengthen collaboration among public health
organizations nationwide. The Network will build capacity and provide
coordinated responses to infectious disease outbreaks and other public health
emergencies.
CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS AND SENIORS
For a decade, all governments have understood that the most important
investment that can be made is in our children. That is why, even when it was
fighting the deficit, the Government established the National Child
Benefit—the most significant national social program since Medicare.
There is more that must be done to help families help their children. Parents
must have real choices; children must have real opportunities to learn. The time
has come for a truly national system of early learning and child care, a system
based on the four key principles that parents and child care experts say
matter—quality, universality, accessibility and development.
The Government will put the foundations in place with its provincial and
territorial partners, charting a national course that focuses on results, builds
on best practices and reports on progress to Canadians. Within this national
framework, the provinces and territories will have the flexibility to address
their own particular needs and circumstances.
As our society ages, Canadian families are caring not only for young children
but increasingly for elderly spouses and grandparents as well.
The Government recognizes the vital role of Canadians who care for aged or
infirm relatives or those with severe disabilities. It will improve its existing
tax-based support and will ask Parliament to consult across the country on
additional initiatives.
Building on previous measures, the Government will assist people with
disabilities in becoming more self-reliant by drawing on the upcoming
recommendations of the Technical Advisory Committee on Tax Measures for Persons
with Disabilities.
Canada’s seniors are healthier and living longer than ever before. Many
want to remain active and engaged in community life. To help them, the
Government has announced the New Horizons program and will explore other means
of ensuring that we do not lose the talents and contribution that seniors can
make to our society.
Canada’s seniors have earned the right to be treated with dignity. As one
step, the Government will increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for
Canada’s least well-off seniors.
ABORIGINAL CANADIANS
We must do more to ensure that Canada’s prosperity is shared by Canada’s
Aboriginal people—First Nations, Inuit and Métis. We have made progress, but
it is overshadowed by the rates of fetal alcohol syndrome and teen suicide in
Aboriginal communities. These are the intolerable consequences of the yawning
gaps that separate so many Aboriginal people from other Canadians—unacceptable
gaps in education attainment, in employment, in basics like housing and clean
water, and in the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes.
The Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable held last April was a major step
along a new path of partnership and prosperity. The Government and Aboriginal
leaders agreed to measurable goals to reduce these gaps and their consequences.
What could be more profound than targeting real change in the rate of fetal
alcohol syndrome and teen suicide?
At their meeting on September 13 of this year, all First Ministers and
Aboriginal leaders took action. There, this Government undertook to provide $700
million to encourage greater Aboriginal participation in the health professions,
to address chronic diseases such as diabetes, and to create an Aboriginal Health
Transition Fund to better adapt existing health care services to Aboriginal
needs.
The Government is working together with Aboriginal Canadians and provincial
and territorial governments to create the conditions for long-term
development—learning, economic opportunity, and modern institutions of
Aboriginal governance—while respecting historical rights and agreements.
The Government and Aboriginal people will together develop specific
quality-of-life indicators and a “Report Card” to hold all to account and to
drive progress.
CANADA’S CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
Canadians want their communities, towns and cities to be great places to
live—safe, with affordable housing, good public transit, clean air and water,
and abundant green spaces. Communities are key to our social goals and our
economic competitiveness. They are the front lines in building a better quality
of life.
Through the New Deal for Canada’s Cities and Communities, and
working with the provinces and territories, the Government will make available,
for the benefit of municipalities, a portion of the federal gas tax, growing
over the next five years. These funds will enable municipalities to make
long-term financial commitments needed to help contain urban sprawl and to
invest in new sustainable infrastructure projects in areas like transit, roads,
clean water and sewers.
To address key issues such as urban renewal, immigrant integration and the
challenges facing off-reserve Aboriginal Canadians, the Government will expand
the partnership approach used to develop the Vancouver and Winnipeg Agreements
and proceed to implement its recent agreement with the Government of Ontario to
cooperate in service delivery. The Government will also build on the work of the
Harcourt Advisory Committee.
Shelter is the foundation upon which healthy communities and individual
dignity are built. The Government will extend and enhance existing programs such
as the Affordable Housing Initiative, the Supporting Communities Partnership
Initiative for the homeless, and the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance
Program.
What makes our communities strong is the willingness of men and women from
all walks of life to take responsibility for their future and for one another.
We can see this in the number of voluntary organizations and social economy
enterprises that are finding local solutions to local problems. The Government
is determined to foster the social economy—the myriad not-for-profit
activities and enterprises that harness civic and entrepreneurial energies for
community benefit right across Canada. The Government will help to create the
conditions for their success, including the business environment within which
they work. To that end, it will introduce a new Not-for-Profit Corporations Act.
What makes our communities work is our deep commitment to human rights and
mutual respect. The Government is committed to these values. It will modernize
Canada’s Citizenship Act to reaffirm the responsibilities and rights of
Canadian citizenship and our values of multiculturalism, gender equality and
linguistic duality. It is implementing the Official Languages Action Plan and
will continue to promote the vitality of official language minority communities.
It will take measures to strengthen Canada’s ability to combat racism, hate
speech and hate crimes, both here at home and around the world. And it will
table legislation to protect against trafficking in persons and to crack down on
child pornography.
What makes our communities vibrant and creative is the quality of their
cultural life. The Government will foster cultural institutions and policies
that aspire to excellence, reflect a diverse and multicultural society, respond
to the new challenges of globalization and the digital economy, and promote
diversity of views and cultural expression at home and abroad.
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Our quality of life today, and the legacy we bequeath to future generations,
demands fundamental change in the way in which we think about the environment.
The Government will work with its partners to build sustainable development
systematically into decision making.
As the ethic and imperative of sustainability take deeper root worldwide,
human ingenuity will turn increasingly to ways to produce and use energy more
cleanly and efficiently; to eliminate toxins from our air, water and soil; and
to build more sustainable communities. Here lie great new opportunities for the
world economy. Canada’s entrepreneurs must aim to be at the leading edge.
To that end, the Government will work with the private sector to improve the
commercialization of the best new environmental technologies. Major investments
funded out of the proceeds of the sale of the Government’s Petro-Canada shares
will support their development and deployment.
The Government will work to get its own house in order. It will consolidate
federal environmental assessments and will work with the provinces and
territories toward a unified and more effective assessment process for Canada.
By 2006, the Government will implement a new Green Procurement Policy to govern
its purchases. It will also introduce legislation that will strengthen the focus
on the ecological integrity of Canada’s national parks.
Nowhere are the challenges and opportunities of sustainability more evident
than in the way in which we use and produce energy. The Government will place
increased focus on energy efficiency and energy research and development. It
will engage stakeholders in developing comprehensive approaches to encourage
increased production and use of clean, renewable energy and to promote greater
energy efficiency. This will build on efforts already underway, including
support for wind-power production in Canada, stimulated by a quadrupling of the
Wind Power Production Incentive.
The Government reiterates that it will respect its commitment to the Kyoto
Accord on climate change in a way that produces long-term and enduring results
while maintaining a strong and growing economy. It will do so by refining and
implementing an equitable national plan, in partnership with provincial and
territorial governments and other stakeholders.
As the Government builds a sustainable society at home, it will continue to
pursue multilateral and bilateral approaches to what are ultimately global
challenges. For example, it will work with the United States and agencies like
the International Joint Commission on issues such as clean air, clean water and
invasive species. In 2005, the Government will bring forward the next generation
of its Great Lakes and St. Lawrence programs, underscoring its commitment to
protect and preserve these internationally significant shared ecosystems.
The Government will also move forward on its Oceans Action Plan by maximizing
the use and development of oceans technology, establishing a network of marine
protected areas, implementing integrated management plans, and enhancing the
enforcement of rules governing oceans and fisheries, including rules governing
straddling stocks.
A ROLE OF PRIDE AND INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD
In today’s world, effective international engagement is needed to advance
national aspirations. Now that time and distance have lost their isolating
effect, it is no longer possible to separate domestic and international
policies. Canada’s internationalism is a real advantage, but we must find new
ways to express it if we are to effectively assert our interests and project our
values in a changing world.
Just as Canada’s domestic and international policies must work in concert,
so too must our defence, diplomacy, development and trade efforts work in
concert. This fall, the Government will release a comprehensive International
Policy Statement that will reflect this integration. Parliamentarians and other
Canadians will have the opportunity to debate its analyses and proposed
directions.
Meanwhile, the world does not wait. The new security threats that face Canada
demand new approaches immediately. The Government has already responded. In
April of this year, it introduced Canada’s first-ever comprehensive National
Security Policy, which will ensure a more focused and integrated approach to
securing our open society. The Government is now implementing this policy. In
this context, the Government is also deepening cooperation with the United
States on mutual assistance in the event of major natural or human-caused
emergencies.
This new context requires us to manage wisely our relationship with the
United States, to know our friend better, and to strengthen our economic and
security relations. Our relationship must be built on shared values, on mutual
respect, and on a strong and independent voice for Canada.
Enhancing Canada’s security means that we have to invest more in our
military as part of defending ourselves at home, in North America and in the
world. We have to earn our way in the world. But ours will never be the biggest
military force, so it must be smart, strategic and focused.
Canada’s proud tradition as a leader in peacekeeping is being tested today
by increasing demands in extremely dangerous and politically complicated
situations, often involving failed and failing states. We have seen what
extraordinary work Canadian men and women can do in places like Afghanistan,
Bosnia and Haiti. We know that Canadians are among the best in the world in
meeting the challenge of being soldiers to make the peace, diplomats to
negotiate the peace and aid workers to nurture the peace.
That is why the Government will be increasing our regular forces by some
5,000 troops and our reserves by 3,000 so that they may be better prepared and
equipped to meet these challenges.
As Darfur and other situations have shown, sometimes intervention is best
achieved by regional forces attuned to their cultural and geographic conditions.
In such cases, particularly in Africa, Canada intends to continue playing a role
by training regional peacekeepers, to prepare them to conduct challenging
security operations within the principles of international humanitarian law.
In so many of the world’s trouble spots, establishing order is only the
first step. Poverty, despair and violence are usually rooted in failed
institutions of basic governance and rule of law. This is where Canada, with its
commitment to pluralism and human rights, can make a unique contribution.
That is why the Government is establishing the Canada Corps. Its mandate is
first, to put our idealism to work by helping young Canadians bring their
enthusiasm and energy to the world; second, to bring our skills and ideas to
bear by ensuring that experts of all ages and backgrounds—for example, in
governance, health, economics, human rights—can get to the places in the world
that need them; and third, to coordinate the efforts of government and to work
with civil society. The Canada Corps will bring the best of Canadian values and
experience to the world.
For all that we as Canadians want to achieve, and for all that we want for
others, we also need international institutions that work. Dealing with complex
issues like the “responsibility to protect” and managing the global commons
will require leadership from all continents—from North and South. For that
reason, the Government will work to bring about a meeting of G20 leaders to
address common and pressing concerns, such as how to improve public health
systems, combat terrorism and reform our multilateral institutions.
GOVERNING IN COMMON PURPOSE
The Government’s agenda for this Parliament is based on a comprehensive
strategy to build a prosperous and sustainable 21st-century economy for Canada;
strengthen the country’s social foundations; and secure for Canada a place of
pride and influence in the world.
Supported by a committed and excellent public service, the Government will
work diligently in this minority Parliament to address the priority areas it has
identified. It will also introduce initiatives in many other areas, including
commitments from the last Speech from the Throne, and will build on the work of
Parliamentary committees, involve parliamentarians in the review of key
appointments, and examine the need and options for reform of our democratic
institutions, including electoral reform.
The Government invites members from both Chambers to join with it in the same
democratic spirit: committed to unity and the inclusion of all regions and all
voices, ready to work in common purpose on behalf of Canada.
Members of the House of Commons:
You will be asked to appropriate the funds required to carry out the services
and expenditures authorized by Parliament.
Honourable Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Commons:
As you carry out your duties and exercise your responsibilities, may you be
guided by Divine Providence.
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