THE PRIME MINISTER REPORTS STATUS OF THRONE SPEECH COMMITMENTS

June 17, 2003
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien reported today on one of the most productive sessions for Parliament. Action is underway to meet Throne Speech commitments in the areas of international affairs, health care, children and families, the environment, innovation, cities and communities, and governance.

Highlights include:

Canada and the world

• Steps toward doubling international development assistance by 2010;
• Eliminating tariffs and quotas on products from least developed countries;
• Strengthening the military;
• Increasing Canada's consular presence in the United States.

Health reform

• Comprehensive Health Accord with First Ministers to renew Canada's health care system;
• National Summit on Healthy Living;
• Compassionate care benefits for people caring for gravely ill family members;
• Pesticides legislation.

Children and families

• Significant increases to the National Child Benefit;
• Investments to increase access to quality child care;
• Measures to help low income families caring for severely disabled children;
• Increased support for Aboriginal parents.

The Environment

• Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol;
• Upcoming action plan on climate change;
• Funding for ten new national parks and five new marine conservation areas;
• Legislation to protect species at risk;
• Support to accelerate the clean up of contaminated sites.

Innovation

• Increased funding for the granting councils;
• Increased support for graduate studies;
• Support for the indirect cost of research;
• National Summit on Innovation and Learning;
• Creation of External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation;
• Streamlined environmental processes for the Northern Pipeline.

Cities and communities

• Long-term strategic investments in infrastructure;
• Increased investments in affordable housing;
• Extended support for the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative;
• Legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession and a National Drug Strategy.

Governance

• Introduction of new legislation on corporate governance;
• Work to ensure a Pan Canadian securities regulatory system;
• Reformed Citizenship legislation;
• Merging of National Archives of Canada and the National Library;
• Action plan on official languages;
• Stronger legislation concerning lobbying;
• Ethics package;
• Legislation on financing of political parties;
• Legislation on public service reform.

A busy fall agenda will include work to complete the Throne Speech commitments in areas such as reproductive technologies (C-13), various justice bills, First Nations Governance (C-7), ethics, corporate governance legislation (including the Westray Bill), and public safety (C-17).

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