The 1999 Speech from the Throne:
Building Stronger Communities Working Together

October 12, 1999

A Canada that is the place to be is one where all Canadians enjoy the full rights of citizenship and participation and where we promote and nurture the voluntary sector - those countless Canadians whose commitment to helping their fellow citizens is a cornerstone of our quality of life.

It is also a country where governments recognize the essential role of partnerships in meeting the challenges of the 21^st century - partnerships with each other, with the private sector and with Canadians.

A Record of Achievement

With our provincial and territorial partners, we agreed on a Social Union Framework earlier this year that will strengthen Canada's health and social programs to better meet the needs of Canadians as we enter the 21^st century.

We engaged leaders of the voluntary sector in a process that produced a vision paper that sets out ideas on how we might move forward, working together.

We have expanded generous treatment of charitable donations, increasing tax deductions by $95 million per year, with a total tax expenditure for charitable donations of $1.3 billion annually.

We have also invested $15 million over three years in Volnet, a project connecting 10,000 organizations to the Internet and opening up a whole new universe - in cyberspace - for outreach, recruitment and fundraising, sharing information and ideas and working with other partners in Canada and around the world.

1999 SFT Commitments

We will:

• follow through on implementation of the 1999 Social Union Framework Agreement;

• In particular, we will provide for public reporting on the effectiveness of social programs, and the removal of barriers to the mobility of citizens within Canada so that Canadians are not denied government services or access to work or education because of their province of origin;

• enter into a new National Accord with the Voluntary Sector that will lay the foundation for an active partnership with voluntary organizations;

• take steps with other governments, the private and voluntary sectors to achieve full integration of new Canadians and Canadians with disabilities, and continue to help official language communities thrive across the country; and

• continue to work with partners from all sectors to address the factors underlying homelessness.