Canadian Speech from the Throne – September 23, 2020

September 23, The Throne Speech was delivered by Gov. General today.

Highlights:

 4 Foundations

  • 1. Fight the pandemic and save lives (the best thing we can do for the economy)
    • Priority # 1- all Canadians especially the vulnerable. (PPE, armed forces supporting LTC, CERB support close to 9 million Canadians, 3.5 million jobs supporting the employed (wage subsidy)
    • Federal government will be there to increase testing capacity and deployment, and pursuing tech for faster tests
    • Will support businesses closed down due to a public health event
    • Provinces/territories
    • Front line support
    • Team Canada theme
    • Vaccine strategy
  • 2.  Supporting people and businesses through this crisis (whatever it takes/however long)
    • Consequences will not be short-lived – not the time for austerity
    • Government shouldering debt – better prepared than individuals
    • More to be done with unemployment in double digits
    • Underemployment is high (vulnerable, racialized Canadians
    • Campaign to generate 1 million jobs, training and incentives to hire and retain workers. CEWS will be extended through next summer, youth employment strategy to be developed.
    • Eliminate barriers between provinces – existing income support systems were inadequate. They should now be supported through the Employment Insurance benefit Now a transitional benefit for self-employed
    • Women have been hit hardest by the pandemic (unpaid care work at home) – cannot backtrack on social and political gains or rollback employment. Note 50 years since royal commission on status of women – sustained investment in early childcare and learning. High quality care that is accessible to all. Subsidizing before and after school costs
    • Investment in women entrepreneurs
    • More steps to expand CEBA and Business Credit Availability Program and Industries that have been hardest hit, e.g. travel, tourism, cultural industries (e.g. the performing arts)
    • 2 distinct needs (is this #3?)
      • Keep Canadians safe
      • Build back better
    • Tax extreme high wealth
    • Limit stock option deduction for wealthy individuals
    • Corporate tax avoidance for corporate giants – share revenue more fairly (media)
    • COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Update – will be produced to implement what is in the Throne speech with fiscal projections, plan and new measures
  • 3. Build back better to create more resilience: keep strengthening the middle class, support those who aspire to join it, create jobs, building long term competitiveness and safer communities for everyone
    • Focus on building back better – not going back to business as usual
    • Create a resiliency agenda for the middle class and those working hard to join it
    • Address gaps in social systems, investing in healthcare and creating jobs
    • Fighting climate change, maintaining a commitment to fiscal sustainability and economic growth as the foundation of a strong and vibrant economy
    • Elders – the government will take any action it can to support the provinces and territories and work alongside them to support elders
    • Work on criminal code specifically for those who neglect seniors under their care
    • Work with the provinces and territories to set new national standards for long term care – and help people stay in their homes longer. They will increase support once a senior turns 75 and the pension plan survivors benefit
    • Targetted measures for PSWs who do an essential service to better value their work/value to our society
    • Those with Disability – Disability Inclusion plan with a new disability benefit modelled after the GIS for seniors, a robust employment strategy and a better process to gauge eligibility.
    • A robust healthcare system – and increased flexibility with an increased capacity to deliver virtual healthcare, increased access to mental wellness support and address the opioid epidemic tearing through communities, and access to medication (many lost coverage when they lost their jobs) – through a national pharma care program. This will include a rare disease strategy to help Canadian families save on high cost drug, a central ?? to
    • Strong safe communities. We’ve banned assault rifles – will give municipalities the ability to control the influx of illegal guns into Canada and ban hand guns
    • The government will accelerate investment in shelters and transition housing and continue to advance with an action plan on gender-based violence
    • To keep building strong communities the government will continue to invest in infrastructure, including public transit, energy efficient retrofits, clean energy, broadband (with accelerated connectivity through a universal broadband fund) and affordable housing – particularly for northern and indigenous communities.
    • They will also work with partners to provide reliable and affordable regional air services. (An issue of equity, jobs and economic development.
    • Safe affordable homes: in 2017 the government announced it would reduce chronic homelessness by 50%. $1 billion has just been investment, having already helped over 1 million people find a safe home. They are now focused on entirely eliminating chronic homelessness and will add to the National Housing Strategy by increasing investment for rapid housing in the short term and partnering with NFPs and co-ops and in the mid-long term
    • Enhancement to the first time home buyer incentive
    • Housing is a key driver of the economy for jobs, and having a home is critical so people can contribute to their communities
    • Everyone deserves to put nutritious food on the table and the government will continue to work with partners, including the first nations, Inuit and metis nation partners to address food insecurity and strengthen local food supply chains in Canada. The Canadian and migrant workers have done an outstanding job bringing food to Canadians and deserve the government’s support and protection. Those in Canada’s supply managed sector receive full and fair compensation for recent trade agreements. Farmers keep our families fed – we will continue to see them grow.
    • Inequalities in the workplace – they will make the largest investment in training in Canadian history, to: build new skills in growing sectors, helping workers receive an education and accreditation, and strengthening workers; futures by connecting workers to employers to good jobs.
    • The pandemic has reminded us of the power of the knowledge economy and how vital it is for the future. The government should keep up to modernize the way the government serves Canadians. Free, automatic filing to receive benefits.
    • Climate action will be a cornerstone of creating jobs. There are global market opportunities not just now but in the future. Climate change threatens our health, way of life and planet. The government will immediately bring forward a plan to exceed the 2030 goals and legislate Canada’s goal of net 0 emissions by 2050. The government will create thousands of jobs retrofitting homes and buildings (cutting energy costs), invest in reducing the impact of climate related disasters (e.g. floods and wildfires) to make communities safer, help deliver more and active transit options and make 0 emissions more affordable and invest in more charging stations across the country. Building 0 emissions vehicles and batteries are good examples of adapting to a carbon neutral future – Canada has the resources needed for clean tech. This along with Canadian expertise is Canada’s competitive edge. A new fund will be established to attract investments in making 0 emissions products and cut the corporate tax rate in half for these companies to create jobs and make Canada a world leader in clean tech.
    • The government will transform how we power our economy and communities by moving forward with the Clean Power Fund (e.g. the Atlantic loop project that will connect surplus clean power to regions transitioning away from coal and support investment in renewal energy and next generation clean energy and tech solutions.
    • The government will support manufacturing, natural resources and energy sectors as they work to create a net 0 future – creating good paying and long lasting jobs. They will also recognize farmers, ranchers, and foresters as key partners in the fight against climate change
    • The government will continue it’s policy of putting a price on pollution by putting that money back in the pockets of Canadians. It cannot be free to pollute.
    • The importance of nature: the government will work with municipalities to expand urban parks so everyone has access to green space while protecting a ¼ of Canada’s land and oceans in 5 years and using nature-based solutions to fight climate change e.g. by planting 2 billion trees. The government will ban single use plastics next year and ensure more plastic is recycled. They will modernize Canada’s Environmental Protection Act.
    • A previous government closed the Prairie Farm rehab Admin – we lost an important tool to manage it’s waters. The government will create a new Water Agency and identify opportunities to build more resilient water and irrigation infrastructure. At the same time they will continue to grow Canada’s ocean economy to create opportunities for fishers and coastal communities while advancing reconciliation and conservation objectives
  • 4. Stand up for who we are as Canadians (gender, reconciliation, fight discrimination, 2 languages)
    • This is a fight for Canadians today and Canada tomorrow, so we must never forget our values
    • Defending Canadian values and ensure they are lived experiences. We look after each other, whether that is welcoming new Canadians, celebrating with pride the accomplishments of LGBTQ communities, embracing two official languages – there is still work to be done including on the road to reconciliation and addressing systemic racism.’
    • Throughout the pandemic the government has made it a priority to support indigenous communities, which has helped contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep people safe. They will continue to do this and will also continue to walk the shared path of reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and remain focused on implementing the commitments made in 2019.
    • The pandemic has shown that we need to move faster on a number of fronts including: expediting distinction-based indigenous health legislation and mental health strategy with first nations, Inuit and metis nations; by accelerating work on a national action plan in response to the national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, calls for justice and implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action; and to close the infrastructure gap in indigenous communities – work on a distinction basis to accelerate the government’s ten year commitment
    • Additional resiliency investment to meet the clean drinking water commitment in first nations communities and support additional capacity building for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Nations
    • The government will move forward to introduce legislation to implement the UNs Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples before the end of this year.
    • For too many Canadians Systemic Racism is a lived reality – COVID-19 has hit racialized Canadians especially hard. Many people, especially indigenous, black and racialized people have raised their voices to demand change. The government pledged to address systemic racism in a way that is informed by the lived experiences of racialized communities and indigenous peoples. The government has invested in economic empowerment through the black entrepreneurship program while working to close the gaps in indigenous communities.
    • Important steps were taken with the Release of Canada’s Anti-racism strategy for 2019-2022. The creation of an anti-Racism Secretariat and the Appointment of the first ever Minister focused specifically on Diversity and Inclusion. This is all good but much more has to be done for permanent and transformation change to be made. The government will redouble its effort by taking action on online hate, going further on economic empowerment for specific communities and increasing diversity on procurement as well as building a whole government approach on disaggregated data, implementing an action plan in hiring, appointments and leadership development within the public service and by taking new steps to support the artistic and economic contributions of black Canadian culture and heritage.
    • Progress must also be made through the policing and justice system to give all Canadians the confidence that the justice system is there to protect and not to them. Black and indigenous peoples are over-represented in the justice system and that has to change. The government will take steps to ensure that the strong hand of criminal justice is used where it is needed to keep people safe, but not where it will be discriminatory or counter-productive. We will make investments and introduce legislation that take action to address the systemic inequities in all phases of the criminal justice system, from diversion to sentencing and rehabilitation to records. The government will move forward with enhanced civilian oversight of our law enforcement agencies including the RCMP, modernize training for police and law enforcement including addressing standards for the use of force. It will move forward on RCMP reforms with a shift toward a community-led policing and it will accelerate work to co-develop a legislative framework for first nations policing as an essential service.
    • Our two official languages are woven into the fabric of our country. The defence of the rights of francophones outside Quebec and the defence of the rights of the anglophone minority inside Quebec are a priority for the government of Canada, who must realize that the situation of French is unique. There are almost 8 million francophones in Canada within a region of over 360 million inhabitants who are almost exclusively anglophone. The government therefore has the responsibility to protect and promote French outside and within Quebec. In this vein 51 years after the passage of the Official Languages Act the government is committed to strengthening this legislation – among other things: taking into consideration the unique reality of French.
    • Immigration remains a driver of Canada’s economic growth. With other countries rejecting global talent that could help their economy Canada has an opportunity as we recover to be the world’s top destination for talent, capital and jobs. When people choose, help build and make sacrifices in support of Canada we should make it easier for them to formally become Canadians. Earlier this year the government announced measures to confer permanent residency to people who (although not Canadian citizens had cared for the most vulnerable in long term care homes and other medical facilities. The government will continue to bring in newcomers and support family reunification. There is an economic and human advantage to having families together. As part of short term economic recovery and long term plan for growth, the government will leverage the advantage we have on immigration to keep Canada competitive on the world stage.
    • We must take action on all of these priorities at home but we must also address the world we live in. VOVID-19 has accelerated the existing trend of a more fragmented global order. It remains in Canadas interest to create and maintain bi-lateral and multi-lateral relationships to advance peace and economic prosperity. The government will invest more in international development while supporting developing countries on their economic recovery and resilience. Canada will also support work to ensure that people around the world have access to a vaccine. We cannot eliminate this pandemic in Canada unless we eliminate it everywhere.
    • The government will also stand up for Human Rights and the rule of law. It is unacceptable that any citizen is arbitrarily detained. The two Michaels have to be brought home. The government will continue to fight for free trade including by leading the Ottawa group to reform the WTO. Our like-minded allies and partners are investing to ensure their societies emerge stronger – this plan does that as well

Taken together this is an ambitious plan to deal with an unprecedented reality. Protecting and supporting Canadians will remain the top priority although the course of events will determine what needs to be done. The core values that have driven the government from day one … the people asked for change on everything from the middle class jobs to climate change. In 2019 the people chose a parliament which would keep moving forward on these shared goals. In 2020 Canadians expect nothing less.

It is no small task to building a stronger, more resilient country. It will take hard work and a commitment to finding common ground. The Throne speech ended with an appeal for parliamentarians to build a stronger and more resilient Canada for everyone.