The Throne Speech opened (if you can call it that) a new session of Parliament on Sept. 23 and many people got what they expected: happy thoughts, commitments to fighting climate change and giving away more of your hard-earned money.The almost 7,000-word speech, read by the governor general in the House of Commons, outlined the federal government’s hopes and plans. It confirmed that our government embraces wishful thinking and odd ideas. It gave more time to the aspirations of Black Lives Matter, a U.S.-based militant-socialist group, than to any Canadian group, except indigenous peoples and women. The federal government appeared sympathetic to defunding police, noting that it plans to “move forward on RCMP reforms, with a shift toward community-led policing.”
A bended knee to politically-correct ideas is not where the adults in the room want to go but we’re there.
The speech only mentioned two farm groups: supply management and migrant foreign workers. To the first group, “The government will ensure that those in Canada’s supply managed sectors receive full and fair compensation for recent trade agreements.”
To the second group, foreign migrant workers “have done an outstanding job getting good food on people’s plates. They deserve the government’s full support and protection.”
That leaves out every non-protected agriculture sector, while giving credit, not to the Canadian producers who take the risks and hire foreign workers and pay for their lodgings, but to workers who don’t have a stake in this country.
The federal government eyed three other rural goals:
• Ensure every rural area has access to a family doctor.
• Accelerate connectivity timelines and ensure access to high-speed internet.
• Recognize farmers “as key partners in the fight against climate change, supporting their efforts to reduce emissions.” But there is no indication as to what this means. Does it hint to a break in the carbon tax or just a shout out and thank you very much for carrying the carbon tax burden?
The federal government also laid out how it is going to spend your money. “This is not the time for austerity,” the speech read, which means it’s time to spend big. There will be more money for a national drug plan and daycare and lots of money for the environment. “Climate action will be a cornerstone of our plan to support and create a million jobs across the country.”
The government said it will invest in retrofitting homes, buildings, increase transit, encourage more zero-emission vehicles and products and invest in charging stations across the country.
“Canadians also know climate change threatens our health, way of life, and planet. They want climate action now,” the government asserted. I don’t know anyone who wants climate action now and surveys confirm this but I know a number of people who would like a job.
The speech also iterated that Canada plans to exceed its 2030 Paris Agreement goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 40 per cent, which ensures an even greater economic disadvantage for Canadian exporters. Meantime, China is the world’s largest emitter and continues to increase its blow out of carbon dioxide with no restrictions whatsoever. China also gave the world the coronavirus and has witheld information that would have saved many lives. On China, the speech gave us crickets.
Probably the most discouraging thing about the speech was the commitment to keep government services locked down and kill the majority of restaurants, if a vaccine isn’t here soon. “We trust the science to lead the fight until a safe and effective vaccine becomes available,” the speech affirmed.
The federal government did offer some happy thoughts including, “The government will continue to have people’s backs.”
Unfortunately, on the other side of the street, where most people live and run their businesses, many are already feeling their backs are against a wall.
ntil a safe and effective vaccine becomes available,” the speech affirmed.
The federal government did offer some happy thoughts including, “The government will continue to have people’s backs.”
Unfortunately, on the other side of the street, where most people live and run their businesses, many are already feeling their backs are against a wall.
