Yesterday was the Speech from the Throne delivered to us by Julie Payette. We all heard lots of eloquent words but are those words filled with substance. It is brave reading that promises four main things:
Fight the Pandemic
Support Business and People
Work for a Better Canada
Stand-up for Who We Are
The Liberal Government has done good things to help Canad fight the Pandemic. Canada has maintained a relatively low number of cases compared to your Global neighbours. Wages subsidies and extension place to Employment Insurance and emergency business loans to help keep Canada working safely. Justin Trudeau made a statement that if the government can take on debt to protect the average person they should and that is what he did. If the subsidies and aid were not put into place, the pandemic might look very different for Canada with credit card and foreclosures. The current government acted on the advice of science by listening to Health Officials Canada has been spared in many cases. Canada has placed money into purchasing vaccines as well as manufacturing the same vaccines.
There was mention of fixing EI so it matches the gig economy and other nuances the match our society today. The government is creating programs that will create new jobs and help youth find job experience so they can find meaningful employment. Other programs to create wage subsidies and help small business. The letter even went as far as to describe small business has the backbone of the Canadian Economy.
The Liberal want to make things like cellular and internet connection more accessible to all people by making it more affordable. Also taking up the fight to eliminate homelessness. We will have to wait and see what the plan for this will look like.
Two of the biggest issue of our time that was looming before the pandemic is racism and climate change. The government is still hanging on to Net Zero Emissions, Which mean we will still burn fuel for energy. While it mentions that energy giant in Alberta and British Columbia should at the forefront of this movement but why not fund energy that would leave fossil fuel behind? There will be subsidies to make Electric Vehicles affordable and for Carbon-Neutral Technology development. Then the mention of banning of single plastic.
Racism is a huge issue that has built straight in the Canadian Infrastructure. It can be found it nearly every system in our society. Justin Trudeau is vowing to take this problem on starting with the RCMP. The creation of a new Ministry to aid is diversity and offer training the RCMP so they will become less violent to people of colour and other minorities. The accepting of diversity is, probably the most update thing in this speech but how will the government followup with action what is going t the visible effects that will help end the suppression of indigenous people. Will the government finally move to protect the land rights of First Nations?
Listen to the recording of the speech here
Listen to “Policy and Rights” on Spreaker.