Liberal government launching third term with a throne speech focused on lingering COVID-19 crisis

The Liberal government starts its third term in office today with a speech from the throne delivered by Gov. Gen. Mary May Simon — and a plan to pass a flurry of legislation before the Christmas break.

Just over a year ago, May Simon's predecessor Julie Payette delivered a throne speech to a nearly empty Senate chamber as COVID-19 cases mounted and the economic picture looked murky at best.

The Liberal government — facing persistent questions about its handling of a summer student grants contract with WE Charity — had just prorogued Parliament to hit the reset button on a second term that had been consumed by COVID-19 and the fallout over that contract.

Today, the situation looks quite different. Payette is gone, social distancing rules have been relaxed. The pandemic isn't over but the country's high vaccination rate has kept COVID-19 in check.

The government is on reasonably solid ground politically after being returned to power in the September election. The economy, beset by snarled supply chains and rising inflation, is facing its own share of challenges but government largesse has bolstered household savings.

"Their second term was really swallowed up by COVID-19," said Lori Turnbull, an associate professor of political science and director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University. "So this is a real moment of reset for the government, even more than a typical speech from the throne would be."

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Liberal Government House Leader Mark Holland said May Simon's speech will be focused on the health crisis and new programs to help a beleaguered country.

"It will focus very heavily on the circumstances of the pandemic and putting the pandemic behind us and continuing growth," he said.

Holland said the speech will announce new financial support for sectors that are still "adversely impacted by the pandemic." During the last election campaign, the Liberals promised to extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program — which subsidizes businesses that hire new workers — until March 2022, and to prop up a hard-hit arts and culture sector.

Today's speech also offers the government a chance to telegraph some of its early legislative priorities.

After months of lobbying by the opposition NDP, unions and other groups, the Liberal government is expected to soon table legislation to require that all federally regulated workers have access to at least 10 days of paid sick leave. The Liberal election platform said that the goal is to solve the "dilemma" of workers "going to work sick or not having enough money to put food on the table."

To curb anti-vaccination protests at hospitals and other health care facilities, the Liberal government will introduce a bill to criminalize these demonstrations.

"These are the folks who are on the frontlines of keeping us safe. I think it's the smallest thing that we can do to make sure that they themselves are safe in their work," Holland said.

"We have seen how they have been menaced in a number of different circumstances. That is totally and utterly unacceptable."