Trudeau’s throne speech aimed directly at Canadians’ anxieties in turbulent times
Global News
From flooding in British Columbia to great power rivalry, the Liberals’ throne speech sought to reassure Canadians the government has their back.
Tuesday’s throne speech tempered the optimism of the Liberals’ election campaign with a more hard-nosed acknowledgement of Canadians’ collective anxiety.
The speech, which set out the Liberals’ governing priorities in a second straight minority parliament, still had a hint of “building back better” after the COVID-19 crisis and being “bold” in meeting big challenges.
But the document was shot through with the recognition that Canadians are increasingly concerned about what the post-COVID future will look like, while still processing the 18 hard months since the pandemic began.
“From the grief and pain of residential schools to the fear of threats to our natural environment to the profound impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this past year has been hard on all of us,” Gov. Gen. Mary Simon wrote in her introduction.
“Confronting the hard questions will not always be easy or comfortable — and it will require conviction — but it is necessary.”
The rest of the speech focused on those hard and necessary questions, and there wasn’t a lot of comfort to be had.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s team opened with the immediate threat to British Columbians forced from their homes by floodwaters, vowing that the federal government will be there with support. But the top billing, in terms of concerns, went to the economy — and the cost of living crunch affecting people across the country.
“Inflation is a challenge that countries around the world are facing. And while Canada’s economic performance is better than many of our partners, we must keep tackling the rising cost of living,” the document read.