In highlighting government agenda and priorities for the coming months, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, confirmed a middle of the road approach focused on the middle class and minority groups, carrying over much of the same priorities established by the last Liberal Government.
A few priorities stood out from the point of view of potential social and economic outcomes for Canadians:
- Health care accessibility and support
- Continued COVID-19 aid supports
- Housing affordability initiatives and implementing the $10-day childcare deals
- Moving on climate action
- Accelerating Indigenous reconciliation efforts and appointing a ‘Special Interlocutor’ to advance justice on residential schools
- Following through on pledges to fight systemic racism, sexism, discrimination
- Implementing promised legislation including a ban on LGBTQ2S+ conversion therapy
The Government will reintroduce the proposed Act for the Substantive Equality of French and English and the Strengthening of the Official Languages Act, projects of importance for CAPE given its prior involvement in the 2019 review of Canada’s Official Languages Act.
The Government’s reaffirmation of its commitment to gender equality, to fighting anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and that it will pursue the implementation Anti-Racism Strategy gives reassurance that diversity, equity, and inclusion remain a priority.
As for the national deficit, steps to address economic recovery were absent from the Speech, leaving little indication about measures considered at this time. Unions typically pay great attention to how a government might want to address a deficit, looking for signs of unjustified measures that might adversely affect federal public service employees directly or indirectly.
CAPE will continue to advocate on behalf of its members to keep the current Government accountable for these promises and others made during the last federal election.
Future interactions with elected officials and senior government officers outside collective bargaining activities will focus on our top priorities, which include but are not limited to, the 13 themes listed here.
The Speech from the Throne was delivered on November 23rd, 2021, by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary May Simon, Governor General of Canada, which opened the first session of the 44th Parliament.
