Month: April 2006

The Liberals seem to be in automatic opposition mode and conforming with Jack Layton’s earlier constructive language, the NDP appears supportive of the Throne Speech.

NDP priorities included in Throne Speech

(remember, they also claim that they wrote last year’s budget and “invented ‘free’ healthcare”)

NDP Leader Jack Layton says that while he’s encouraged that priority NDP issues like public health care, the creation of child care spaces, electoral reform, and the environment were included in today’s Speech from the Throne, indicating the Conservative government’s willingness to listen to the opposition, he’ll wait to see how committed the new government is to action.

…

If Mr. Harper is serious about making this Parliament work, we will be open to working with him. Canadians want this Parliament to be productive and the NDP’s listening, but we will not move backwards on the progressive values we were elected to represent.

Who’s questioning whether or not Harper wants this Parliament to work? What are the odds that Harper wants to orchestrate his own defeat on his first Throne Speech? Please.

Otherwise, it looks good. The NDP appears to be onside already.

With the NDP and Independent André Arthur, the Conservatives have a majority of votes needed to pass the speech.

It appears that the Conservatives have some backup in Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc as well…

C’est un discours du Trône élaboré clairement dans le but d’éviter la controverse que nous a livré aujourd’hui le premier ministre Stephen Harper. Il s’agit d’un discours sans surprise et sans aspérité, n’apportant pas davantage de précisions ou d’échéanciers sur les intentions du gouvernement conservateur quant à la mise en oeuvre de ses priorités

(It’s a Throne Speech that set out clearly in the goal of avoiding controversy that Stephen Harper delivered to us today. It is a speech without surprises and without asperity, it doesn’t bring the advantage of neither details nor timelines for the implementation of the priorities of the Conservative government.)

The throne speech hasn’t obviously hasn’t upset the Bloc.

The Liberals are in automatic opposition mode:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today laid out his Conservative government’s limited agenda for the 39th Parliament, reiterating the Conservatives’ five top priorities from the campaign and adding two new priorities: federalism and international obligations. Despite these additions, Harper’s speech ignored many key national issues and failed to present a comprehensive national vision for the future of Canada. Harper’s speech ignored many key national issues and failed to present a comprehensive national vision for the future of Canada.

One of the key Liberal talking points is that this PM is only focusing on five priorities. During the election campaign, Conservative researches sent out a press release outlining 56 items that Paul Martin had either declared his #1 priority or a priority that he deemed very, very important. Canadians elected Stephen Harper and his five point plan. The throne speech outlined it again today.

In the Liberal release today, the environmental failings of this 2 month-old government was criticized:

Reneging on Canada’s Kyoto commitments to deal with climate change and the environmental degradation to Canada’s air, land and waters;

Scott Brison is the Liberal critic on the environment. Mr. Brison opposed the Kyoto protocol.

From a variety of sources, I’ve pieced together a few themes about today’s speech from the throne which is set to occur in just under an hour.

I’ve learned that the speech will be very short, just about 30 minutes in length. The Conservative government wants to emphasize a very focused vision for Canada. This seems to contrast with what people often criticized in Paul Martin’s leadership.

The speech will be about ‘turning a new leaf’ which indicates this government’s desire to bring change.

The GG will outline the Conservative vision for Canada which will focus on ordinary ‘working Canadians’. The speech will also introduce the new government to Canadians.

Of course, the main content of the speech will focus on Harper’s five priorities:

• Bringing accountability back to Ottawa
• Helping ordinary Canadians and their families
• Tackling crime
• Providing child care choice and support
• Ensuring Canadians get the health care they have paid for

The throne speech will also have a special nod to Quebec emphasizing that the government will deliver on promises made during the election campaign in that province.

The speech will not outline a big hand-waving emphatic vision for Canada, it will instead indicate to Canadians that the governement is ready to ‘get down to business’ and start working hard for Canadians.

UPDATE: The throne speech may include an apology for the Chinese Head Tax.

UPDATE (now after the speech): David Akin has a PDF of the speech.

UPDATE: It appears that the key Liberal response to the speech is that “it was too short”. I guess that’s how throne speeches go when you cut out all the “very very importants”. Remember, Paul Martin had 56 #1 priorities.

1:16pm: Bill Blaikie calls for order. I assume that he’s looking over the proceedings because he’s the most senior member.
1:18pm: Blaikie casts the last ballot.
1:44pm: The bells have started (5 minutes until the first ballot results are revealed)
1:48pm: Blaikie calls for order.
1:49pm: Peter Milliken has been elected Speaker over Diane Marleau and Marcel Proulx (first ballot).
1:50pm: Milliken is escorted to the Speaker’s chair by the PM and the Leader of the Opposition.
1:51pm: Milliken thanks his constituents and his electors.
1:54pm: Prime Minister Harper rises to speak. Offers his congratulations to Milliken.
1:57pm: Bill Graham rises to speak. Congratulates Milliken and Marleau and Proulx. Graham calls for ordered and dignified behaviour in the House.
1:59pm: Duceppe rises to speak. Congratulates Milliken, thanks other candidates.
2:01pm: Layton rises to speak. Congratulates Milliken, takes the opportunity to point out that his caucus is now bigger. Thanks Blaikie for overseeing the proceedures. Thanks the other candidates. Calls Milliken a person of integrity. Cites Ed Broadbent, calls on everyone to have more civil discussion. Calls for democratic debate (what are you getting at there, Jack?). Layton forgets to invoke Tommy Douglas and ‘working families’ this time…
2:06pm: Milliken announces the memo that the GG will arrive at Parliament tomorrow at 3pm to open the 39th session of Parliament.
2:07pm: Milliken adjourns the House.