Author: Stephen Taylor

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.

I just finished up as a guest on Aphrodite Salas’ show in Montreal after being invited to speak on the topic of Harper’s alleged control of the media’s access regarding his cabinet ministers. During the election, Salas’ producers called and re-scheduled more than a couple times as the dynamic schedule of the election and even that of this blogger’s life were often incompatible with each other (especially for early morning radio). Now that things aren’t as hectic, I’m glad that I had the privilege of appearing on Salas’ show as an invited guest. Her producer was very accommodating and Salas is a good host.

Anyways, there are a few points that I’d like to make (or make clear) that may have briefly come up during the short discussion:

• The current media preference of blocking up any ministerial escape after cabinet is not a constitutionally protected tradition of Parliament or anything to that effect. Certainly, Harper’s communication team is changing the routine and they certainly have a right to do so.
• It’s always a slow news day/week when the media does a story on itself and how its job is becoming more difficult.
• This IS a communications strategy! This IS a political strategy! Welcome to Ottawa. Harper is going to have to balance his control of information with the story that he’s controlling the flow of information. It’s obviously a carefully measured plan.
• The upstairs lobby may have served as a good area to scrum in the past, but the number of reporters/technicians/cameras packing that hallway is not ideal. Consider also that the location at which this scrum packs in is also the nodal point which leads to the opposition member’s gallery, the Speaker’s gallery, the main access stairway for the PM and cabinet to the House of Commons. Moving these large scrums downstairs to the main lobby is more accommodating.
• The head of the Parliamentary Press Gallery has noted that Stephen Harper has been the most-available PM to the PPG in many years.
• As a blogger, I have to make my own calls and create my own opportunities. Granted, the reporters that Harper’s new strategy affects the most are the television people who need their image, whereas print journalists can pick up the phone and get a comment from a minister.
• The House opens today, there will be plenty of access.