BARRHEAD-WESTLOCK-Like most Speeches from the Throne, even though the one Governor-General Julie Payette delivered on behalf of the Justin Trudeau-led Liberal government, was one of the longest speeches in modern memory clocking in at more than 6,000 words, about double of last year's version, was scant of detail.
However, Peace River-Westlock Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP Arnold Viersen said it wasn't without merit. That being said, there weren't enough positives, for himself and the CPC to support it.
Shortly after Payette delivered the speech, CPC deputy leader Candice Bergen said they would not be supporting the speech while the Bloc Québécois and the NDP have said their support is conditional.
If the Speech from the Throne fails to pass the vote scheduled later this week, it would trigger a non-confidence vote, which would mean the government would likely fall.
"I'm a little surprised. I thought they would take a new approach," Viersen said, adding most of the plans the government expressed are things they have talked about before. "I thought they would come up with a radical new approach to governing, given that they prorogued Parliament."
When the government prorogued Parliament, the prime minister said it was to give them time to come up with a long-term road map to help the country deal with the health and economic crisis it is facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Among the priorities listed in the speech was a mix of short- and long-term goals, including a pledge to help provinces improve their coronavirus testing, revise the unemployment insurance system, to replace some of the temporary emergency COVID payment programs, to address systemic racism and to legislate net-zero emissions by 2050.
The government also promised targeted support for sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as travel and tourism, “identify additional ways to tax extreme wealth inequality" and find ways to crack down on tax avoidance by "digital giants."
"All of it sounds expensive, and it is quite vague, but they did tell the truth saying that there is going to be an immense amount of debt and I am curious in how they expect to pay it back," he said.
In addition to the previously mentioned initiatives, one of the government's main focus is the protection creation of jobs.
The government stated through Payette that they hope to create one
"That is good news. I think it has worked well. There were some hiccups at the beginning but we were able to get the government to listen and change some of the eligibility requirements," Viersen said.
He added he was also pleasantly surprised that the Throne Speech talked about child care and the necessity to protect seniors.
Viersen said the Liberals seemed to abandon their previous plans on childcare after the CPC government introduced the Universal Child Care Benefit in 2011.
"It was also good to hear them talking about elder care because this government has spent a lot of time worrying about medically-assisted dying and not so much on medically-assisted living," he said. "I am happy to see the shift in focus."
Viersen was also glad the speech mentioned the government's plan to introduce a rare disease strategy, as part of its commitment to implement a universal pharmacare program. He noted the rare-disease strategy is part of the CPC's platform.
"Recognition that farmers produce the food for the nation was also a pleasant surprise," he said. "I have been an MP for five years and we have been extolling the importance of agriculture and farmers and this is the first time that the Liberals have recognized farmers. I am glad our work has paid off."
Viersen noted he was also pleased that the government have not forgotten about the "two Michaels", who Payette said, "must be returned home."
In December 2018, Chinese authorities detained Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. In June 2018, China formally charged them with espionage. Their arrests came just days after Meng Wanzhou - an executive of the Chinese giant Huawei - was detained in Vancouver, at the request of the US.
"It has been difficult to get the Liberals to even mention their names," he said. "I am going to be fascinated by how they plan to do that given their soft approach with China."
Negatives
While Viersen gave the Liberals credit, he was quick to point out the throne speech's deficiencies.
Most notably, he said he did not hear anything in Payette's address that would help get Alberta's economy back on track. He said the government did not mention anything about repealing Bill C-48, which imposed a moratorium on oil tanker traffic on BC’s northern coast. Opponents of the legislation note it effectively limits the province's abilities to ship its bitumen to one port.
As part of the government's efforts to combat climate change, they plan to introduce tax incentives for companies that build zero-emissions products, and the government has also promised to meet Canada's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
"That is not what Alberta needs to hear. We need to get back to work producing the most ethical energy products in the world, not that we need to transition away from oil," he said.
Viersen was also upset that there was no mention of how the government planned to fight human trafficking.
"Of course the throne speech is just a rough outline of its priorities. The proof is in the pudding. As we go forward, we will be looking for the bills they introduce to bring their vision to fruition," he said. "The first bill will be a good signal to what their priorities are."
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
