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Honourable Members of the Senate,
Members of the House of Commons:
It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome you, in my capacity as the Canadian representative of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, to this, the First Session of the thirty-third Parliament of Canada.
Canadians rejoiced this year in the visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip to the bicentennial celebrations in New Brunswick and Ontario, and to several communities in Manitoba. For Canadians the Monarchy is a precious link to the centuries of history and tradition that form our parliamentary democracy. The Crown symbolizes our democratic values, and helps safeguard the freedom and liberty that are the foundation of our system. The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth personifies the common bond of that association of nations and its ideals. An example to all who would serve, hers is a life consecrated to service.
Earlier this fall Canadians from coast to coast had the unique privilege of greeting His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The welcome accorded His Holiness expressed our respect and esteem. It also reflected the spirit of fraternity and generosity that exists in a Canadian society of diverse races and creeds. Pope John Paul's visit has helped Canadians to see anew that the enhancement of justice and peace can be a reality at home, and must be our vocation in the world. For this, and for his moral and spiritual leadership, Canadians express their heartfelt appreciation.
In these first months of my tenure as Governor General, I, too, have been afforded the wonderful opportunity to travel to the various regions of this beautiful land. The warmth and enthusiasm of the reception I have received from Canadians in Quebec, New Brunswick, and most recently in my home province of Saskatchewan, has touched me deeply, and I look forward with great anticipation to completing my tour of the provinces and territories. It becomes increasingly clear with each passing day that the confidence I hold in the strength, character and goodness of Canadians is well-founded and that we are indeed a rich and privileged nation.
Canadians take pride in the participation of the first Canadian astronaut. Commander Marc Garneau, in the Challenger space shuttle program. His voyage is the latest, and most exciting, of recent Canadian contributions to the conquest of space. We welcome the opportunity to cooperate with the United States in their space program. As a result, Canadians are playing a part in achieving the great benefits to humanity that space exploration can make possible.
In July, all Canadians rejoiced in the brilliant performance of our athletes at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. My government salutes the hard work and dedication of our athletes, coaches and officials. Their excellence serves as a model of national achievement for all Canadians.
Reconciliation and National Unity
This is the inauguration of a new Parliament. Let it be also the beginning of a new era of national reconciliation, economic renewal and social justice. In this spirit, my Ministers will honour the mandate entrusted to them by the people of Canada.
While there are no easy solutions to the great problems facing our country, there is a new will among Canadians to make a fresh start in the search for answers. For the first time in many years all regions of the country are represented in a national government. The mandate received by my Ministers is a magnificent opportunity to build a renewed national consensus.
First, you must critically examine the relationship of Parliament with the people of Canada. Members of the House of Commons will be asked to approve the appointment of a parliamentary task force on reform of that House. The central focus of this task force will be the enhancement of the role of the private member. From that perspective the task force will examine and make recommendations concerning the powers, practices, organization and resources of the Commons.
Second, the massive undertaking that is the government of Canada must be made to respond to the individual citizen, wherever and however it touches him or her. A committee of Ministers headed by the Deputy Prime Minister has begun a review of all government programs. The objective is to reform and simplify the operations of government. From the citizen's standpoint, government will be made more understandable, more accessible, and more sensitive.
The taxation system will be made simpler and fairer and more accountable to the people's representatives in Parliament. The rights of taxpayers must be protected. In particular, legislation will be presented to ensure that no taxpayer has to pay taxes in dispute before an impartial hearing has been concluded.
Thirdly, a priority goal of my Ministers will be to breathe a new spirit into federalism and restore the faith and trust of all Canadians in the effectiveness of our system of government.
A constant process of consultation and cooperation must be restored. My Ministers are regularly meeting their provincial colleagues to eliminate irritants and to improve services to people where the federal and provincial governments have joint responsibilities.
My government's management of federal-provincial relations will pursue three basic objectives: to harmonize policies of our two orders of government, to ensure respect for their jurisdictions, and to end unnecessary and costly duplication.
National unity also demands that the two levels of government cooperate in supporting official language minorities and in fostering the rich multicultural character of Canada. My government is committed to ensuring that the equality of the two official languages-so vital to our national character and identity-is respected in fact as it is in law. My Ministers acknowledge the need for ongoing improvements and for vigilance in this indispensable area of our national life.
The reality of Canada is one of distinct regional identities, each rooted in many generations of history; of diverse cultures; of regional economic strengths: a country of many parts whose people share a profound attachment to one Canada.
My Ministers are determined to achieve a national consensus which will reflect that reality. A national consensus is also needed to reduce the persistent isolation of Canada's regions, to meet the challenges of economic and social disparity, to revitalize the strength of our traditional resource industries, such as agriculture, forestry, mining, the fishery and tourism, and to ensure that our critical transportation and communication links better serve the national purpose.
Ultimately such a new consensus must be reflected in the fundamental law of our land, for it is obvious that the constitutional agreement is incomplete so long as Quebec is not part of an accord. While their principal obligations are to achieve economic renewal, my Ministers will work to create the conditions that will make possible the achievement of this essential accord. In this work, the cooperation of all partners in Confederation will be necessary.
Their generous cooperation is also needed to honour the commitment to Canada's aboriginal peoples contained in the Constitution Act of 1982. For these peoples, as for all Canadians, the high expectations that attended the act of patriation must not be disappointed.
Reconciliation and Economic Consensus Building
Nowhere is the need for national reconciliation more urgent that in Canada's economic life. Our repeated failure in recent years to achieve our economic potential cries out for correction by a truly sustained, co-operative and national effort. First Ministers will meet next week to discuss the agenda for a First Ministers' Conference on the Economy. My government will soon announce the date of a national Economic Summit to bring together important groups in our economy.
Thus are my Ministers embarked on the long, complex and painstaking road of building a national economic consensus. The national Economic Summit will not be the culmination of this process, but its beginning. At the table will be representatives of groups such as consumers, women, native peoples, business,
labour and government. Their goal is to establish a new and productive climate and context for economic decision-making in Canada.
In this regard, there can be no doubt of the importance or legitimacy of the trade union movement in Canada, or of the desirability of both management and labour playing a critical role in the consultative process through which the new national agenda is established.
Discussion of certain economic priorities, an understanding of the respective roles of the principal economic partners, a commitment to some immediate courses of action: such an outcome would make the Economic Summit a success.
Future summits could address in more detail issues such as the enhancement of productivity, and the responsibilities of industry, labour and government in training and technology. Over time, mutual confidence and a sense of shared responsibility for our national economy must lead to consensus on even more basic issues: how to share the benefits of economic growth, how to share the burdens of economic adjustment, how to preserve the integrity of our unique natural environment, and how to ensure that the ideal of social justice is pursued through programs that meet contemporary needs and circumstances.
In the absence of a national consensus, economic under-achievement would be Canada's misfortune for many years to come. The process of consensus-building will engage the private sector partners in consultation and cooperation on economic goals. In such a context, government would act as guide, mediator and catalyst, becoming less intrusive in the private sector but vigilant over the integrity of the national economy and of national standards.
Economic Renewal: A Three Part Strategy
The process of consensus building will take time. Meanwhile there are some important initial steps that the federal government can take to help generate economic renewal. The three-part strategy of my Ministers is to restore fiscal responsibility, remove obstacles to growth, and encourage new investment.
Later this week the Minister of Finance will describe in detail the state of the economy and of federal public finances. He will announce a plan designed to reduce the deficit in an orderly, balanced and fair manner, and to control the growing burden of the public debt.
That we must deal urgently with the deficit is beyond dispute. If allowed to continue to grow out of control, it will consume our available financial resources, undermine our capacity to respond to new opportunities, put increased pressure on interest rates, and inhibit investment and growth in our economy.
Second, my government will pursue approaches to improve the efficiency and flexibility of our capital markets; to improve job opportunities for Canadians through responsive market-oriented training programs; and to increase investments in research and development to improve our productivity. Proposals will be placed before you to improve the market environment by changes in competition laws and the regulatory framework of the financial services industry.
Third, my government will introduce for consideration during this session proposals to enhance risk taking, innovation and reward among entrepreneurs, especially in the small and medium-sized business sector.
Initiative will be taken to stimulate both domestic and foreign investment. My government is determined to regain Canada's reputation as a reliable and profitable place to do business.
This three-part strategy is aimed at renewing economic growth in order to provide the jobs our people need and to address the continuing tragedy of youth unemployment. My government views unemployment as Canada's most debilitating problem and most critical national challenge. For this reason the need to stimulate job-creating investment is urgent. My Ministers will be taking action to address these compelling issues.
My government recognizes that measures to improve and expand skill training and retraining are essential elements of a sound approach to providing job opportunities. During this session, you will be asked to consider an innovative employment strategy that will be cost effective and oriented to the private sector. It will be introduced following intensive consultations with the provinces, labour and business.
Social Justice
My government is determined to ensure that social justice in Canada keeps pace with the changing needs and circumstances of our people. In this respect the most significant development of recent years is the greater participation of the women of Canada and their rightful claim to equality with men everywhere in our society.
As the women of Canada know, there is some distance between the principle of equality, widely accepted, and its reality, still far short of achievement. It is the duty of Parliament and government to help ensure that Canadian society travels that distance as quickly as possible. This will sometimes require the exercise of your power, and it will always need the power of your example.
Economic equality is the vehicle through which women will come to full partnership and participation with men in our society. Parliament has committed the federal jurisdiction to equal pay for work of equal value. My government agrees that this concept is one of the keys to the achievement of economic equality for women. My Ministers will enlist the cooperation of women and men in the private and public sectors in seeking to define further and to implement this concept. My government will also accelerate efforts to increase employment opportunities for women in the federal government and its agencies, boards and corporations.
You will be asked to consider a number of important legislative initiatives, including removal of the discriminatory clauses in the Indian Act, amendments to the Divorce Act, and measures to control pornography and sexually abusive broadcasting. My Ministers will shortly be initiating discussions with the provinces to establish a national system for the enforcement of maintenance orders. In consultation with the provinces, my government will take action to provide additional assistance to the victims of family violence.
My government has as a high priority measures to support and strengthen the Canadian family, which is the cornerstone of our society. The need for accessible and affordable child care has in recent years come to the forefront of the social agenda facing Canada. In an effort to reach a national consensus on options in this area, you will be asked to establish a parliamentary task force on the future of child care in Canada.
Canadians value and support the comprehensive social security system that has been put in place over many years by the federal and provincial governments. Many areas of this system must be strengthened to respond to the changing nature and needs of our society. It is time to recognize also the responsibility we all share to bring those amongst us who suffer from physical and mental disabilities into the productive mainstream of Canadian life.
My government will enter discussions with the provinces aimed at a comprehensive overhaul of the Canadian pension system, including such matters as portability, vesting, survivors' benefits, and pension coverage of women. An important element of this approach will be the consideration of measures designed to encourage Canadians to save for their retirement.
Consultations will also begin with the provinces to consider the most effective means of providing increased federal support for the improvement of community-based health care.
During the coming session, you will be asked to consider legislation to extend the income tested spouse's allowance to widows and widowers aged 60 to 64 regardless of the age of their spouse at death. My Ministers will introduce measures to improve the financial situation of Canada's war veterans.
As a country rich in human resources, Canada owes much to those who have dedicated themselves to cultural, artistic and athletic endeavour. In a variety of areas, my government will be addressing itself to the challenge of encouraging those individuals who inspire Canadians to new levels of excellence.
Law and Public Safety
Canadians are deeply troubled by the incidence of crime, especially crimes of violence, in our society. Most abhorrent to a nation respectful of the law are acts of violence against guardians of the law whom we have appointed to protect us. The recent murders of several policemen in Canada have shocked our people. Parliament shares the sense of sadness and loss felt by the families and colleagues of those policemen who died on duty.
There have been many studies of the corrections system in recent years and there have been numerous successful reforms. But it is obvious that there are grave defects in the system and my government accepts its responsibility to rectify these quickly. Legislation will therefore be placed before you to eliminate certain problems and abuses in the corrections system. Meanwhile administrative measures are being taken to protect better the public and the public's peace officers.
Speech from the Throne
During this session, Parliament will be asked to consider amendments to the Criminal Code to deal more effectively with impaired driving, soliciting, computer crime, and sentencing. We will work closely with the provinces in the areas of family law, crime prevention and assistance to victims of crime.
In the longer term, my government will address, in cooperation with the provinces, other anomalies in the fields of criminal and corrections law that are causing much public concern.
Renewed Canadian Internationalism
In Canada's past there is a luminous tradition of internationalism. Canadians have fought in two World Wars and in the United Nations action in Korea. Our armed forces have served in peacekeeping roles in distant lands. Our statesmen have been at the forefront in the founding of NATO and in the quest for arms control. Our country has successfully championed racial equality at critical moments in the life of the Commonwealth, and through private and public agencies contributed to international development.
It is the purpose of my government to renew this tradition of constructive Canadian internationalism.
Our relationship with the United States affects virtually every aspect of our national life. It is essential to our security and prosperity. It expresses values shared by the free peoples of our two nations. Beneath the myriad of issues to be discussed and conflicts to be resolved, beyond the hundreds of points of contact that take place daily between two governments and two economies, there are wellsprings of trust between two peoples.
My government has taken the initiative to restore a spirit of goodwill and true partnership between Canada and the United States. My government is pleased by the positive response it has received in both the government and private sectors of the United States.
There are many areas where the national interests or the national policies of the two countries diverge or compete. There are, as well, numerous and as of yet untapped possibilities for fruitful cooperation between our two countries. Restoring a climate of goodwill between our governments was an essential step towards the resolution of our conflicts and the realization of our opportunities. My government views this initiative as a confirmation of our national strength and maturity.
Vital as our relationship with the United States is, my Ministers are determined that Canadian internationalism will again be active and constructive in the wider world. The main objectives of my government are clear: to defend freedom and preserve peace; to prevent nuclear confrontation; to improve trading relations; to build a healthier world economy. For Canada, the way to these objectives lies in concerted action with other nations in every part of the world- allies, economic partners, competitors, friends and adversaries. There is surely none with whom a measure of common ground cannot be sought and found in the pursuit of these humane objectives.
My government is determined that Canada will again play its full part in the defence systems of NATO. Only in this way do we earn the right to full consultation and participation in the policies of that alliance. From this prudent and responsible position, Canada will work unceasingly with other nations, in every available forum, to halt the spread of nuclear weapons and prevent their development and use. Patience and perseverance we will need, for in this endeavor even the smallest progress is worthy of the greatest effort.
Canada's opportunity to influence the course of world events lies primarily in sound multilateral institutions. This is as true of economics as it is of defence, of development, and of disarmament.
Canada cannot prosper without international trade. The dominant part played by trade with the United States is obvious, and my government is exploring with our neighbour new approaches to a better and mutually advantageous trading relationship. But geography has also endowed Canada with an oceanic link to the promising new horizons of the Pacific Rim and to our traditional trading partners in Western Europe. My government will pursue with vigour and imagination new opportunities in these areas.
Canada also has a vital stake in the elimination of barriers to trade, commerce and investment on a global basis. In this connection, there is an urgent need for a concerted attack on non-tariff barriers which have become increasingly insidious and more prevalent. Acknowledging that no country, including Canada, is blameless, my government declares its willingness to do its part in a renewed multilateral effort to remove these obstructions in the international marketplace.
Internal Economy Commission
Canada's record in official development assistance has on the whole been constructive. My government recognizes the continuing need for these programs, including support for the cost-effective and valuable humanitarian work done internationally by our voluntary and non-governmental organizations. But it is striking to observe how much hardship has occurred, how much debt burden has increased, how much economic activity has been held back in developing countries because of world recession, unstable markets and trade barriers. A successful attack on these problems will accelerate economic development and social progress in many of these countries. The alleviation of unconscionable human misery will result.
During this session, you will be asked to address this and other commitments and responsibilities of Canada in the world. A special parliamentary committee will conduct a full review of the main components and objectives of our international relations.
My government is convinced that Canada's defence forces urgently require a new definition of their role in keeping with present day conditions. The strategic context in which we defend our own territory and that of our allies has changed considerably since the early 1970s, when the government last carefully considered this matter. My Ministers are undertaking a comprehensive examination of these matters. The purpose is to clarify the mandate of our military and to give them the resources they need to do their job.
A Time For Renewal
This new Parliament is an historic opportunity to overcome past divisions in our country, and to purge the spirit of confrontation from the conduct of the nation's affairs.
The purpose of my government is to renew the confidence of Canadians that Parliament is truly the voice of the people, that government is their servant, and that federalism is the means to harmonize and preserve the splendid diversity of this land.
Above all, my government will enlist the active support and participation of Canadians themselves as we search for a new way of addressing our national responsibilities: a consensus in our economic life, tolerance in our national life, and a deep commitment to social justice and peace, at home and in the rest of world.
Members of the House of Commons:
You will be asked to appropriate the funds required for the services and payments authorized by Parliament.
Honourable Members of the Senate,
Members of the House of Commons:
In the great tasks of national reconciliation, economic renewal, and social justice to which you are called in this Parliament, may Divine Providence guide your every effort.