The new federal Parliament resumed officially today with the Speech From the Throne. It was the first Throne Speech delivered by Governor General Mary Simon since she was installed this past summer.

The Speech focused on several themes:

• Health;
• Economy;
• Climate action;
• Safter communities;
• Diversity and inclusion;
• Reconciliation; and
• A secure, just and equitable world.

As is typical from these governing documents, the Speech was light on details. However, municipal issues were present in the Speech. A few commitments that may be of interest to AMCTO members are:
 

• Work with the Provinces and Territories among others to strengthen the healthcare system and health supports for Canadians
• Build more units per year, increasing affordable housing, and ending chronic homelessness through programs like the Housing Accelerator Fund
• Continue to build Canda-wide early learning and child care system
• Invest in public transit and mandate the sale of zero emission vehicles
• Create the Canada Water Agency
• Develop a National Adaptation Strategy to address floods, wildfires, droughts etc.
• Introduce mandatory buy-back of banned assault-style weapons and work with Provinces and Territories that want to ban handguns

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has indicated that they are encouraged by the inclusion of municipal priorities in the Speech.

Read the full Speech here.