Summary: Speech from the Throne

Today, the House of Commons resumed sitting for the first time since the federal election on September 20, 2021. Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon, outlined several priorities for the federal government in the historic Speech from the Throne.

As businesses experienced through pandemic support programs like wage and rent subsidies, federal decisions and policies have real and immediate impacts to Calgary’s business community. In light of this, we share a summary of today’s Speech from the Throne, including indications of government’s key priorities over the coming months.

The Speech from the Throne outlined three key priorities:

1. Pandemic response and recovery
2. Economic growth for everyone
3. Fighting climate change

Pandemic response and recovery

• Securing COVID-19 vaccines boosters and for kids from 5 to 11.
• Strengthening our healthcare system and public health supports, particularly for vulnerable groups.
• Addressing heightened issues of accessibility, delayed procedures, mental health and addiction and long-term care.
• Improving data collection across health care systems.

Economic growth for everyone

• Addressing affordability challenges through housing and childcare investment.
• Introducing a Housing Accelerator Fund to help cities build more quality housing, faster.
• Introducing programs to make home ownership more achievable for first-time home buyers including a more flexible First-Time Home Buyer’s Incentive, a new Rent-to-Own program and by reducing closing costs.  
• Continuing the Canada Child Benefit and increasing it to align with cost of living.
• Continue building a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system with average fees for regulated childcare halved by the end of 2022 for most provinces and territories.
• Increasing immigration levels and reducing application wait times.

Fighting climate change

• Focusing on innovation and creating green jobs.
• Collaborating with provinces, municipalities, Indigenous communities and the private sector to attract investors and access global capital.
• Capping  oil and gas sector emissions and accelerating the path to a net-zero future.
• Investing in public transit and mandating sale of zero emissions vehicles.
• Increasing the price on pollution.
• Creating the Canada Water Agency to protect water resources and support farmers.
• Strengthening proactive measures to prepare for natural disasters, including development of a National Adaptation Strategy.

The Speech from the Throne also signaled priorities in other areas including creating safer communities, addressing systemic racism and discrimination, increasing the pace of reconciliation efforts and strengthening Canada’s stance on global social justice issues.

As the voice of Calgary’s business community, the Calgary Chamber engages directly with the federal government to ensure the views and needs of businesses are reflected in government decisions, investment and public policy. Here is what we are calling on the federal government to take action on this session.

If there are additional priorities or policy issues you would like us to share on your behalf, please let us know by reaching out to policy@calgarychamber.com.