King Charles says he has witnessed a renewed sense of national pride, unity and hope among Canadians.
Charles became the first monarch to deliver the country’s throne speech in nearly half a century on Tuesday.
The speech, which officially opens a new session of Parliament, comes as Canada faces a “critical moment,” said the king.
Charles said the system of open global trade is changing, and so are our country’s relationships with trading partners.
“We must be clear-eyed: the world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War. Canada is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our lifetimes,” he said.
Charles said that while many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the “drastically changing” world around them, there is an “incredible opportunity” for renewal.
Canada, he said, has an opportunity to embark on the largest transformation of its economy since the Second World War.
“All Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away. By staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians,” said Charles.
For example, Charles said, Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Donald Trump have begun defining a new economic and security relationship between the two countries “rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests.”
Canada is also working to strengthen its relationships with reliable trading partners and allies worldwide, he added.
King Charles also reflected on the 1957 visit to Canada by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to open Parliament.
“It is a source of great pride that, in the following decades, Canada has continued to set an example to the world in her conduct and values, as a force for good,” said Charles.
“As the anthem reminds us: the true north is indeed strong and free.”
The speech also reiterated some of the government’s promises, such as a middle-class tax cut, cutting the GST on homes under $1 million for first-time homebuyers and reducing interprovincial trade barriers.
Other commitments included fast-tracking projects of national significance, enhancing border security and hiring 1,000 more RCMP personnel.
The government also plans to bring spending growth to under two per cent annually by “cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication, and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity.”
You can read the throne speech in its entirety here.
Party leaders respond
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters that while the throne speech had a lot of great political talking points, there was no clear plan for the country.
“One slogan dealt with controlling government spending, but there were no specific savings. We saw promises about getting things built, but no mention of oil or gas or pipelines,” he said.
Poilievre said the Conservatives will put forward amendments that will add specific plans to the throne speech.
That includes repealing the Liberals’ Impact Assessment Act, Bill C-69, which he claims has hindered economic growth.
Meanwhile, the New Democrats described what they heard as a “very Conservative” throne speech. Interim leader Don Davies said he is most concerned about the economic message.
“Essentially, they’re cutting revenue to the federal government, and at the same time saying that they’re going to keep spending to under two per cent. That can only mean one thing for Canadians: it means a cut to the public services,” said Davies.
Davies also noted that there was no mention of health-care or Indigenous housing in the speech.
There were some positives, he said, such as a commitment to promote more internal trade and labour mobility.
