Summer finally

Tags

C-91, Canada., Gauguin, Indigenous language, natives, NGC, Ottawa, Parliament

We returned from Ottawa a few days ago, it was our first visit in 3 years. A 90 minute quiet flight from Charlottetown. The plane a regional jet 50 seats was half empty and it was the same upon our return, strange it should be full at this time of the year but the weather has been so cold and rainy, not pleasant for tourists or us.

We saw a lot of people in Ottawa and I got to visit the National Gallery of Canada and meet with my old colleagues. Very kindly gave me a 90 minute presentation on the wonderful changes in the museum. Very impressive, the NGC is amongst the top 10 art galleries in the world. The new Canadian and Native wing is spectacular, in the set up of the gallery both the Algonquin and Ojibway people were brought in for consultations on how to display the various artifacts. All of it is displayed with sensitivity amongst Canadian art of the same period. I also visited the other galleries on Renaissance and Baroque art, modern and contemporary. A computer now controls all the LED lights and is programmed to sense when a gallery is empty of people or when people walk in, the computer adjust lighting accordingly. Doors open by themselves as you approach given their size its a good thing. The museum now has 2 restaurants and a coffee shop and a new revamped gift shop with beautiful books.  I do miss the National Gallery.

On the steps leading to the NGC Director’s Office, words by Joi T. Arcand of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. Written in Plains Cree (Y dialect) expressing hope and encouragement to all Indigenous people who struggle to keep their language alive.

Note to readers yesterday was the last day of the 42sd Parliament of Canada, the House rose for the Summer and will not reconvene since we will have a general election in October. The House and Senate passed bill C-91 a new law to protect 60 Native languages in Canada. This will give official recognition to indigenous languages and create a position of Native language commissioner similar to the one we have for French and English, Canada’s 2 Official non-indigenous languages. Also today in Montreal, Amherst street in the downtown core named after a British General who committed crimes against humanity in the 1750’s against Native groups in Canada by distributing contagious smallpox infected blankets to natives in an act of genocide. The street will now bare a Iroquois name ATATEKEN, meaning peace and brotherhood.

Entrance to the renovated and re-organized gallery. Well worth a visit and take an audio-guide, so you understand what is on display. This multi-million dollar project was part of the Canada 150 Celebration.

I also visited the other galleries of renaissance, baroque and modern art. Many things have changed and it was a pleasure to see many of the art works I knew well and had presented in the past.

This work is entitled: Olive Garden of Eden by Chloe Wise of Montreal. Using a marble podium it becomes the overwrought support for a toppled Cesar salad – an ”Italian” food stuff invented by émigré Cesar Cardini in Mexico in 1920. Wise who is known for her realistic sculptures, here plays on notion of artifice and authenticity in our Western consumer society, obsessed with branding and marketing.

Charles Meynier, 1810, Wisdom (Minerva) defending youth from the arrows of Love. This French painting done at the height of Napoleon’s Empire presents the young hero  poised between a life of empty sensual pleasure at the sight of the sleeping Venus and one of struggle and glory. Minerva shield defends him from the arrows of love. The idea of his sacrifice to duty resonates here with the Empire’s cult of military virtue and service to the Nation. Hopefully he makes the right choice.

The Court of the reflecting pool whose bottom is the ceiling to the other hall entrance to the museum below.

The garden Courtyard re-imagined in a Japanese style design.

My colleagues also invited me to visit the Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) exhibit of self-portraits. It gave a good background on his life and family, he was married and had 5 kids, though his wife left him and returned with said children to Denmark when he decided to quit his job as an investment banker and become a full time painter travelling around the world and dying at 54 in French Polynesia.

It is the eye of ignorance that assigns a fixed and unchangeable color to every object; beware of this stumbling block.

I was not aware that he worked with many French artists like Monet, Césanne, Matisse but also with Van Gogh. He was a friend of French poet Mallarmé.

Gauguin self-portrait with yellow Christ, c.1897

 

 

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This Month in Canada

Tags

CPC, hate, JWR, Oil, Parliament, pipelines, Prime Minister, Speech, Yellow vests

For the last few weeks we have been bombarded on the news with an alleged scandal based on an unverified account of interference based on anonymous allegations of undue pressure on the Attorney General of Canada by a senior member of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Globe and Mail published the story and it has been a circus ever since. As of today, 15 days after the story broke the allegations are still un-verified and we have no idea who spoke with the G&M. The newspaper has made no effort to verify the story.

The CBC and other papers owned by Post Media (a right wing media organization akin Fox News) all have repeated the allegations endlessly and with much speculations and innuendoes, we are now analyzing body language and every sentence for hidden meaning, it is very tiresome.

The story surrounds the Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould who in a recent Cabinet shuffle was moved to the Veterans Affairs Portfolio. The undue pressure allegedly by the PMO was over the trial of the engineering firm SNC-Lavalin which has 9000 employees and operates around the world. It is headquartered in Montreal. Apparently this important company wanted to avoid prosecution over charges of corruption in Libya prior to the overthrow of Muhamar Ghaddafi. After the story broke Jody Wilson-Raybould resigned her Cabinet position. She also claimed that she could not speak about the matter at all, citing Client-Solicitor privilege, in Canada the Attorney General is the lawyer of the Government and there is also the matter of Cabinet Secret. So this gave an opening to all those who wish to see PM Trudeau out of Office to suddenly attack. In the House of Commons the Conservative leader Andrew Scheer spoke of criminal behaviour, of issues that would destroy the country if not cleared, etc.. much theatre. The media loves it and speculate over every pronouncement. However Mr Scheer suddenly realized that what he was saying outside the House of Commons on Twitter could lead to criminal charges of defamation against him, so he stopped speaking outside the House and only made statements in the House where he enjoys immunity.

Then a caravan of 60 trucks appeared on Parliament Hill, the Canadian yellow vest movement which is a largely white supremacist and nativist organization promoting a hate agenda against immigrants and anyone who disagrees with their view point. Senator David Tkachuk Conservative from Saskatchewan, spoke with them and advocated murdering all those Liberals. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer also spoke to the group surrounded by hate message calling for the Prime Minister to be killed. Today the CBC was comparing Donald Trump to PM Trudeau, it is that gross of a media manipulation of a non-story.

So this is the circus provided by Western Canada. For 3 years now we have had pipeline politics in Alberta, by far the richest province in Canada with a population of 2.5 million producing oil in the dirty Tar Sand variety. The price of oil are not what they use to be, World markets and other economic factors all played a role in keeping prices down for crude. Companies are no longer interested in building pipelines the economic case cannot be made. So Conservative politicians allied to the Alt-Right demand that the Government of Canada build them. This year 2019 is an election year so anything goes.

Very sad but it looks like the Conservatives have taken a page or two from the GOP and people like US Senator Mitch McConnell.

As you can see the truckers from Western Canada were a very small group about 150, not the mass demonstration the media was claiming.

Moving

Tags

Canada., House of Commons, Ottawa, Parliament, renovations, Senate

Just before the Christmas break, Parliament and the Senate in Ottawa closed down for the last time in the Central block. For the next 15 years they will sit in temporary locations. The House of Commons will sit in what was the Courtyard of the West Bloc, a building that dates back to 1864 when Ottawa was still a mud town and the Senate will move to the old Railway Station across the street.

Since 2000 what are the 3 main buildings of the Parliament in Canada have been undergoing major renovation and retrofitting. Both the West and East blocs are original to 1864 and only minor cleaning and repair had taken place in the last 136 years. The West bloc was designed to house offices for members of Parliament and some Federal government departments. The East bloc was designed to house the Office of the Governor General, the Cabinet and the Department of Foreign Affairs. With the years and the growth of the Canadian Government after 1918, all that changed. The original Central bloc burnt to the ground in a spectacular fire in 1917 caused by a cigar butt left in a reading room. Only the Library of Parliament survived the massive fire because the Librarian seeing the smoke at the end of the corridor had to good sense of closing the steel doors thus protecting the Library from the flames. So in 1919  new Central bloc was inaugurated, the new building had an entire steel skeleton, a novelty then and a very tall clock tower now called the Peace Tower. However since then again little renovations had been done. The building though magnificent was having more and more mechanical system failures in the last few years.

The renovated West Bloc re-opened last week with the House now sitting in a very modern room for the next 15 years, the cost of this one building $863 million dollars CDN. It is a smaller building than the Central bloc and most Members have their offices in other buildings in the Parliament district, but that did not stop the media and some members of complaining about the small building. I worked in that building in 1979-81 and I do not remember it being that small, it is very grand inside with marble floors and grand staircases.

The Senate which in Canada and according to our Constitution is an un-elected body now sits in the Old Union Station, which was closed in 1965, converted into a government conference centre but mostly unused for years. It was a very badly neglected building with water infiltration etc. It too was completely renovated at great cost.

But that is not all, other buildings around the area, like the Confederation Building, the Justice Building, the Old Metropolitan Life building at Wellington and Bank street, the Bank of Canada, the Supreme Court all have been renovated or are about to be renovated. The total cost is estimated at around $3.1 billion dollars, but the Central bloc alone will probably cost $1.2 billion to renovate. The reason for such high cost is that the buidings are full of sculptures, stained glass windows, chandeliers and artifacts, so the work has to take place around it all without damaging or displacing any of it.

The photo above shows the great Lion clutching in his paws the Coat of arms of Canada, he stands at the main door of the Central bloc under the Peace Tower, you can see how the stone is intricately carved with flora and fauna of Canada, well the inside is just the same, it all means something. In the distance on the photo is a part view of the West bloc.

Computerized rendition of the West Bloc with the big blue roof covering the old Courtyard.

The new visitor entrance located between the West Bloc and the Central Bloc on Parliament Hill.

The temporary House of Commons built inside the Courtyard of the West Bloc, 20 steel columns hold up the glass roof. The public galleries are far larger and there is also many more seats for the Members of Parliament, in the next 15 years to population of Canada will increase so the architects thought of adding extra space to the existing 338 member seats.

The Senate building

This is the old waiting room of the railway station transformed. The permanent furniture has not been installed yet, this is just a mock up of plain wood desk.

This bronze wall was installed with images of the rockies, the door leads into the Senate Chamber. The employees of the Senate negotiated the return of one of the old waiting room seat with tiffany lamps from the museum where it was sent in 1966. A nice touch to the old railway station.

 

November 6, 1867

Tags

150, Anniversary, Canada 150, Canada., Parliament

On this day 150 years ago just a few months after the Dominion of Canada was proclaimed in Ottawa, Parliament opened and the House of Commons sat for the first time.

The two Mace, one for the House of Commons and one for the Senate of Canada, symbol of the authority of the Crown as exercised through the elected Parliament. They are paraded every day at the opening of the Sessions in the House and in the Senate. Only the Sergeant at Arms can carry the Mace, followed by the Gentlemen Usher of the Black Rod and the Speaker.

The original centre block of Parliament in 1867 which housed the House of Commons on the left of the photo and the Senate on the right, this building will be destroyed in 1916 by a fire started by a cigar butt left in the Reading Room.

So to mark this sesquicentennial today in the House of Commons several retired Prime Ministers were present, the Right Honourable Joe Clark (C), John Turner (L), Brian Mulroney (C) and Paul Martin (L).

Also two retired Speakers were present John Bosley and Peter Milliken and some retired Senators all sitting in the gallery of the House of Commons.

The Canadian House of Commons 

Parliament today, much bigger than the original after its reconstruction in 1919.

 

It was a great day

Tags

2017, Canada Day, Canada., Confederation, Ottawa, Parliament, Prince of Wales, Winnipeg

We had fun yesterday with all our friends.

On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, huge crowds and lots of rain, but the show did go on.

HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, the Governor General and PM Justin Trudeau were there. The noontime speech by the Prime Minister had large parts of it in French and he also acknowledged a fact that Canada is far older than the 150 years. In terms of European settlement and history it goes back 500 years and if you had the idea that Aboriginals have been known to live and prosper in Canada for 15,000 years. So we are an old  country.  Confederation is a political union of various parts into one but you cannot ignore all that went on before.

The Prince of Wales also made his speech in French, many do not think or know that he does speak the language fluently.

The Prince of Wales and Prime Minister Trudeau at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

Here in Charlottetown PEI, we went to see the fireworks at Victoria Park which were spectacular. We had a great view, standing on the lawn of Beaconsfield House facing the open bay. We spent the evening with friends and it was a lot of fun.

In Winnipeg which is a geographical centre of Canada, here is a shot of the intersection of Portage and Main street. Said to be the coldest intersection of the country. The maple leaf is hundreds of people standing in formation.

 

In Ottawa a street sign in front of a house. In French, English and Arabic.

Opening and closing

Tags

Canada., EIIR, Parliament, Queen, Speech, Westminster

This morning the Queen went to Parliament to read what is called the Queen Speech or the Throne Speech as we say in Canada. Because Prince Philip who is 96 is unwell with what appears to be a recurring bladder infection in hospital, it was the Prince of Wales and Heir to the Throne accompanied her.

They arrived by car taking a different route following Birdcage Walk Rd unto Great George Street bringing them directly to Parliament instead of following Pall Mall down through Admiralty Arch.  It is just a 3 minute drive and it was certainly not the leisurely procession by carriage and horse mounted escort seen on such an occasion.

The Queen entered Westminster Palace through the Sovereign’s Entrance greeted by David Cholmondeley, KCVO, Lord Great Chamberlain who is an Officer of the Royal House.

She was not wearing the Robes of State, or the Imperial State Crown as is customary. Prince Charles was in morning dress.

The Crown which arrived in its own late model Rolls Royce, placed on a cushion and carried by one of the Great Officers of the Royal Household, it was placed on the right hand of the Sovereign.  It all had the look of a hurry up event, this scaled back version is the first one since 1974. In fact when the Gentleman of the Black Rod was sent from the House of Peers to the House of Commons to summon the members to attend the Queen, one veteran member of the Labour Party Dennis Skinner said quite loudly, put on your skates, meaning that someone was in a hurry to go to Ascot for the races. Everyone laughed.  It is understood he meant the Queen. The Queen read the speech with no great enthusiasm, going through the paces but trying not to give anything away. This is the Westminster parliamentary system and PM May does have to show that she can govern and given the chance to prove it. It is the same thing in Canada, as long as a Prime Minister has the confidence of the House, he or she can stay in Office.

From the speech it is clear that the current government of Theresa May will not last very long it was a hollow speech with nothing of significance in it. I expect a vote of no confidence and either the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will be asked to form a government or there will be fresh elections. Not a good start to the Brexit talks this week.

In the meantime in Canada, Parliament could go into recess today Wednesday or tomorrow Thursday depending on what the Senate will do with the Budget bill. Much protest by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Senators trying to delay or question the content of the bill and the part relating to the Infrastructure Bank. This is all too strange, it is the Constitutional duty of the Senate to examine and raise question. The Government representative in the Senate, Peter Harder even went so far as too say that it was costing money to delay passage of the Budget bill. As if he was suggesting we could have democracy only if it was on the cheap. In an unheard of move, some government member and Minister Bardish Chaggar, Liberal House Leader even came to the Senate Chamber and stood at the bar to observe the vote of the Senators. This was seen by the Conservatives Senators as an intimidation gesture. What was also strange was the tabling of 4 new bills by the Government, on important matters. Obviously they will not be debated until the House returns in the Fall. There are also rumours of a Cabinet shuffle by PM Trudeau and a possible prorogation of Parliament in the Fall which would see all unfinished business abandoned unless the Government decided to re-table the same bills. It has also been announced that the Governor General David Johnston’s mandate will expire in September. So who will be the new Governor General?  At any rate Members of Parliament are in a rush to go on vacation for the Summer.

The Senate Chamber in Parliament in Ottawa.

 

This and that

Tags

Art Gallery, Farms, Parliament, PEI, Piazza Navona, Rachel Beach, Rome, sculptures, winter, XMAS

Our morning today started with this view looking South to the Hillsborough River from our kitchen window.

Meanwhile in Ottawa in Parliament, the Central Column of the Hall of Honour was decorated with Christmas greenery.

Back in PEI in the countryside this view

While in Rome on Piazza Navona they are having a Christmas Fair.

This evening I was at the Art Gallery of the Confederation Centre of the Arts for a Vernissage of works by Rachel Beach from NYC.

 

Interesting works, she told us that Matisse was one of her inspiration and that her work is all about texture, context, ideas on fabric and colours, forms and shapes and language. Think of ethnography, archeology, symbolism used by all cultures to communicate.

 

 

Parliament is Sovereign

Tags

Parliament, Supremacy of Parliament, UK Parliament, UK Supreme Court

A great principle was upheld in the Courts in London today. The Judges reminded Ms May the British PM that Parliament is Sovereign and that no person can do or undo a law only Parliament can. In typical Conservative fashion she dismissed the Courts saying that she has a mandate from the people, poor Theresa deluded by her lack of understanding of how the Westminster Parliamentary system works. It really does not matter what people voted in a referendum or not, it was a consultation and is not binding, despite what any opinion maker may say.

When Parliament voted on having this referendum on leaving the European Union it was understood that it was a consultation. Mr Cameron who was PM at the time never thought he might loose, arrogant buffoon that he was. It was Parliament who authorized the Government all those years ago to join the European Union and leaving the EU will require Parliament assent. No the PM cannot invoke Royal Prerogative in this case.

Of course the Conservative are appealing this decision to the Supreme Court in London which is composed of 12 judges appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The Doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty is a principle of the UK constitution. It makes Parliament the supreme legal authority in the UK, which can create or end any law.

So we will see now how Brexit goes, this is quite the roadblock for Theresa May and her government. It is likely the Supreme Court will uphold the judgement of today in the High Court. Ms May does not want to go to Parliament because she knows she may very well loose. So Brexit is not such a sure thing after all.

Public Policy and Populist Politics

Tags

Canada., Government, marijuana, Parliament, Politics, reality, social, Trudeau

Politics today is no different than 2700 years ago at the time of the founding of Rome or when Athens was a great City State. Pericles convinced the Citizens of the City of Athens, then a mere village if compared to the megapolis of today, that they should gladly pay high taxes to build the most glorious shrine on the Acropolis to Athena and Diana. Pericles told the Athenians that as Citizens it was their Sacred duty to voluntarily give or pay for this urban project. The first duty of a Citizen is to pay taxes for Polis and thus ensuring the common good. Pericles was a brillant orator and he got his way ensuring his fame for all times by appealing to people’s vanity in a very populist speech.

Rome was no different, Marius the creator of the Roman Legion convinced the Citizens of Rome that all boys and men should serve in the army to defend and protect Rome, they were participating in protecting the homeland. At the age of 12 boys where sent by their parents to learn martial arts daily on the Field of Mars just outside the Pomerium (city limits). This is how you modelled the mind of a good citizen peppering the physical exercise with lessons about the Gods who protect and ensure the greater prosperity and dominance of Rome over the other villages around. Later Julius Caesar would ensure the loyalty of the Legions for his political program by giving all retiring legionnaires a plot of land, tools, slaves and a house. Quite the retirement bonus for soldiers who had protected Rome, he got their undying loyalty which explains the civil war after his assassination by wealthy Senators. The hero of the army and people was brought down by the 1%.

His nephew Octavian Augustus, the first and probably the greatest Emperor of Rome followed the same idea of public policy and populist politics. He had a political program based on glorifying his family by claiming descent from the Gods and a family link to Aeneas the hero of Troy whose mother was Venus (Aphrodite). Augustus wrote the Res Gestae (achievements) which can still be read today on the wall of the monument to Augustus the Ara Pacis, to me the most beautiful monument in the world. One of his achievements to have come to us is Family Law. Augustus in his speeches would always take the common sense approach which resonated with lots of people.

The political idea was to give something the public wants but give it in small doses and keep them wanting more. Promote the idea that you as political leader are progressive and a protector of the interest of the people. Absolute monarchy like France and Russia worked on that idea, the Sovereign was the protector, guardian, defender of the people, he provided good guidance to ensure the well being of his subjects. People were convinced that if anything should happen to the King, their lives would be miserable and uncertain, so that even in harsh times of famine or war, you could not blame the Sovereign, outside forces created your misery.

Recently I read a very good blog entry by sporeflections.wordpress.com who gave a clear and concise medical point of view on what many physicians think of legalizing Marijuana.

Reading it made me think that in Canada our politicians love to pander to the whims of the people if there is a possible vote and money in it. In the case of legalizing marijuana there is also the added political bonus of huge tax revenues without creating a new unpopular tax. Yes there will be a sales tax on the sale of marijuana but given that the public wants the weed, they will gladly pay to ensure gratification. Same way cigarette smokers keep on smoking despite the very high price on a pack of cigarette. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likes to portray himself has a hip guy, as he says to his critics, he is doing this because we are in 2016 after all, thus portraying the opposition as retrograde and boring. The danger with this approach is the public’s perception that what they want is good and this belief is confirmed in the Chief Magistrate’s approach to Law making. We have the same dilemma with bill C-14 The assisted dying bill, where doctors would be able to help end the suffering of a patient who is facing unbearable suffering at the end of life.

Many people are in favour of this bill, who wants to see a love one suffer when there is no possibility of improvement or saving a life. However the way the bill is written right now offers all manner of restrictions and is not what the Supreme Court allowed in its judgement 6 months ago. Trudeau is pandering to public sentiment, he knows that public opinion might be in favour of medically assisting someone in a terminal phase of life but the public has voiced strong opinions that this help should not be granted to someone under 18 yrs of age or someone who is mentally handicapped. The Supreme Court did not impose any such restrictions in its ruling. The bill is now in committee in the Senate and amendments are coming which the House will have to consider and it appears that PM Trudeau will accept them or so he says. He could then simply state that he is following the advice of the Senate, the amendments may very well go further than what the public is willing to accept. The paradox is that at the moment because there is no Law on assisted dying, it is permissible for a doctor to help out a dying patient without any legal consequences if the request is made, the old Law was struck down as un-Constitutional by the Supreme Court.

The danger of course is that the public is fickle and will go for anything perceived at making life easier not necessarily good. The politicians know that a drunk driver or a driver under the influence of drugs is dangerous, but the responsibility is passed on to another level of government in this case municipal to deal with it. The plus side for the Federal Government is tax money and lots of it.  No one can foresee the social problems this will engender and by the time reality strikes, current politicians will be gone from Office.  Not exactly a responsible way to govern but then again politics is the Art of the possible and perception is everything.

 

 

 

Speech from the Throne

Tags

Canada., Parliament, Sovereign, Speech, Throne

Today 4 December the Governor General came to Parliament to read the Speech from the Throne, which  takes place in the Senate Chamber. Since the time of Charles I,(1640) the Sovereign is not allowed in the House of Commons. The Speech from the Throne is the Government’s program of Legislations and priorities for the coming session.

Prime Minister Trudeau, behind him The Mace, the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Vance who is speaking with Mr Wallace, the two other military officers are the Aide de Camps to General Vance and to the Governor General.

 

Yesterday the House of Commons elected a new Speaker, the Hon. Geoff Reagan and the Prime Minister named the new Speaker of the Senate, the Hon. George Furey.

 

H.E. the Governor General David Johnston read for following;

Honourable senators, members of the House of Commons, ladies and gentlemen:

As the representative of Her Majesty the Queen, I am pleased to be here to deliver the speech from the throne.

A warm welcome to those of you who are returning to your duties as parliamentarians, including those who are returning after an absence. Know that your experience is valued.

Welcome also to the 197 members who are newly elected. Your enthusiasm and fresh ideas will serve your country well.

I call on all parliamentarians to work together, with a renewed spirit of innovation, openness and collaboration.

As Governor General, I have seen first-hand what a great country Canada is – from coast to coast to coast.

And I also know this: We can be even better.

How?

By being smart, and caring – on a scale as never before.

The times we live in demand nothing less.

Canada succeeds in large part because here, diverse perspectives and different opinions are celebrated, not silenced.

Parliament shall be no exception.

In this Parliament, all members will be honoured, respected and heard, wherever they sit.

For here, in these chambers, the voices of all Canadians matter.

Let us not forget, however, that Canadians have been clear and unambiguous in their desire for real change. Canadians want their government to do different things, and to do things differently.

They want to be able to trust their government.

And they want leadership that is focused on the things that matter most to them.

Things like growing the economy; creating jobs; strengthening the middle class, and helping those working hard to join it.

Through careful consideration and respectful conduct, the government can meet these

challenges, and all others brought before it.

By working together in the service of all Canadians, the government can make real change happen.

It will do so in the following ways.

GROWTH FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS

First and foremost, the government believes that all Canadians should have a real and fair chance to succeed. Central to that success is a strong and growing middle class.

The government will, as an immediate priority, deliver a tax cut for the middle class.

This is the fair thing to do, and the smart thing to do for Canada’s economy.

The government has also committed to provide more direct help to those who need it by giving less to those who do not. The new Canada child benefit will do just that.

And recognizing that public investment is needed to create and support economic growth, job creation and economic prosperity, the government will make significant new investments in public transit, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure.

To give Canadians a more secure retirement, the government will work with the provinces and territories to enhance the Canada Pension Plan.

The employment insurance system will be strengthened to make sure that it best serves both the Canadian economy and all Canadians who need it.

To create more opportunities for young Canadians, especially those from low- and middle-income families, the government will work with the provinces and territories to make post-secondary education more affordable.

And to support the health and well-being of all Canadians, the government will begin work with the provinces and territories to develop a new health accord.

The government will undertake these and other initiatives while pursuing a fiscal plan that is responsible, transparent and suited to challenging economic times.

OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT

Second, the government is committed to open and transparent government.

The trust Canadians have in public institutions – including Parliament – has, at times, been compromised. By working with greater openness and transparency, Parliament can restore it.

To make sure that every vote counts, the government will undertake consultations on electoral reform, and will take action to ensure that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.

To restore public trust and bring an end to partisanship, the government will follow through on its commitment to reform the Senate by creating a new, non-partisan, merit-based process to advise the prime minister on Senate appointments.

And to give Canadians a stronger voice in the House of Commons, the government will promote more open debate and free votes, and reform and strengthen committees.

Also notable are the things the government will not do: it will not use government ads for partisan purposes; it will not interfere with the work of parliamentary officers; and it will not resort to devices like prorogation and omnibus bills to avoid scrutiny.

A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT AND A STRONG ECONOMY

Third, the government will prove to Canadians and to the world that a clean environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other.

Protecting the environment and growing the economy are not incompatible goals; in fact, our future success demands that we do both.

Last week, first ministers met ahead of the international climate change talks – a first step in an important and ongoing process.

Working together, the government will continue to provide leadership as Canada works toward putting a price on carbon and reducing carbon pollution.

To encourage economic growth, the government will make strategic investments in clean technology, provide more support for companies seeking to export those technologies, and lead by example in their use.

And as part of efforts to restore public trust, the government will introduce new environmental assessment processes.

Public input will be sought and considered. Environmental impacts will be understood and minimized. Decisions will be informed by scientific evidence. And indigenous peoples will be more fully engaged in reviewing and monitoring major resource development projects.

DIVERSITY IS CANADA’S STRENGTH

Fourth, the government’s agenda reflects that Canada’s strength is its diversity.

Canadians elected a government to bring us together, not to set us against one another.

Canada is strong because of our differences, not in spite of them.

As a country, we are strengthened in many ways: by our shared experiences, by the diversity that inspires both Canada and the world, and by the way that we treat each other.

Because it is both the right thing to do and a certain path to economic growth, the government will undertake to renew, nation-to-nation, the relationship between Canada and indigenous peoples, one based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.

Among other measures, the government will work co-operatively to implement recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, will launch an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls, and will work with First Nations so that every First Nations child receives a quality education.

The government will make it easier for immigrants to build successful lives in Canada, reunite their families, and contribute to the economic success of all Canadians.

In response to a pressing international need, and underscored by Canadians’ desire to help, the government will welcome 25,000 new Canadians from Syria, to arrive in Canada by the end of February 2016.

In gratitude for the service of Canada’s veterans, the government will do more to support them and their families.

The government will support CBC/Radio-Canada, encourage and promote the use of Canada’s official languages, and invest in Canada’s cultural and creative industries.

SECURITY AND OPPORTUNITY

Fifth, the government is committed to providing greater security and opportunity for Canadians.

Canadians are open, accepting, and generous people. We know that helping those in need strengthens our communities and makes them safer, more prosperous places to live.

The government will strengthen its relationship with allies, especially with our closest friend and partner, the United States.

Internationally, the government will focus its development assistance on helping the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.

To contribute to greater peace throughout the world, the Government will renew Canada’s commitment to United Nations peacekeeping operations, and will continue to work with its allies in the fight against terrorism.

To keep Canadians safe and be ready to respond when needed, the government will launch an open and transparent process to review existing defence capabilities, and will invest in building a leaner, more agile, better-equipped military.

And to expand economic opportunities for all Canadians, the government will negotiate beneficial trade agreements, and pursue other opportunities with emerging markets.

Recognizing that Canada is, fundamentally, a safe and peaceful country, the government will continue to work to keep all Canadians safe, while at the same time protecting our cherished rights and freedoms.

To that end, the government will introduce legislation that will provide greater support for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; that will get handguns and assault weapons off our streets; and that will legalize, regulate and restrict access to marijuana.

CONCLUSION

The agenda outlined today is an ambitious one, but it is not one forged in isolation.

Rather, it is the result of conversations with Canadians, who told the government – plainly and honestly – what they need to be successful.

Canadians are confident people. We know who we are, and we know what kind of country we want to live in.

We know the greatness that Canada is capable of, and we know that our success is not only about doing well for ourselves, but also about leaving an even better, more peaceful and prosperous world for our children.

As you consider the important work that lies ahead, remember that Canadians have placed their trust in you. It is now your sacred responsibility to help build that better world.

By focusing on growing our middle class, on delivering open and transparent government, on ensuring a clean environment and a strong economy, on building a stronger Canada, and on providing greater security and opportunity, the government will make real change happen.

It will prove that better is not only possible-it is the inevitable result when Canadians work together.

Members of the House of Commons, you will be asked to appropriate the funds required to carry out the services and expenditures authorized by Parliament.

Honourable members of the Senate and members of the House of Commons, may divine providence guide you in your deliberations and make you faithful custodians of the trust bestowed upon you.