Throne speech heralds hope of new relationship with Aboriginal Peoples

The cut was a key campaign commitment by the Liberals.

Any Canadians looking for clues in the speech as to the future of high-profile pipeline projects like Energy East; the military mission against the Islamic State; or reform of the Communication Security Establishment, Canada’s electronic spy agency, were likely disappointed on Friday.

“Parliament shall be no exception”.

Several new Canadians, including Syrian refugees, and local high school students, greeted Johnston and Trudeau as they walked to the Senate.

Day anticipates more details will be available following Johnston’s address.

The speech also indicated that the new government would create a new relationship with aboriginal governments and people.

It expands on five well-worn themes that were central to the Liberals’ stunning upset victory in the October 19 election.

The Governor General also stated that there is also an objective to invest in infrastructure in order to boost the economy.

The cumulative deficit the Liberals propose to run over the next three years tops $25 billion, with the deepest yearly deficits in the next two years, when they are planned to reach nearly $10 billion a year. Rather, it promised more generally to produce “a fiscal plan that is responsible, transparent and suited to challenging economic times”.

On pensions, the government says it will “work with the provinces and territories to enhance the Canada Pension Plan”.

Trudeau pledged “greater openness and transparency in government”, Senate reform and to consult on election-law changes to end the so-called first-past-the-post electoral system.

Former prime ministers John Turner, Joe Clark and Jean Chretien sat together to Johnston’s left – perhaps meant to celebrate the non-partisanship that is sometimes required even in the most political of venues. It did not specifically repeat Trudeau’s campaign promise to meet with the premiers to hash out a national climate change strategy within 90 days of the United Nations climate change conference underway now in Paris.

“As part of efforts to restore public trust, the Government will introduce new environmental assessment processes”, Johnston read.

The pledge came Friday as the government launched its parliamentary agenda with a throne speech that zeroed in on some of the main planks from the Liberals’ election platform.

“I think that the chiefs and indigenous people across Canada have been heartened by what exactly is in the mandate letter of every minister”, Bennett said in an interview with The Canadian Press.