Trudeau promises ‘ambitious’ fall plan
THRONE SPEECH
OTTAWA • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed Wednesday he doesn't want a fall election, but he was clear his government will have a bold vision to offer in the coming throne speech if the opposition parties push for a trip to the polls.
“I have been very clear. The government has no interest in seeing an election this fall,” he said. “It will be up to the opposition parties to decide whether or not they have confidence in the plan this government's going to put forward to help Canadians to build a better future.”
After proroguing Parliament last month and shutting down several committees looking into the WE Charity scandal, the Liberals will return to the House of Commons in less than two weeks on Sept. 23 with a throne speech. Trudeau has said it will aim to build Canada back better than it was before the pandemic.
He said that, particularly in a minority Parliament, it makes sense for the government to hear from opposition parties about his government's plan and receive their endorsement, before pushing forward with it.
Trudeau made the comments in Toronto, after announcing a $93 million investment to help Black business owners grow and expand their businesses.
Few details on the throne speech are available, but several reports indicate the government aims to bring in billions in new spending on top of the record-setting COVID related deficits.
“People are eager to see what's going to be in the throne speech and I've been very clear that it is going to be an ambitious, responsible plan for helping Canadians right now and building a stronger future for us all in the coming years,” Trudeau said.
Previously Trudeau had set a debt-to-GDP ratio of 30 per cent as a fiscal anchor on government spending, but he declined Wednesday to specify if the government would set a new limit on borrowing.
“We will be putting forward a strong ambitious plan to help Canadians right now, and begin the process of building back better, our country and our economy.”
Trudeau said the throne speech would be focused on “making sure that all Canadians have a real fair chance to succeed. Recognizing the inequities that COVID-19 has highlighted, knowing that the future of jobs and opportunities for Canadians involves making sure we're reducing our carbon emissions.”
He said he doesn't regret the billions the government spent on Canadians during the early days of the pandemic, because it prevented Canadians from having to go deeper in debt on their own credit cards.
“We will continue to be there for Canadians because we know that Canadians are more than able to get us through this and out to the other side, even stronger than ever before,” he said. “This government will always be a partner to them every step of the way.”
Trudeau said he would be reaching out to opposition parties in advance of the speech and said his government had consistently been open to suggestions.
“We have consulted with opposition leaders. We've worked with them. We've worked with members of all parties who come forward to highlight gaps, issues and concerns.”
COVID-19 cases climbed again on Wednesday and provincial health officials have taken small steps to pull back on the reopening of the economy. British Columbia's top health official, Dr. Bonnie Henry, moved to close nightclubs and banquet halls in response to an increase in cases in that province, and Ontario is putting a pause on any further re-opening of the economy.
Trudeau stressed the pandemic is not over and people must remain vigilant.
“We are all still living in an emergency. COVID-19 is here and is going to keep being here in our communities, until such a time as we have a vaccine,” he said. “Canadians need to continue to be vigilant, Canadians need to continue to be careful, to wear a mask, to wash their hands, to keep social distancing, to avoid large gatherings.”
He said returning economic activity is a good sign, but it has to be done carefully, or Canada will face restrictions and lockdowns again.