The Speech from the Throne: Maintaining Focus
Context
On Tuesday, May 27, the new Mark Carney government opened the 45th Parliament with the Speech from the Throne, delivered by King Charles III. The reigning monarch has only personally performed this duty twice before -- Queen Elizabeth II delivered Canada’s Speech from the Throne in 1957 during her first visit to Canada as Queen, and again in 1977 to mark her Silver Jubilee.
Traditionally, Buckingham Palace makes only small, stylistic edits to the speech, but adds a few of the King’s own words off the top. In those words, the King focused on unity among the many diverse communities of Canada – including First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities – and Canada's unique and influential place in an increasingly volatile world, including a reminder of Canada’s critical role among allied forces. In the portion written by Buckingham Palace, an Indigenous land acknowledgement was included.
Canada is Not for Sale
The act alone of inviting the King to deliver the Throne Speech sends a message to President Donald Trump: Canada is a distinct nation, a member of the Commonwealth and not up for grabs.
The King emphasized Canada's commitment to democracy, pluralism, and self-determination, stating that these values are integral to the nation's identity and will be steadfastly upheld. His conclusion and by far the largest applause-line of the speech was: “... as the anthem reminds us: The True North is indeed strong and free!”
The first substantive section of the speech was entitled “Building new relationships with the United States and the world” and committed to redefine the relationship with the United States – but more substantively, to build a coalition of trading partners and allies outside the United States.
Holding fast to Carney’s Seven Priorities
Less than one week ago, Carney issued a single focused mandate letter to his Cabinet that includes seven priorities. The Speech from the Throne maintains that discipline in policy and messaging. Themes included maintaining fiscal discipline, enhancing Canada’s security and defence capacity, and leaning into technology.
Reconciliation
Within Carney’s seven priorities, reconciliation and economic development with and for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities was not mentioned. The Throne Speech course-corrected in spades with a strong focus on Indigenous economic development.
In the section of the speech written by Buckingham Palace, the King opened with a land acknowledgement and concluded it by acknowledging that reconciliation in both “word and deed” was necessary. He thanked First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples for their “warm welcome” and “hospitality,” saying, "Canada has embraced its British, French and Indigenous roots and become a bold, ambitious innovative country that is bilingual, truly multicultural and committed to reconciliation."
Within the speech, the government committed to:
Protect Charter rights and be a reliable partner to Indigenous peoples, advancing reconciliation.
Support the long-term wealth and prosperity of Indigenous people by doubling the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion, allowing more Indigenous communities to be the owners of nation-building projects.
Uphold free, prior and informed consent.
Build, Baby, Build
Building was a major theme of the speech, including home-building, major nation-building projects and energy infrastructure construction.
The government committed to “identify and catalyze projects of national significance” which will create high-paying jobs. Specific projects weren’t identified, but the speech noted that “speed is of the essence.” The government committed to create a new Major Federal Project Office, and part of its job will be to reduce the time needed to approve projects to two years – down from five – without sacrificing environmental reviews.
On home-building, the government committed to double the rate of home-building and use Canadian tech, Canadian skilled workers and Canadian lumber. The government will create a new organization called Build Canada Homes to accelerate the development of new affordable housing. It will invest in the prefabricated and modular housing industry, and it will provide significant financing to affordable home builders. The government also committed to cut municipal development charges in half for all residential housing, but didn’t say if the federal government would backfill that funding.
Innovation
Carney has already been touting his belief in innovation. The government doubled down in this Throne Speech on that approach, committing to using technology and innovation to “unleash a new era of growth,” to build a new “industrial strategy” to make Canada more competitive, and to establish Canada as a global science hub. Innovation is also one of Carney’s core tactics to reduce waste in government.
Core commitments
While much of a Throne Speech is about tone and priorities, the government did make a number of specific commitments, giving Canadians indications of what the government’s legislative agenda might include.
Operating Budget Cap: The government again committed to slow annual operating budget growth from nine per cent to below two per cent in order to balance the operating budget within three years via:
Cutting waste;
Capping public service growth;
Ending duplication;
Deploying technology for productivity gains.
Internal Trade: The government committed to legislation to eliminate all remaining federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day 2025. The government committed to coordinate with premiers to enable full internal free trade by July 1, 2025 with a substantial focus on labour mobility.
Tax Cuts: The government committed to reduce middle-class income taxes giving Canadians a savings of up to $840 per year for each two-income family.
GST Cuts on Housing: During the campaign, the Liberals committed to a full GST rebate on homes under $1 million for first-time buyers, yielding up to $50,000 savings. In the Throne Speech it committed to extend GST relief to homes priced between $1–1.5 million.
Build Canada Homes: The government committed to create a new public housing entity to:
Finance affordable housing;
Expand modular and prefab housing;
Cut municipal development charges by 50 per cent for multi-unit housing.
Housing Industry Scale-Up: The government committed to double the home construction rate using Canadian materials and workers, including Canadian lumber.
Dental Care Expansion: The government committed to extend the Canadian Dental Care Plan to cover eight million Canadians, saving individuals and average of $800 per year.
Program Protection: The government committed to continue funding for $10-a-day child care and the national Pharmacare program, but didn’t commit to expand either of those programs.
RCMP Hiring: The government committed to add 1,000 new RCMP personnel.
Firearms Legislation: The government committed to new legislation that will:
Revoke licenses for those with intimate partner violence convictions or under protection orders;
Strengthen yellow-flag and red-flag laws, including revoking firearms licenses in those cases.
Criminal Code Reforms: The government committed to bail reform for repeat offenders in cases of car theft, home invasions, human trafficking and drug smuggling.
Border Measures: The government committed to tighten Canada’s borders through enhanced CBSA authority to examine exports, and by deploying scanners, drones, helicopters, and K-9 units to intercept fentanyl, stolen goods, and firearms.
Major Federal Project Office: The government promised to create a new office and reduce project approval times from five years to two years. It repeated its commitment to “one project, one review.” It will sign cooperation agreements with provinces/territories within six months, but committed that this change won’t sacrifice environmental reviews.
ReArm Europe: The government committed to join the new defence partnership for transatlantic security and increase Arctic presence.
Cap Temporary Residents: The government said that by 2027, it will limit temporary foreign workers and international students to less than five per cent of Canada’s population, and focus on attracting the professional talent Canada needs.
Protected Lands and Waters: The government committed to protecting 30 per cent of Canada’s lands and waters by 2030 by:
Creating new national and urban parks;
Expanding marine protected areas.
Texture's Analysis
The seven-priorities mandate letter is here to stay: The Carney government’s Speech from the Throne proves that the seven-priorities mandate letter is going to be the foundation of the government’s agenda. From a communications standpoint, it’s enviable clarity and smart brand-building. From a stakeholder perspective, it draws a clear roadmap for Cabinet and external stakeholders, including other levels of government.
Reconciliation is on the agenda: While reconciliation and Indigenous issues were excluded from Carney’s mandate letter, the Throne Speech included economic development for First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. The government is now clearly recognizing the powerful economic and equity benefits of economic reconciliation that empowers Indigenous communities and Nations.
Carney is at risk of catching the Vague Plague: While Canadians saw a few more concrete specifics in the Throne Speech (such as hiring 1,000 more RCMP personnel), the Carney government continues to restate campaign commitments without putting more meat on the bones. What mechanisms will he use to double the rate of home building? What will be cut or streamlined when the Carney government uses “efficiencies” to balance the operating budget? Which internal trade barriers will be smashed?
What’s excluded matters: More than 6.5 million Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, and hospitals continue to report understaffing and long patient wait times. Grocery prices continue to outpace inflation and frustrate families. Many First Nations still don’t have consistent or equitable access to clean water or appropriate health care and long-term care. Canada is facing unprecedented levels of mental health needs. Yet these issues have been barely touched on by the Carney government to date, and they are excluded from the mandate letter and Throne Speech.
Adapt to Win
The Seven Priorities are the Secret Handshake: Those paying attention will be rewarded. Knowing the priority list set out by Carney’s mandate letter and telling the Carney administration exactly how your project helps it fulfill one or more of the government's stated seven priorities will be like using a secret handshake to get in the door, get funding or otherwise make sure your project gets the support it deserves from Ottawa.
Map directly to one or more of the seven priorities: Frame and name your initiative to match and highlight the government’s stated goals and use language that mirrors theirs. Measure outcomes in terms of the priorities. Your work may have multiple benefits for Canadians. If, among those benefits, your work delivers jobs, reduces costs, advances international trade, challenges interprovincial barriers, builds housing, features public-private cooperation, or boosts competitiveness — that's where your performance indicators and success stories should be focused.
When we’re not talking about the trade war, we’re talking about the trade war: Canadian economic and literal sovereignty underlies everything the new government has done, and is a uniting cause among all parties and leaders, and all levels of government. To earn support, highlight how your initiative shores up non-American trade and Canada’s standalone economy.
Texture Builds Wins
The Texture team can shape narratives that work with Carney’s priority list to help ensure you and your projects are a priority for his government.
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