A Green Speech From The Throne

Edited by Peter Karwacki

Our Westminster parliamentary democracy – should be true to our traditions.

1. Canada is a Constitutional monarchy.

Canada is a Westminster Parliamentary democracy which is why I read a speech filling the role of stand-in monarch.

The Speech from the Throne, prepared by the majority in the House of Commons represents the the fundamental principles of legal governance, going back to 1215 and Magna Carta.

2. Government is only legitimate by consent of the governed.

We meet in the Senate chambers, the Canadian version of the House of Lords and purview of monarchy, following the ritual lone walk by the Senate’s Usher of the Black Rod to visit the House of Commons.
The prime minister stands with other Members of Parliament.

Democracy lies between corporate rule, totalitarianism and hyper-partisan manipulation. Decisions by a prime minister to shut down the House, prorogation of parliament are unconstitutional. To preserve a real democracy, we need to remember fundamental principles:

To be legitimate, government must exist by consent of the governed;
Parliament is supreme;
The prime minister reports to parliament and not the other way around.

“Loyalty” is not to the prime minister, but to Canada.
All MPs are equal, stand as representatives of the people of the communities found in their electoral districts.

Restoring a Healthy Democracy

2017 will be the150th anniversary of Confederation

Lets engage Canadian youth in the life of our nation and in decisions about their future.

The Citizens First Agenda.

Eliminate the the “winner take all” or “First Past the Post” system with a proportional representation.

Repeal changes disadvantage voters without a driver’s license and a stable address who have given up driving. Enumerate eligible voters, and we need to reduce to zero the risk of citizens entitled to vote being turned away from their polling place due to a technicality.

Place advertising limits on political parties outside of writ periods.

Prohibit use of the airwaves for paid political advertising, and require broadcasted public interest messages focusing on advancing understanding of the various parties’ positions on issues
The requirement for the leader’s signature on the nomination papers of candidates will be replaced with the signatures of local executives, where an Electoral District Association exists, and where one does not, the signatures of other local members will suffice.

Allow members of an elected caucus of any parliamentary party to initiate a leadership review. These changes are intended to rebalance the powers of leaders of political parties with checks and balances

Set the budget for the operation of the Prime Minister’s Office as a fixed proportion of GDP.

Justice for First Nations, Inuit and Metis

First Nations education, housing and provision of clean water remain unfinished priorities. The rights and responsibilities to respect indigenous peoples’ decision-making on their traditional territories requires a serious review. True and meaningful consultation is required.

Tackling the Climate Crisis

Tackle the single biggest threat to our collective future – the climate crisis with a sensible transition to reduced dependence on fossil fuels ending the subsidizing of fossil fuels and we will place a price on carbon.
Diversify the Canadian economy, through more value chains and more value added in relation to all natural resource exports.

Set shared goals for energy security, maximizing jobs, and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Phase out coal-fired power plants
Make significant improvements in transportation, waterworks, and other key infrastructure.

Restoring Environmental Laws

Restore the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, Fisheries Act and the Navigable Water Protection Act and integrate sound environmental policy in all levels of government decision-making.

Rights to Information

Effective citizens require sound information. This means that citizens have a right to know what is in their foods.
Including:
where the food has been produced and how it was produced.
Labelling to identify genetically modified foods will allow those who wish to eat GMO foods to locate them on their supermarket shelves and those who want to avoid them to do so.
Citizens have the right to review any scientific research conducted by independent government scientists. All such research should be in the public domain.
Restore evidence-based decision-making.
Make the Parliamentary Budget Office a stand-alone and properly funded operation, separate from the Library of Parliament. The Parliamentary Budget Officer will be an Officer of Parliament.

All government operations should be transparent including all spending by MPs and Senators.
Ensure an independent, professional, non-partisan public service – free of partisan interference. No public servant should fear being pressed to assemble “facts” in support of a previously set course.

Growing a Healthy Economy

Create opportunities in the cleantech sector, and reduce waste of energy. Grow sectors of our economy in many different regions of Canada, while maintaining resource-based activity in Alberta.
Encourage entrepreneurial spirit and assist the commercialization of new technologies. Support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and small business. Ensure all government bills are assessed for their impact on small business and SMEs.
Reduce the persistent unemployment rate among Canadian youth. Reverse the punitive Employment Insurance changes that make life more difficult for those in seasonal industries.

Trade and investment

Define“national security” in the Investment Canada Act with exacting cost-benefit analysis of the class of agreements called Foreign Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (FIPAs). Ensure a clear communication of Canada’s interests and pursue trade, without sacrificing sovereignty through flawed FIPAs.

A Fairer Society

Review all legislation and particularly the Criminal Code to remove mandatory minimums. We will enhance law enforcement resources, freeing up limited time and money by legalizing, regulating and taxing cannabis. We will restore the Law Reform Commission and ask for a review of the recent changes in criminal law as well as immigration and refugee law to ensure they are charter compliant.
We will work with the national Ombudsman for Victims of Crime to improve supports for victims of violent crime and we will improve the rigor of laws to protect investors from white-collar crime bringing to justice those who set out to cheat seniors of their savings.
Launch a national inquiry into the missing and murdered aboriginal women of Canada. Without waiting for the results of that investigation we will create better tools for law enforcement, such as a national DNA data bank for victims of crime, to be cross-referenced with data banks of the missing.

Protecting Canadian Health Care

Hold talks with the provincial and territorial governments to find ways to reduce rising costs, particularly through controlling the price of pharmaceutical drugs. A national pharmacare programme, and aTherapeutics Initiative.

Restoring our global reputation

My government commits to multilateralism, engaging, rather than shunning the world, diplomacy, peace-keeping and human rights around the world.

The elimination of poverty is critical with 0.7% GDP to Official Development Assistance.