King Charles (00:03):
Honorable Senators, members of the House of Commons, it is with a deep sense of pride and pleasure that my wife and I join you here today as we witness Canadians coming together in a renewed sense of national pride, unity, and hope. I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin and Anishinaabeg people. This land acknowledgement is a recognition of shared history as a nation. While continuing to deepen my own understanding, it is my great hope that in each of your communities and collectively as a country, a path is found toward truth and reconciliation in both word and deed.
(01:00)
This is my 20th visit to Canada, spread over the course of more than half a century and my first as sovereign. As I've said before, every time I come to Canada, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream, and from there, straight to my heart. I've always had the greatest admiration for Canada's unique identity, which is recognized across the world for bravery and sacrifice in defense of national values and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians.
(01:45)
To the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, you have welcomed my family and myself to your traditional lands with great warmth and hospitality, for which I'm humbly grateful.
(02:06)
This year, we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day on Juno Beach at Dieppe, on the Somme at Beaumont-Hamel, at Ypres, and on Vimy Ridge, at those places and many others forever etched into our memories, Canadians fought and died alongside our closest allies.
(02:34)
[French 00:02:38].
(02:37)
You speak for your communities representing an incredible richness of cultures, languages, and perspectives. We owe it to this generation and those who succeed us to think and act for the greater good of all. While the world faces unprecedented challenges generating uncertainties across the continents with regards to peace and stability, economics and climate change, your communities have the skills and determination to bring a wealth of solutions.
(04:01)
[French 00:04:05].
(04:27)
It has been nearly 70 years since the sovereign first open Parliament. In the time since, Canada has dramatically changed repatriating its constitution, achieving full independence, and witnessing immense growth. 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.
(05:07)
The Crown has for so long been a symbol of unity for Canada. It also represents stability and continuity from the past to the present. As it should, it stands proudly as a symbol of Canada today in all her richness and dynamism.
(05:32)
When my dear late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, opened a new Canadian Parliament in 1957, the World War II remained a fresh, painful memory. The Cold War was intense, freedom and democracy were under threat. Canada was emerging as a growing economic power and a force for peace in the world.
(05:59)
In the decades since, history has been punctuated by epoch-making events; the Vietnam War, the fall of the Berlin War, and the start of the war on terror.
(06:16)
Today, Canada faces another critical moment, democracy, pluralism, the rule of law, self-determination and freedom are values which Canadians hold dear, and ones which the government is determined to protect. The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades is changing. Canada's relationships with partners are also changing.
(06:54)
[French 00:06:57].
(07:20)
Many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them. Fundamental change is always unsettling. Yet this moment is also an incredible opportunity, an opportunity for renewal, an opportunity to think big and to act bigger, an opportunity for Canada to embark on the largest transformation of its economy since the World War II.
(07:54)
A confident Canada, which has welcomed new Canadians, including from some of the most tragic global conflict zones, can seize this opportunity by recognizing that all Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away, and that by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians.
(08:30)
The prime minister and the president of the United States, for example, have begun defining a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the United States, rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.
(08:52)
[French 00:08:56].
(08:57)
The government is guided by its conviction that the economy is only truly strong when it serves everyone. Many Canadians are struggling to get ahead. The government is responding, reducing middle-class taxes, and saving two income families up to $840. It will cut the GST on homes at or under $1 million for first-time home buyers, delivering savings of up to $50,000. And it will lower the GST on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million.
(10:51)
[French 00:10:56].
(11:41)
The government's overarching goal, its core mission is to build the strongest economy in the G7. That starts with creating one Canadian economy out of 13. Internal barriers to trade and Labour Mobility cost Canada as much as $200 billion each year. The government will introduce legislation to remove all remaining federal barriers to internal trade and Labour Mobility by Canada Day.
(12:16)
[French 00:12:20].
(13:02)
To build Canada strong, the government is working closely with provinces, territories, and the Indigenous peoples to identify and catalyze projects of national significance, projects that will connect Canada, that will deepen Canada's ties with the world, and that will create high paying jobs for generations.
(13:32)
Given the pace of change and the scale of opportunities, speed is of the essence. Through the creation of a new major federal project office, the time needed to approve a project will be reduced from five years to two, all while upholding Canada's world-leading environmental standards and its constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples. The government will also strike cooperation agreements with every interested province and territory within six months to realize its goal of one project, one review. When Canadians come together, Canada builds things that last.
(14:20)
[French 00:14:25].
(14:20)
Critically, the government will undertake a series of measures to help double the rates of home building while creating an entirely new housing industry using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers, and Canadian lumber. The government will introduce measures to deliver affordable homes by creating Build Canada Homes.
(16:02)
This mission-driven organization will act to accelerate the development of new affordable housing. It will invest in the growth of the prefabricated and modular housing industry, and it will provide significant financing to affordable home builders. The government will make the housing market work better, including by cutting municipal development charges in half for all multi-unit housing. The government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down.
(16:44)
To be truly strong, Canada must be secure. To that end, the government will introduce legislation to enhance security at Canada's borders. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies will have new tools to stop the flow of fentanyl and its precursors. The Canada Board of Services Agency will be given new powers to examine goods destined for export to prevent the transport of illegal and stolen products, including cars.
(17:19)
[French 00:17:23].
(18:18)
The government will discharge its duty to protect Canadians and their sovereign rights from whatever challenges may come at home or abroad. To keep communities safe, the government will hire a thousand more RCMPs personnel. It will change firearms licensing and strengthen enforcement of yellow and red flag laws. Weapons licenses for those convicted of intimate partner violence and those subject to protection orders will be revoked. Through the deployment of scanners, drones, and helicopters, additional personnel, and canine teams, the government will stem the tide of illegal guns and drugs across the border. It will take these steps while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners and Indigenous peoples' long-standing hunting traditions.
(19:27)
The government will bring a renewed focus on car theft and home invasions by toughening the criminal code to make bail harder to get for repeat offenders charged with committing these crimes along with human trafficking and drug smuggling. During this time of great change, Canadians are uniting behind what makes Canada unique.
(19:54)
[French 00:19:58].
(19:54)
Nature is core to Canada's identity. In 2022, Canada convened COP15 in Montreal, which concluded with 196 countries striking a historic agreement to protect 30% of their lands and 30% of waters by 2030. To this end, the government will protect more of Canada's nature than ever before through the creation of new national parks, national urban parks, marine protected areas, and other conservation initiatives.
(21:48)
The government will always protect the rights and freedoms that the Charter guarantees for every Canadian. The government will be a reliable partner to Indigenous peoples upholding its fundamental commitment to advancing reconciliation. Central to this commitment is the creation of long-term wealth and prosperity with Indigenous peoples. For that reason, the government will double the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion, enabling more Indigenous communities to become owners of major projects. As Canada moves forward with nation-building projects, the government will always be firmly guided by the principle of free prior and informed consent.
(22:50)
Canada's immigration system has long been a source of pride for Canadians and of dynamism for the economy. The government is dedicated to rebuilding the trust of Canadians in immigration by restoring balance to the system.
(23:06)
[French 00:23:10].
(24:17)
Day-to-day government spending, the government's operating budget has been growing by 9% every year. The government will introduce measures to bring it below 2%. Transfers to provinces, territories, or individuals will be maintained. The government will balance its operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication, and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity.
(25:00)
In parallel, the government will take a series of measures to catalyze new investments to create better jobs and higher incomes for Canadians. The scale of the government's initiative will match the challenges of our times and the ambitions of Canadians.
(25:23)
Honorable Senators, members of the House of Commons, when my dear late mother addressed your predecessors seven decades ago, she said that in that age and against the backdrop of international affairs, no nation could live unto itself. It is a source of great pride that in the following decades, Canada has continued to set an example to the world in her conduct and values as a force for good.
(25:55)
[French 00:26:00]
(26:16)
As the anthem reminds us, the true north is indeed strong and free.
(27:02)
Members of the House of Commons, you will be asked to appropriate the funds to carry out the services and expenditures authorized by parliament. May you honor the profound trust bestowed upon you by Canadians, and may God bless and guide you in all your duties.
