00:00May it please, Your Majesty, the House of Commons has elected me their Speaker, though I am but little able to fulfill the important duties thus assigned to me.
00:12If, in the performance of those duties, I should at any time fall into error, I pray that the fault may be imputed to me and not to the House of Commons, whose servant I am,
00:25and who, through me, the better to enable them to discharge their duty to their King and Country, humbly claim all their undoubted rights and privileges,
00:37especially that they may have freedom of speech in their debates, access to Your Majesty's person at all seasonable times,
00:46and that their proceedings may receive from Your Majesty the most favourable construction.
00:55Mr. Speaker, I am commanded by His Majesty the King to declare to you that he freely confides in the duty and attachment of the House of Commons
01:06to His Majesty's person and government, and not doubting that their proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper, and prudence,
01:16he grants and upon all occasions will recognize and allow their constitutional privileges.
01:22I am commanded also to assure you that the Commons shall have ready access to His Majesty upon all seasonable occasions,
01:33and that their proceedings, as well as your words and actions, will constantly receive from him the most favourable construction.
01:42Honourable Senators, Members of the House of Commons,
01:47it is with a deep sense of pride and pleasure that my wife and I join you here today
01:53as we witness Canadians coming together in a renewed sense of national pride, unity, and hope.
02:02I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin and the Shinabeg people.
02:14This land acknowledgement is a recognition of shared history as a nation.
02:19While continuing to deepen my own understanding, it is my great hope that in each of your communities,
02:29and collectively as a country, a path is found toward truth and reconciliation in both word and deed.
02:38This is my 20th visit to Canada, spread over the course of more than half a century,
02:49and my first as sovereign.
02:52As I have said before, every time I come to Canada, a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream,
03:01and from there, straight to my heart.
03:04I have always had the greatest admiration for Canada's unique identity,
03:12which is recognised across the world for bravery and sacrifice in defence of national values,
03:20and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians.
03:25To the First Nations, Inuit, and Miti peoples,
03:29you have welcomed my family and myself to your traditional lands
03:36with great warmth and hospitality,
03:39for which I am humbly grateful.
03:46This year, we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day and VJ Day.
03:51On Juneau Beach, at Dieppe, on the Somme, at Beaumont-Amel, at Ypres, and on Vimy Ridge.
04:04At those places and many others, forever etched into our memories,
04:10Canadians fought and died alongside our closest allies.
04:14It has been nearly 70 years since the Sovereign first opened Parliament.
04:22In the time since, Canada has dramatically changed,
04:27repatriating its constitution, achieving full independence,
04:32and witnessing immense growth.
04:34Canada has embraced its British, French, and indigenous roots
04:41and become a bold, ambitious, innovative country
04:46that is bilingual, truly multicultural, and committed to reconciliation.
04:54The Crown has for so long been a symbol of unity for Canada.
04:59It also represents stability and continuity from the past to the present.
05:07As it should, it stands proudly as a symbol of Canada today
05:13in all her richness and dynamism.
05:19When my dear late mother, Queen Elizabeth II,
05:23opened a new Canadian Parliament in 1957,
05:27the Second World War remained a fresh, painful memory.
05:33The Cold War was intensifying.
05:36Freedom and democracy were under threat.
05:40Canada was emerging as a growing economic power
05:44and a force for peace in the world.
05:48In the decades since,
05:51history has been punctuated by epoch-making events.
05:54The Vietnam War,
05:57the fall of the Berlin Wall,
05:59and the start of the War on Terror.
06:03Today, Canada faces another critical moment.
06:08Democracy, pluralism,
06:11the rule of law,
06:13self-determination,
06:15and freedom
06:15are values which Canadians hold dear
06:18and ones which the government
06:21is determined to protect.
06:24The system of open global trade
06:28that, while not perfect,
06:31has helped to deliver prosperity
06:33for Canadians for decades,
06:36is changing.
06:38Canada's relationships with partners
06:40are also changing.
06:42We must be clear-eyed.
06:50The world is more dangerous
06:53and uncertain place
06:55than at any point
06:56since the Second World War.
06:59Canada is facing challenges
07:02that are unprecedented
07:04in our lifetimes.
07:06Many Canadians
07:08are feeling anxious
07:10and worried
07:11about the drastically changing world
07:14around them.
07:16Fundamental change
07:17is always unsettling.
07:20Yet,
07:21this moment is also
07:22an incredible opportunity.
07:24An opportunity for renewal.
07:27An opportunity to think big
07:29and to act bigger.
07:31An opportunity for Canada
07:34to embark
07:34on the largest transformation
07:36of its economy
07:38since the Second World War.
07:41A confident Canada
07:43which has welcomed
07:45new Canadians,
07:47including from some
07:48of the most tragic
07:49global conflict zones,
07:52can seize this opportunity
07:54by recognizing
07:55that all Canadians
07:57can give themselves
07:58far more
07:59than any foreign power
08:01on any continent
08:02can ever take away.
08:05And that by staying true
08:07to Canadian values,
08:09Canada can build
08:10new alliances
08:11and a new economy
08:13that serves all Canadians.
08:17The Prime Minister
08:19and the President
08:20of the United States,
08:21for example,
08:22have begun defining
08:24a new economic
08:25and security relationship
08:27between Canada
08:29and the United States,
08:31rooted in mutual respect
08:33and founded
08:34on common interests
08:35to deliver
08:36transformational benefits
08:38for both sovereign nations.
08:41To build Canada strong,
08:45the government
08:45is working closely
08:47with provinces,
08:49territories
08:49and indigenous peoples
08:52to identify
08:54and catalyze
08:55projects of national
08:57significance.
08:58Projects that will
09:00connect Canada,
09:01that will deepen
09:02Canada's ties
09:03with the world
09:05and that will create
09:07high-paying jobs
09:08for generations.
09:09given the pace of change
09:14and the scale
09:15of opportunities,
09:17speed is of the essence.
09:20Through the creation
09:21of a new major
09:22federal project office,
09:24the time needed
09:25to approve a project
09:27will be reduced
09:28from five years
09:29to two,
09:31all while upholding
09:32Canada's world-leading
09:34environmental standards
09:35and its constitutional obligations
09:38to indigenous peoples.
09:42The government
09:43will also strike
09:44cooperation agreements
09:45with every interested province
09:48and territory
09:48within six months
09:50to realize its goal
09:52of one project,
09:54one review.
09:57When Canadians
09:58come together,
09:59Canada builds
10:00things that last.
10:03Critically,
10:04the government
10:05will undertake
10:06a series of measures
10:07to help double
10:09the rates
10:09of home building
10:10while creating
10:12an entirely new
10:13housing industry
10:14using Canadian technology,
10:18Canadian skilled workers
10:19and Canadian lumber.
10:23The government
10:23will introduce measures
10:24to deliver affordable homes
10:27by creating
10:28Build Canada Homes.
10:32This mission-driven
10:34organization
10:35will act
10:36to accelerate
10:37the development
10:38of new affordable housing.
10:40It will invest
10:42in the growth
10:43of the prefabricated
10:45and modular
10:46housing industry
10:47and it will provide
10:49significant financing
10:50to affordable
10:51home builders.
10:53The government
10:54will make
10:55the housing market
10:56work better,
10:57including by cutting
10:58municipal development
11:00charges in half
11:01for all multi-unit
11:03housing.
11:04The government
11:05will drive
11:06supply up
11:07to bring
11:08housing costs
11:09down.
11:10To be truly strong,
11:16Canada must be secure.
11:19To that end,
11:21the government
11:21will introduce
11:22legislation
11:23to enhance security
11:25at Canada's borders.
11:27Law enforcement
11:28and intelligence agencies
11:30will have new tools
11:32to stop the flow
11:33of fentanyl
11:34and its precursors.
11:36the Canada
11:38border services agency
11:39will be given
11:40new powers
11:41to examine goods
11:43destined for export
11:44to prevent
11:46the transport
11:46of illegal
11:47and stolen
11:48products,
11:49including cars,
11:51to protect
11:52Canadians
11:52and their sovereign
11:54rights
11:54from whatever,
11:56wherever challenges
11:57may come
11:58at home
11:59or abroad.
11:59To keep
12:02communities safe,
12:04the government
12:04will hire
12:051,000 more
12:06RCMP's
12:07personnel.
12:09It will change
12:10firearms licensing
12:11and strengthen
12:13enforcement
12:14of yellow
12:14and red flag
12:15laws.
12:16weapons licenses
12:19for those
12:20convicted
12:21of intimate
12:21partner violence
12:22and those
12:24subject to
12:24protection orders
12:25will be revoked.
12:28Through the
12:29deployment of
12:30scanners,
12:30drones
12:31and helicopters,
12:33additional
12:34personnel
12:34and canine
12:36teams,
12:37the government
12:37will stem
12:38the tide
12:39of illegal
12:39guns and drugs
12:41across the border.
12:43It will take
12:44these steps
12:45while protecting
12:46the rights
12:47of law-abiding
12:48gun owners
12:49and indigenous
12:50peoples'
12:51long-standing
12:52hunting traditions.
12:56The government
12:57will bring
12:58a renewed
12:59focus on
13:00car theft
13:01and home
13:02invasions
13:02by toughening
13:04the criminal
13:04code to
13:06make bail
13:06harder to get
13:07for repeat
13:09offenders
13:10charged with
13:11committing
13:11these crimes,
13:13along with
13:13human trafficking
13:14and drug
13:15smuggling.
13:17During this
13:18time of
13:19great change,
13:20Canadians are
13:21uniting behind
13:22what makes
13:23Canada unique.
13:26Nature is
13:27core to
13:28Canada's
13:28identity.
13:30In 2022,
13:32Canada convened
13:33COP15 in
13:34Montreal,
13:35which concluded
13:37with 196
13:38countries striking
13:40a historic
13:41agreement to
13:42protect 30%
13:44of their lands
13:45and 30%
13:47of waters
13:48by 2030.
13:50To this end,
13:52the government
13:53will protect
13:53more of Canada's
13:55nature than
13:56ever before
13:56through the
13:58creation of new
14:00national parks,
14:01national urban
14:02parks,
14:03marine protected
14:04areas,
14:05and other
14:06conservation
14:06initiatives.
14:07The government
14:11will always
14:12protect the
14:13rights and
14:14freedoms that
14:15the Charter
14:15guarantees for
14:17every Canadian.
14:20The government
14:21will be a
14:21reliable partner
14:22to indigenous
14:23peoples,
14:24upholding its
14:25fundamental
14:26commitment to
14:27advancing
14:28reconciliation.
14:30Central to
14:31this commitment
14:32is the
14:33creation of
14:34long-term
14:35wealth and
14:35prosperity with
14:37indigenous peoples.
14:39For that
14:40reason,
14:41the government
14:42will double
14:42the indigenous
14:43loan guarantee
14:44program from
14:46$5 billion to
14:47$10 billion,
14:49enabling more
14:50indigenous communities
14:51to become owners
14:53of major
14:54projects.
14:56As Canada
14:57moves forward
14:58with nation-building
15:00projects, the
15:02government will
15:02always be firmly
15:03guided by the
15:05principle of free,
15:06prior, and
15:07informed consent.
15:12Canada's
15:13immigration system
15:14has long been a
15:16source of pride for
15:17Canadians and of
15:18dynamism for the
15:19economy.
15:21The government is
15:22dedicated to
15:23rebuilding the
15:24trust of Canadians
15:26in immigration by
15:28restoring balance to
15:29the system.
15:30Day-to-day government
15:32spending, the
15:33government's
15:34operating budget
15:34has been growing
15:36by 9% every
15:38year.
15:39The government
15:40will introduce
15:41measures to bring
15:42it below 2%.
15:43Transfers to
15:47provinces,
15:48territories, or
15:49individuals will be
15:51maintained.
15:52The government will
15:54balance its operating
15:55budget over the next
15:56three years by
15:58cutting waste, capping
16:00the public service,
16:02ending duplication,
16:04and deploying
16:05technology to
16:06improve public
16:07sector productivity.
16:13In parallel, the
16:15government will take
16:16a series of
16:17measures to
16:19catalyze new
16:20investments to
16:21create better jobs
16:22and higher incomes
16:23for Canadians.
16:25The scale of the
16:27government's
16:27initiative will
16:29match the
16:30challenges of
16:30our times and
16:32the ambitions of
16:33Canadians.
16:36Honourable
16:37senators, members
16:39of the House of
16:39Commons, when my
16:42dear late mother
16:43addressed your
16:44predecessors seven
16:45decades ago, she
16:48said that in that
16:49age and against the
16:51backdrop of
16:51international affairs,
16:53no nation could
16:55live unto itself.
16:57It is a source of
16:58great pride that in
17:00the following
17:00decades, Canada has
17:02continued to set an
17:04example to the
17:05world in her
17:06conduct and values
17:08as a force for
17:09good.
17:10Members of the
17:10House of Commons,
17:12you will be asked
17:13to appropriate the
17:14funds to carry out
17:16the services and
17:17expenditures
17:18authorised by
17:19Parliament.
17:19May you honour
17:22the profound
17:23trust bestowed upon
17:24you by Canadians
17:26and may God
17:29bless and guide
17:30you in all your
17:31duties.
17:32subscribe to one India
17:35and never miss an
17:36update.
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