On September 23, 2020, the Governor General of Canada delivered the Speech from the Throne to open the second session of the 43rd Parliament and outline the government’s agenda.
Before we dive into the details of the speech, let’s first take a look at the Canadian System of Government and how the Parliament of Canada works!
The Canadian System of Government
Canada is a federation of 10 provinces and 3 territories that share a common federal government. Canada is also a constitutional monarchy.
What does the Parliament do?
- Parliament passes laws that affect all Canadians, in areas like foreign policy and national defence.
What are the three parts of the Parliament?
- The Monarch (Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II): the Head of the State, represented in Canada by the Governor General
- The Senate (Upper Chamber): represents Canada by region
- The House of Commons (Lower Chamber): represents Canada by population
About the Speech from the Throne
- The Speech from the Throne opens every new session of Parliament. It introduces the government’s direction and goals, and outlines how it will work to achieve them.
- Traditionally, the Governor General reads the Speech as The Queen’s representative in Canada, unless The Queen is in Canada to read it herself.
- Why is it called “the Speech from the Throne”? Because the speech is read literally from the throne in the Senate Chamber reserved for The Queen or her representative in Canada.
Key points of the Speech from the Thone on September 23, 2020
A stronger and more resilient Canada
- Protecting Canadians from COVID-19
- Helping Canadians through the pandemic
- Building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class
- The Canada we’re fighting for
Watch the video of the speech (Full text of the speech available in PDF format)
Word of the Day:
Monarch: a king, queen or emperor that rules a kingdom
