public affairs analysis briefs

Analysis: Speech from the Throne, 2010

March 3, 2010 | public affairs

Background

March’s Speech from the Throne, delivered by Governor General Michaëlle Jean, was the 4th by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in five years and marks the return of Parliament since the PM’s decision to prorogue – or suspend – Parliament for two months.

In announcing prorogation over the holidays, the Prime Minister gave the need to recalibrate the government after the first year of the massive Economic Action Plan as a crucial reason for the delay in Parliament’s return. The SFT – followed immediately by Budget 2010 – are intended to demonstrate that recalibration to the Canadian people.

Highlights

The Prime Minister’s gamble on prorogation did not initially play out as he had expected. It was, therefore, necessary for the government to have a robust SFT that demonstrated a commitment to new ideas within a very thin fiscal envelope. While the real devil will be in the details of tomorrow’s Budget 2010, the SFT generally walked that line with a deft touch. While it is clear that the sorts of budgets of past years that lavished funds on pet projects intended to attract the voters and groups necessary for the Conservative Government to secure its much coveted majority, the current environment of thrift will necessitate a shift towards policies that are attractive to those voter pools, but not expensive.

Analysis

The speech was divided into two large sections, with the second half in three subsections:

• The first half of the speech focused on the state of the economy and a recap of the roll-out of the Economic Action Plan (EAP). This included a litany of examples of success (i.e., new job numbers, numbers of completed projects, etc). The Governor General was clear that the government’s top priority was to continue to roll out the EAP to ensure that the fragile recovery seen to date is neither jeopardized nor wasted. The corollary of that commitment is an indication that balanced budgets must again become the order of the day. In the words of the GG, “spending designed for a rainy day should not become an all-weather practice.” This will include a wind-down of stimulus spending by March 31, 2011, a commitment to freeze government program spending (including a ‘program review’) and the elimination of unnecessary appointment of people to Federal government agencies, boards and commissions.
  
  
• The second half of the speech focused on what were essentially new commitments based on the Conservative Government’s traditional themes had three sub-themes:
• Making Canada the best place for families by strengthening the Universal Child Care Benefit, protecting consumers, ensuring that the law protects everyone while those who commit crimes are held to account.
  
• Standing up for those who helped build Canada by strengthening Canada’s retirement income system and supporting legislation to establish Seniors Day, continuing to stand up for Canada’s military and its veterans, and continuing to recognize the contributions of Canada’s Aboriginal people.
  
• Strengthening a united Canada in a changing world by pursuing democratic reforms, further strengthening Canada’s Francophone identity, improving the immigration and refugee systems, helping the North realize its vast potential, and protecting and preserving our natural environment.

What it means for GCI clients

The government has been clear: their agenda has a laser-like focus and anyone looking for their support on programs or projects will have to fit within the narrative and the extremely tight fiscal envelope. Cheap and cheerful has become the order of the day as the government find itself facing a more volatile electorate and with no fiscal wiggle room. Companies and organizations looking to do work with government will have to fit into both of those critical limitations.

That’s where GCI Group comes in. With a balanced team of government relations professionals, GCI is able to speak to your issues on all sides of this fractious Parliament and across the senior ranks of the Public Service. In both Houses of Parliament, in all Parties and with officials that matter, GCI can help ensure you and your issues get the hearing they deserve.

For more information, please contact one of our Public Affairs experts directly, including our newest member of the team, Lynne Hamilton, another one of Canada’s Top 100 Lobbyists.