King Charles gave a rare throne speech in the Canadian parliament this week. The speech from the throne is typically given by the governor general and is meant to outline the government’s plans for the next session. The speech is written by the prime minister’s office in consultation with staff at the king’s office.
But Prime Minister Mark Carney invited Charles to visit Canada to give the speech amid sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. It’s the third time the monarch has read the throne speech. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered the speech in Parliament in 1957 and 1977.
In a speech attended by lawmakers, Indigenous leaders and dignitaries, Charles, on his 20th visit, praised a country he said he loved “so much”.
“The True North is indeed strong and free,” he said – a reference to both the Canadian national anthem and recent threats from Trump to make Canada the 51st state.
“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,” said Charles, telling attenders, that by “staying true to Canadian values”, the country could “build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians”.
The king alluded to efforts to ease tensions with the US. “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 US, rooted in mutual respect and founded on common interests, to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”
Sitting next to Queen Camilla, the king also alluded to the last time a monarch opened a new parliament nearly seven decades earlier, when his late mother visited Ottawa.
Queen Elizabeth said during her 1957 speech that “against the backdrop of international affairs, no nation could live unto itself”. Charles said that he took great pride in the way in which “Canada has continued to set an example to the world in her conduct and values, as a force for good.”
The King said the Canadian government will be reducing taxes for the middle class and cutting the GST on homes under $1 million for first-time homebuyers, reiterating Carney’s campaign promises.
He said the government will lower the GST on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million.
The King also said the government will double the rate of housing construction and create Build Canada Homes, a new government agency that will act as a developer for 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,” he said.
The Canadian government will also cut development charges for multi-unit builds in half, the King said.
“The government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down,” he said.
The King said the federal government will cap the total number of temporary foreign workers and international students at less than five per cent of Canada’s population by 2027.
“By doing this, the government will attract the best talent in the world to build our economy, while sending a clear message to Canadians working abroad that there is no better time to come home,” he said.
The King said the government aims to make Canada 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,” he said.
The federal government will introduce legislation to remove all remaining federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day, the King said.
The King said the Canada Border Services Agency will be given new powers to examine goods destined for export, to prevent the transport of illegal and stolen products.
He added that 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.”
He said the government will also hire an additional 1,000 Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel.
“In all of its actions, the government will be guided by a new fiscal discipline: spend less so Canadians can invest more,” King Charles said.
He said the government will bring its operational budget, or day-to-day spending, down to two per cent from the current growth of nine per cent per year.
“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,” he said.
