Throne Speech Punditry

Spent this afternoon watching the throne speech and in coordination with my Cardus colleagues, we have put together a quick analysis. It appears on the Cardusafterhours blog but I am cross posting it here for your convenience. Now time to change gears from the platitudes of a throne speech to the technical detail of a budget.

The bulk of Cardus staff just finished gathering around the big screen watching this year’s Speech from the Throne. Throne speeches are usually a collection of vauge sentiments intended to signal direction rather than project specific policy directions. Except for policy junkies they usually don’t merit more than a passing glance.

That said, we don’t want to get carried away with the 6000 words or so delivered by the Governor General this afternoon. But there are a few signals we find encouraging:

First, it builds on who we are rather than what governments should do. It projects positive attributes for the country as a whole, that extend beyond the mere work of politics. On page seventeen it lists:

we are a country whose story is still being written
we are a country founded on democracy
we are a bilingual country
we are a country with an aboriginal heritage
we are a country of immigrants
we are a country of refuge
we are a northern country
we are a country of unparalleled natural beuaty
we are a country that stands for what is right in the world

We could dissect this list at length, but what is remarkable is the substantive difference in tone compared to the pan-Canadian consensus that would have defined the country over the last thirty years.

Second, investment in Canada is increasingly signalled. Russ Kuykendall made important observations in his review of the Red Wilson report several years ago. In this area he signalled the role of non-governmental institutions that needs to and will be acknowledged in the economic realm and how these shape our social architecture. These are critical forces shaping our economy and, in practical terms, will effect such rates as cellular and internet.

Third, there is a robust acknowledgement of the importance of the charitable sector. There are promises about the reduction of red tape and the introduction of a Prime Minister’s award for volunteerism, all positive signals regarding issues Cardus raised in A Canadian Culture of Generosity. These might be lip service or they might foreshadow something more substantive in tomorrow’s budget addressing the tax structure relating to charities, providing this sector with the tools to increase its capacity. Here’s to hoping for the latter.