King Charles III delivered the throne speech in Ottawa Tuesday to open the next session of parliament.
And while his speech addressed Canada's sovereignty – specifically that the "true north is indeed strong and free" in the face of policies and rhetoric south of the border – the king also highlighted some of new Prime Minister Mark Carney's promises and goals to Canadians.
Here are some of the key promises and highlights mentioned in King Charles' throne speech.
Savings for families
Carney's minority government is planning a middle-class tax cut that could save two-income families up to $840 a year.
It will also be cutting the government service tax on homes at or under $1 million for first-time home buyers, which could save them up to $50,000. The tax will also be lower on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million.
Home construction
The federal government plans to undertake a series of measure to help double the rate of home building, while creating "an entirely new housing industry," the king said. It will use Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers and Canadian lumber.
Affordable homes will be built under a new "Build Canada Homes" program that is meant to accelerate the development of new affordable housing through the prefabricated and modular housing industry.
“The government will make the housing market work better, including by cutting municipal development charges in half for all multi-unit housing. The government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down.”
Border security
The Canada Border Services Agency will also be given new powers.
Carney's government plans to "protect Canada's sovereignty by rebuilding, re-arming and re-investing" in the Canadian Armed Forces, while also boosting the defence industry by joining ReArm Europe for trans-Atlantic security.
All of that is “to protect Canadians and their sovereign rights from wherever challenges may come, from home or abroad."
Crime and policing
The federal government is aiming to change firearm licences, including for those convicted of intimate partner violence, as well those subject to protection orders will be revoked.
“Through the deployment of scanners, drones and helicopters, additional personnel, canine teams, the government will stem the tide of illegal guns and drugs across the border. It will take these steps while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners and Indigenous people’s long-standing hunting traditions.”
There is also a plan for 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.”
For policing, King Charles said the federal government plans to hire 1,000 more RCMP personnel.
First Nations and Indigenous peoples
King Charles said the new government will still uphold its fundamental commitment to advancing reconciliation, and central to that commitment is the creation of long-term wealth and prosperity within Indigenous peoples.
He said the government will double the Indigenous loan-guarantee program to $10 billion from $5 billion, enabling more Indigenous communities to become owners of major projects.
Dental and pharmacare
King Charles said the government will be protecting programs already benefitting Canadians and families: child care, pharmacare and the dental plan. The dental care plan recently expanded to include people aged 18 to 34.
'One Canadian economy'
King Charles said the government's "overarching goal, its core mission," is to build the strongest economy in the G7 – and that starts with "creating one Canadian economy out of 13." He said internal barriers to trade and labour mobility cost Canada "as much as $200 billion each year."
The government plans to introduce legislation by Canada Day 2025 to "remove all remaining federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day.”
“To build Canada strong, the government is working closely with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples to identify and catalyze projects of national significance. Projects that would connect Canada, that would deepen Canada’s ties with the world and that would create high-paying jobs for generations."
With that, he said the federal government will create a new major federal project office. It's meant to reduce project approval time to two years from the current five, "while upholding Canada’s world-leading environmental standards and its constitutional obligations to Indigenous peoples.”
International Trade
When addressing Canada's plans for international trade, the king specifically mentioned the relationship with the United States and President Donald Trump.
“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 United States, rooted in mutual respect and valued on common interests, to deliver transformational benefits for both sovereign nations.”
He added the government is working to strengthen relationships with "reliable" trading partners and allies around the world. King Charles said Canada is ready to build a coalition of like-minded countries that believe in international cooperation and free and open exchange of goods, services and ideas.
Immigration
The government plans to cap the total number of temporary foreign workers and international students to less than five per cent of Canada's population by 2027.
By doing this, King Charles said, the government plans to attract the "best talent in the world to build the economy while sending clear message to Canadians working abroad that there is no better time to come home."
