#inggeris

Honorables Sénatrices et Sénateurs, Mesdames et Messieurs les Députés, Mesdames et Messieurs,

En ces temps incertains où le monde entier est menacé par une économie qui vacille, il devient urgent de travailler ensemble, d’unir nos efforts et d’en appeler à une plus grande solidarité.

Dans le respect de notre tradition démocratique, les Canadiennes et les Canadiens s’attendent à ce que leurs représentants élus se concertent pour que le Canada sorte plus fort de cette grave crise économique.

Once again, the people’s representatives have gathered to consider the priorities of another parliamentary session.

Each Throne Speech is a milestone on the remarkable 142-year Canadian journey. Your predecessors, too, were summoned to this chamber at times of great crisis: as Canada struggled to claim her independence, in the shadow of war, during the depth of the Great Depression and at moments when great policy division tugged the very bonds of this union.

Today we meet at a time of unprecedented economic uncertainty. The global credit crunch has dragged the world economy into a crisis whose pull we cannot escape. The nations of the world are grappling with challenges that Canada can address but not avoid.

The Government’s agenda and the priorities of Parliament must adapt in response to the deepening crisis. Old assumptions must be tested and old decisions must be rethought. The global economy has weakened since Canadians voted in the last general election. In fact, it has weakened further since Parliament met last month.

Notre gouvernement a écouté les Canadiennes et les Canadiens qui s’inquiètent des répercussions de la récession mondiale sur leur emploi, leurs économies et leurs collectivités. Notre gouvernement s’est adressé aux Canadiennes et aux Canadiens de toutes les régions, collectivités et conditions sociales.

Notre gouvernement a largement consulté :

ceux et celles qui travaillent, investissent, créent des emplois, bâtissent des infrastructures et offrent des services à but non lucratif;

les gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux et les administrations municipales, les leaders autochtones et les représentants des collectivités;

il a en fait consulté tous ceux et celles dont l’apport pourrait nous permettre de résister à la tempête.

Our Government approached the dialogue in a spirit of open and non-partisan cooperation. There is no monopoly on good ideas because we face this crisis together. There can be no pride of authorship—only the satisfaction of identifying solutions that will work for all Canadians.

Acting on the constructive thoughts and suggestions that have been received, our Government will tomorrow present Canada’s economic stimulus plan. The plan will protect our economy from immediate threat, while making investments to promote long-term growth.

The economic stimulus plan will be a plan of action.

Our Government is stimulating the economy, both through direct government action and by encouraging private expenditure.

Our Government is taking immediate action to build Canada through new investment in infrastructure.

Our Government is acting to protect the stability of our financial system.

Our Government is acting to ensure access to credit for businesses and consumers.

Our Government is acting to support Canadian industries in difficulty―including forestry, manufacturing, automotive, tourism, agriculture―and to protect the families and communities who depend on those jobs.

Our Government is acting to protect the vulnerable: the unemployed, lower-income Canadians, seniors, Aboriginal Canadians and others hit hardest by the global economic recession.

Ces mesures seront ciblées et prendront la forme de stimulants immédiats tout en favorisant la croissance à long terme et en évitant le retour aux déficits permanents.

Ces mesures protégeront les emplois d’aujourd’hui tout en préparant l’économie à créer ceux de demain.

Les Canadiennes et les Canadiens ont devant eux une année difficile ― voire peut-être plusieurs années difficiles. Face à cette incertitude, notre gouvernement a élaboré un plan clair et ciblé. Notre gouvernement dépensera ce qu’il faut pour relancer l’économie et fera les investissements nécessaires pour préserver notre prospérité.

As Canadians expect, the economy will be the focus of our Government’s actions and of the measures placed before Parliament during the coming year. In pursuing measures to support the economy, our Government will also attend to the other important priorities that it set out in the Speech from the Throne to open the 40th Parliament.

The present crisis is new, but the imperative of concerted action is a challenge to which Parliament has risen many times in our history. What will sustain us today will be the same strengths of character that have pulled Canada through critical times before: unity, determination and constancy of purpose.

Honourable Members of the Senate,

Members of the House of Commons:

Honorables Sénatrices et Sénateurs, Mesdames et Messieurs les Députés, Mesdames et Messieurs,

Two hundred and fifty years ago, on October 2, 1758, the first parliamentary assembly of its kind in Canada was held in Nova Scotia. It is worth solemnly remembering in this Chamber the historic significance of that event.

Because today, we are free to reach our full potential thanks to the efforts of women and men, young and old, who established democracy in this country, where anything is possible.

This country is made up of every hope we cherish, every dream we pursue, every project we realize.

Maintenir cet idéal de démocratie que nous incarnons dans le monde est une responsabilité qui incombe à chacune et à chacun d’entre nous.

Moi, arrière-arrière-petite-fille d’esclaves, je sais à quel point cet héritage est précieux pour les citoyens de ce pays qui n’ont de cesse de me l’affirmer avec fierté par leurs gestes et leurs paroles depuis plus de trois ans.

Les temps d’incertitude économique que nous vivons actuellement exigent plus que jamais que notre esprit de solidarité l’emporte et se propage au-delà de nos frontières pour que le Canada représente non seulement un espoir de renouvellement, mais une promesse d’avenir.

Today, in this democratic tradition, the representatives of the Canadian people gather for the 40th time in this great nation’s history to open a new federal Parliament.

For over 140 years, since the era of Queen Victoria, Sir John A. Macdonald, Sir George-Etienne Cartier and the other Fathers of Confederation, the Parliament of Canada has assembled to deliberate upon the great issues of the day.

This institution thus represents one of the longest and most unblemished records of peaceful, democratic self-government anywhere on Earth.

The people spoke once again in a general election on October 14th, and entrusted this Government with a renewed and strengthened mandate.

At the same time, the people also chose to elect a minority Parliament. And in a parliamentary democracy such as ours, the government must always be responsible and accountable to the people’s representatives.

Our Government is mindful of both the privilege and the responsibility with which we have been entrusted.

This is a time of extraordinary global economic challenge and uncertainty. The world’s financial system faces pressures not seen for many generations. Governments around the world have taken unprecedented steps to restore confidence in the face of a global economic slowdown.

Les Canadiens et les Canadiennes suivent eux aussi les rebondissements de la crise et s’interrogent à juste titre sur ses répercussions ici au Canada ainsi que sur leurs emplois, leurs économies et le bien-être de leur famille. Ils sont conscients que ces événements, même s’ils ont pris naissance à l’étranger, affecteront le Canada, en tant que nation commerçante dans l’économie mondiale.

Malgré l’incertitude qui règne, les Canadiennes et les Canadiens surmonteront l’épreuve comme ils l’ont déjà fait en d’autres temps difficiles.

Le Canada a été fondé sur la conviction qu’en rassemblant nos forces au sein d’une confédération, notre pays uni saurait relever, voire transcender les défis.

From the explorers and pioneers to the settlers and railroad builders, this vast country was built by people who took tremendous risks and braved unforgiving elements for the prospect of a better future.

The dawn of a new century saw new challenges. In a war that ended ninety years ago last week, our young country came of age on battlefields whose names echo across our history— Ypres, Vimy, Passchendaele. The generation that followed overcame the Depression and again confronted the devastation of war. The achievements of these generations are marked not only by monuments to their bravery and sacrifices, but also by their legacy in forging Canada as one of the most peaceful and prosperous nations on Earth.

We know that Canadians will face the problems of today with the same spirit of determination and resolve as those who came before us faced the challenges of their generation. And like them, we know that we will emerge stronger than ever.

In this time of global economic instability, we can be reassured that the hard work of millions of Canadians has laid a solid foundation for our country. We have pursued policies different from those of many of our trading partners. We have paid down debt and kept spending under control. We have set public pensions on a sound footing and refinanced important programs such as health care and post-secondary education. Our banks are among the strongest and best regulated in the world. Canadian households and businesses have been prudent and avoided taking on the excessive debt witnessed elsewhere.

Embarking on its renewed mandate, our Government is committed to providing the strong leadership that Canadians expect. It will protect Canadians in difficult times. It will work with Canadians to secure our future prosperity. It will support Canadian workers and businesses in their pursuit of a better future. And our Government will continue its pursuit of distinctly Canadian policies that will contribute to a better economy.

Notre gouvernement prône une stratégie claire pour la sécurité économique du Canada. De concert avec ses partenaires, il s’emploiera à surmonter la crise internationale actuelle. Il continuera de gérer les finances publiques prudemment et prendra des mesures afin de soutenir l’économie d’aujourd’hui et bâtir celle de demain.

Au cours des prochains mois, notre gouvernement s’appliquera non seulement à étayer l’économie canadienne, mais démontrera aussi sa volonté de travailler à cette fin en partenariat avec d’autres. Les Canadiens s’attendent à ce que les gouvernements fédéral et provinciaux ensemble nous aident à traverser la crise économique actuelle et, au bout du compte, à bâtir un Canada plus fort. Les premiers ministres se sont réunis dans ce but le 10 novembre dernier et se rencontreront de nouveau au début de l’année 2009.

La réforme du secteur financier mondial / Reforming Global Finance

Le premier point à l’ordre du jour doit être de repositionner le système financier international sur des bases plus solides. Parce que les problèmes ont commencé à se manifester à l’étranger, leur solution exige que le Canada mobilise ses partenaires et alliés à travers le monde.

Canada will use its experience in developing a strong model of financial regulation to help lead the world in the repair and strengthening of the international financial system. The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance began this important work on November 15th, joining the leaders of the G20 in Washington, D.C., to re-examine and renew the rules and institutions that underpin the global financial system.

The financial sector exists to serve the economy. Without sound financial institutions, loans would not be available for home ownership. Businesses would be cut off from the credit needed to expand and hire new workers. By choking off financing to the global economy, the credit crisis has dramatically weakened the prospects of growth. Canada will play a leading role to help resolve the crisis, maintain free and open markets, and advance Canada’s interests.

The credit crisis has also underlined the dangers of a fragmented financial regulatory system. To further strengthen financial oversight in Canada, our Government will work with the provinces to put in place a common securities regulator.

Ensuring Sound Budgeting / La saine gestion des finances publiques

Canada’s relative success in weathering the global economic turmoil thus far can be attributed in no small measure to our country’s solid fiscal fundamentals, the best among all major industrialized countries.

A strong fiscal foundation is not an end in itself, but it is the bedrock on which a resilient economy is built. Responsible budgets, significant debt repayment, and declining corporate and personal income taxes have provided an important competitive advantage. As Canada navigates today’s economic uncertainties, it is even more important that we keep our sights fixed on responsible fiscal management.

The Minister of Finance will provide details on our Government’s approach to economic and fiscal management in the Economic and Fiscal Statement to be delivered next week.

Ongoing, unsustainable deficits are quite rightly unacceptable to Canadians. These structural deficits must never return. At the same time, in a historic global downturn, it would be misguided to commit to a balanced budget in the short term at any cost, because that cost would ultimately be borne by Canadian families.

Hard decisions will be needed to keep federal spending under control and focused on results. Grants, contributions and capital expenditures will be placed under the microscope of responsible spending. Departments will have the funding they need to deliver essential programs and services, and no more. Our Government will engage Parliament and encourage members to take a more active role in scrutinizing spending and suggesting areas for restraint.

Notre gouvernement est en outre déterminé à gérer de façon responsable la rémunération dans la fonction publique fédérale et déposera un projet de loi pour en assurer une croissance durable.

Notre gouvernement veillera à ce que les provinces continuent à recevoir les généreux paiements de transfert pour les soins de santé et les programmes sociaux. Nous ferons aussi en sorte que les paiements de péréquation augmentent, mais qu’ils n’excèdent pas le rythme de croissance de notre économie.

Toute nouvelle mesure destinée à soutenir l’économie sera également choisie avec soin et ciblée de manière à favoriser le maximum de retombées.

L’importance de la sécurité d’emploi pour les familles et les collectivités / Securing Jobs for Families and Communities

Global turbulence is translating into real challenges for Canada. Our Government understands the pressures on ordinary hard-working Canadians and the businesses that provide them with jobs.

Canada’s economy will only remain as strong as its workers and families. Our Government will strengthen Canada’s workforce for the future by continuing to support student financial assistance and taking measures to encourage skilled trades and apprenticeships. Our Government will also work with the provinces to make the recognition of foreign credentials a priority, attract top international students to Canada and increase the uptake of immigrant settlement programs.

Our Government will also take steps to ensure that Aboriginal Canadians fully share in economic opportunities, putting particular emphasis on improving education for First Nations in partnership with the provinces and First Nations communities.

Our Government will support workers facing transition. It will ensure that existing programs and services are as effective as possible in meeting the needs of Canadians. Targeted help will be available to those who need it the most.

Our Government has already cut taxes to lower costs for business and help them compete and create jobs. To further reduce the cost pressures on Canadian business, our Government will take measures to encourage companies to invest in new machinery and equipment.

Le secteur manufacturier au Canada, et en particulier la construction automobile et l’aérospatiale, se fragilise de plus en plus. Notre gouvernement apportera de nouveaux soutiens à ces industries.

Les industries traditionnelles au Canada — comme la pêche, les mines et la foresterie — sont essentielles à la vitalité économique de nombreuses régions et collectivités. Notre gouvernement continuera d’aider ces industries en appuyant la commercialisation des produits canadiens à l’étranger et l’innovation.

Our Government will continue to support Canada’s farmers by ensuring freedom of choice for grain marketing in Western Canada and strongly supporting our supply-managed sectors at home and in international negotiations.

Public infrastructure is vital not only to create jobs for today, but also to create the links between communities and regions to help generate jobs for the future. Our Government is committed to expediting our Building Canada plan to ensure that projects are delivered as quickly as possible.

Expanding Investment and Trade / Promouvoir l’investissement et le commerce

Canada’s prosperity depends not just on meeting the challenges of today, but on building the dynamic economy that will create opportunities and better jobs for Canadians in the future. As one of our greatest hockey legends has observed, we need “to skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”

Pour bâtir une économie dynamique, il faut de nouvelles idées et de nouveaux investissements. Notre gouvernement est conscient que les progrès scientifiques et technologiques sont essentiels pour accroître la capacité concurrentielle de l’économie canadienne. Notre gouvernement commencera d’abord chez nous. Il travaillera avec l’industrie à appliquer le savoir-faire scientifique et technologique canadien de pointe à la création de nouvelles solutions d’affaires. Il investira dans de nouvelles installations de recherche de niveau mondial.

Notre gouvernement offrira aux sociétés canadiennes des possibilités accrues de bénéficier des investissements et du savoir-faire étrangers, tout en prenant les mesures nécessaires pour protéger les consommateurs et la sécurité nationale. Pour actualiser les lois sur la concurrence et l’investissement, notre gouvernement présentera des mesures législatives qui répondront à bon nombre des recommandations du Groupe d’étude sur les politiques en matière de concurrence.

La créativité et l’innovation dans le secteur des arts contribuent à la fois à la vitalité culturelle du Canada et à son avenir économique. Notre gouvernement présentera des mesures législatives en vue d’actualiser la législation sur le droit d’auteur et la protection de la propriété intellectuelle.

Both investment and trade matter to Canada’s prosperity. Our Government is committed to seeking out new opportunities for Canadians and to promoting global prosperity through free trade. It will work with the new administration in the United States in addressing shared challenges, especially during the current economic downturn, and seek opportunities to enhance North American competitiveness. New trade agreements will be pursued in Asia and the Americas, as well as with the European Union, to open markets for Canadian firms. Our Government will proceed with legislation to ratify the results of trade negotiations that have been concluded with the European Free Trade Association, Peru, Colombia and Jordan.

Our Government will continue to invest in expanding gateways on our Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and in vital border corridors such as the Detroit River International Crossing, to ensure that Canadian goods and services can reach markets in Europe, Asia and the United States.

Better positioning Canada to compete for investment and market opportunities will require action at home. A fragmented regulatory environment for internal trade and commerce has for too long restricted the flow of labour and investment across the country. Our Government will work with the provinces to remove barriers to internal trade, investment and labour mobility by 2010.

Augmenter l’efficacité de l’action gouvernementale / Making Government More Effective

La solidité de l’assise économique et financière tient en bonne partie à la qualité de la gestion gouvernementale. Afin d’augmenter l’efficacité de l’administration fédérale, notre gouvernement s’engage à transformer et à rationaliser la conduite de nos affaires.

Notre gouvernement engagera des réformes innovatrices de l’administration des programmes et des services, en s’inspirant des réussites de gouvernements ailleurs dans le monde. Il établira des partenariats avec des tierces parties et le secteur privé afin de pouvoir offrir des services améliorés à moindre coût.

Our Government will review all program spending carefully to make sure that spending is as effective as possible and aligned with Canadians’ priorities.

Our Government will cut the red tape faced by the private and not-for-profit sectors when doing business with the government.

Fixing procurement will be a top priority. Simpler and streamlined processes will make it easier for businesses to provide products and services to the government and will deliver better results for Canadians. Military procurement in particular is critical: Canada cannot afford to have cumbersome processes delay the purchase and delivery of equipment needed by our men and women in uniform.

Our Government will also strengthen and improve the management of Canada’s federal agencies, boards, commissions and Crown corporations to achieve greater cost- effectiveness and accountability.

Assurer notre avenir énergétique / Securing Our Energy Future

Energy is vitally important to our country. Our geography and climate mean that Canadians depend on affordable and reliable energy. The development of our rich energy resources is an important source of wealth and Canadian jobs.

Our Government will support the development of cleaner energy sources. The natural gas that lies beneath Canada’s North represents both an untapped source of clean fuel and an unequalled avenue to creating economic opportunities for northern people. Our Government will reduce regulatory and other barriers to extend the pipeline network into the North.

These measures will bring jobs to northern Canada and create employment across the country, just as they will bring new energy supplies to markets in southern Canada and throughout the world. Economic development in Canada’s North, led by a new stand-alone agency, is a key element of our Northern Strategy.

Nuclear energy is a proven technology, capable of reliable, large-scale output. In Canada and around the world, energy authorities are investing in nuclear power to meet both energy security and climate change goals. Our Government will ensure that Canada’s regulatory framework is ready to respond should the provinces choose to advance new nuclear projects.

Lutter contre les changements climatiques et préserver notre environnement / Tackling Climate Change and Preserving Canada’s Environment

Our Government understands that Canada’s economic prosperity cannot be sustained without a healthy environment, just as environmental progress cannot be achieved without a healthy economy. Our Government will continue its realistic, responsible approach to addressing the challenge of climate change.

Our Government has committed to reducing Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. We will meet this goal while also ensuring that Canada’s actions going forward remain comparable to what our partners in the United States, Europe and other industrialised countries undertake. We will work with the provincial governments and our partners to develop and implement a North America-wide cap and trade system for greenhouse gases and an effective international protocol for the post-2012 period.

Afin de relever le défi des changements climatiques, nous devrons également recourir davantage aux technologies qui n’émettent pas de gaz à effet de serre. Notre gouvernement fixera comme objectif le recours à des sources non émettrices, telles que l’hydroélectricité, le nucléaire, le charbon propre ou l’éolien, pour satisfaire 90 p. cent des besoins en électricité au Canada d’ici l’an 2020. Dans la poursuite de cet objectif national ambitieux, notre gouvernement maintiendra son appui en faveur des biocarburants, de l’énergie éolienne et d’autres énergies de remplacement.

Afin de protéger nos précieuses ressources, notre gouvernement présentera des mesures législatives visant à interdire les transferts massifs d’eau ou les exportations à partir de nos bassins hydrographiques.

Notre gouvernement travaillera de concert avec tous les partis au Parlement à l’adoption de mesures judicieuses qui puissent aider les consommateurs et améliorer l’état de l’environnement, tels des incitatifs accrus pour apporter des améliorations éconergétiques aux maisons.

Aider tous les Canadiens et les Canadiennes à participer / Helping All Canadians Participate

Canada is built on a promise of opportunity, the chance to work hard, raise a family and make a better life. Today, it is more important than ever to deliver on this promise, and ensure that all Canadians share in the promise of this land, regardless of cultural background, gender, age, disability or official language. This Government will break down barriers that prevent Canadians from reaching their potential.

Many working-age Canadians are faced with the dual pressure of holding down a job and caring for their family. Increasing numbers of Canadians are taking care of elderly parents while also raising young children. Our Government is committed to supporting working families and helping make ends meet.

Nous bonifierons la Prestation universelle pour la garde d’enfants et améliorerons l’accès aux prestations de maternité et aux prestations parentales aux termes de l’assurance-emploi.

Nous prendrons aussi des mesures pour soutenir les familles s’occupant de proches handicapés, et aiderons les Canadiennes et les Canadiens à acquérir une première propriété.

La participation de certains Canadiens à l’économie et à la société est entravée par d’autres obstacles, comme l’itinérance ou une maladie débilitante. Notre gouvernement prolongera donc la Stratégie des partenariats de lutte contre l’itinérance et aidera plus de Canadiens à trouver un logement abordable. Nous prendrons des mesures innovatrices pour lutter contre les maladies cardiaques, pulmonaires et neurologiques et poursuivre le travail entrepris par la Commission de la santé mentale.

Assurer la sécurité des Canadiennes et des Canadiens / Keeping Canadians Safe

In times of uncertainty as in times of prosperity, Canadians need to be assured that they are safe in their homes and communities.

Canadians look to governments to ensure that the justice system is working effectively and that Canadians are safe. Our Government will take tough action against crime and work with partners to improve the administration of justice. Serious offences will be met with serious penalties. Legal provisions will be strengthened in key areas, such as youth crime, organized crime and gang violence. Gun laws will be focused on ending smuggling and stronger penalties for gun crimes, not at criminalizing law-abiding firearms owners. More broadly, Canada’s criminal justice system will be made more efficient. Citizens need to know that justice is served, and that it is served swiftly.

Safety and security also mean that Canadians must be assured that the food on their dinner table, the toys they buy their children, and the medicines on which they rely are safe. Our Government will follow through with legislation providing better oversight of food, drug and consumer products. It will strengthen the power to recall products and increase penalties for violators. It will also move quickly to launch an independent investigation of this summer’s listeria outbreak and act quickly upon its findings.

National security is the most fundamental duty of any national government to its citizens. Our Government will table a national security statement to explain how we intend to balance the new threats and challenges to national security that we face with the need for oversight, accountability and the protection of civil liberties.

Contribuer à la sécurité mondiale / Contributing to Global Security

Notre sécurité nationale dépend de la sécurité mondiale. Notre gouvernement estime que les aspirations du Canada à un monde meilleur et plus sûr doivent être soutenues par des actions vigoureuses et concrètes sur la scène internationale.

La sécurité trouve sa source dans le respect de la liberté, de la démocratie, des droits de la personne et de la primauté du droit. Quand ces valeurs sont en péril, la sécurité et la prospérité du monde entier sont menacées. Le Canada doit avoir la capacité et la volonté de se battre pour ses convictions et de faire sa part pour rendre notre monde meilleur et plus sûr.

Notre gouvernement transforme la mission du Canada en Afghanistan afin de l’axer sur la reconstruction et le développement, et de préparer la fin de notre présence militaire dans ce pays en 2011. Le dur labeur et les sacrifices héroïques de nos concitoyens et concitoyennes dans ce pays — qu’ils soient militaires, diplomates ou travailleurs du développement — laisseront au peuple afghan l’héritage durable d’un pays plus sécuritaire, plus pacifique et mieux gouverné.

Our Government will also continue to rebuild and arm the Canadian Forces with the best possible equipment. We will renew all of our major air, sea and surface fleets over the next two decades, creating new, high-technology jobs in Canada in the process.

Canada’s international assistance will continue to increase and will be spent more effectively in the promotion of development goals. A new, non-partisan democracy promotion agency will also be established to support the peaceful transition to democracy in repressive countries and help emerging democracies build strong institutions.

Building Stronger Institutions / Renforcer nos institutions

Canada’s institutions are the cornerstone of our democracy, our freedom and our prosperity.

Parliament is Canada’s most important national institution. It is the only forum in which all Canadians, through their elected representatives, have a voice in the governance of the nation. Parliament should be an expression of our highest ideals and deepest values, our greatest hopes and grandest dreams for the future of our children. Our Government believes these ideals can only be achieved if Parliament truly reflects the character and aspirations of the Canadian people.

Our Government will introduce legislation to move toward representation by population in the House of Commons for Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Legislation will also be introduced to allow for nominees to the Senate to be selected by voters, to serve fixed terms of not longer than eight years, and for the Senate to be covered by the same ethics regime as the House of Commons.

La fonction publique du Canada est une autre institution nationale cruciale. Ce sont les fonctionnaires qui inspectent nos aliments et surveillent nos frontières. Ils assurent la prestation de programmes et de services à des millions de Canadiens partout au pays, depuis nos métropoles jusqu’aux localités les plus éloignées de l’Arctique. S’inspirant des recommandations du Comité consultatif sur la fonction publique nommé par le Premier ministre, notre gouvernement s’engage à travailler au renouvellement continu de la fonction publique.

Notre gouvernement prendra également des mesures pour renforcer la fédération canadienne. Nous respecterons les compétences des provinces et des territoires et enchâsserons les principes de notre vision du fédéralisme dans une Charte du fédéralisme d’ouverture. Le pouvoir fédéral de dépenser pour de nouveaux programmes à frais partagés dans les compétences exclusives des provinces sera limité : le consentement de la majorité des provinces sera requis pour l’exécution de tout nouveau programme du genre et les provinces seront autorisées à se retirer de ces nouveaux programmes avec compensation, si elles en offrent qui sont compatibles.

Conclusion

Les Canadiens et les Canadiennes ont renouvelé leur confiance dans notre gouvernement et dans leurs représentants élus. Ils nous demandent de travailler ensemble à relever les défis qui se présentent.

Our Government is committed to Canada’s continued success at this time of global economic instability. All its energy will be directed to addressing the challenges Canadian families, businesses and workers face, both today and in the future. It will continue to establish effective policies that give a competitive advantage to this country. It will strengthen the institutions that keep Canadians safe, secure and prosperous. And it will work in partnership—with its allies, with the provinces and territories, with industry and with the millions of Canadian families—to keep Canada the true North, strong and free.

Canadians have faced times of uncertainty and renewal before and have always emerged a stronger and more united people. Gathered here in this Chamber, we remember the men and women who went before us and the legacy of freedom and prosperity that they have bequeathed to us. It is now our duty to protect and enhance this legacy for those who will follow us.

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, MESDAMES ET MESSIEURS LES DÉPUTÉS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

Je tiens à féliciter à la fois les députés qui sont de retour et la centaine de leurs collègues nouvellement élus et qui viennent assumer leurs fonctions à la Chambre des communes à l'occasion de cette trente-huitième législature du Canada.

Cette année, les Canadiens et les Canadiennes ont commémoré le 60e anniversaire du Jour J et le débarquement des forces alliées en Europe - un événement qui a marqué le début de la fin de la Deuxième Guerre mondiale. Des soldats, des marins, des aviateurs canadiens se sont battus avec acharnement et bravoure et ont finalement remporté la victoire sur la plage Juno ce jour-là.

Je vais prochainement me rendre en Italie pour commémorer les importantes batailles où six mille Canadiens ont sacrifié leur vie. En ce qui me concerne, ces cérémonies sont un symbole de notre éternelle gratitude, et elles attestent bien que nous n'avons pas oublié.

On these occasions, we are reminded of the huge debt we owe to those in uniform who have served this country-then and today. Our veterans connect generations and Canadians. As a country and as individuals, we gain in pride and in purpose from their deeds and their service.

I recently concluded extended visits to six cities of varying size-Saint John, Quebec City, Toronto, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver. In them, I found remarkable, innovative projects for social renewal and individual commitment. They express the confidence and love that we all hold for this country. This is the spirit of Canada I see as Governor General.

The Government starts this new session with a commitment that all parliamentarians share-regardless of political affiliation-to contribute to real progress for Canadians, for this country, for our future. The Government faces a new Parliament fresh from an election. The people of Canada want this Government, and all parliamentarians, to rise above partisanship to address the public interest. They want their political leaders to catch up with Canadians’ own ambitions for the country and their readiness to take on the world with confidence.

Each of us must take responsibility. The Government will do its part to ensure that this minority Parliament works. Working together, we can unite the voices of all Canadians in common purpose.

The Government’s actions on behalf of Canadians will be guided by these seven commitments:

to be unwavering in the application of fiscal discipline, the foundation of so much of Canada’s success over the past decade;

promouvoir l'intérêt national en fixant les objectifs de notre pays et en créant un consensus sur la façon de les atteindre;

to pursue these objectives in a manner that recognizes Canada’s diversity as a source of strength and innovation;

to aim for tangible, practical results for Canadians and report to them so that they can hold their governments to account;

to defend the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to be a steadfast advocate of inclusion;

exiger l'égalité des chances pour que tous les Canadiens profitent de la prospérité;

to assert Canada’s interests and project our values in the world.

Together, we can move Canada forward.

A Strong Economy / Une économie vigoureuse

Our quality of life, job opportunities and capacity to support our social goals rely on a globally competitive economy.

Canada has a solid record of economic achievement. Over the past 10 years, we generated over three million new jobs. Since 1997, we have led all G7 countries in the growth of living standards. And low interest rates have made home ownership easier than it has been in decades.

This has not happened by accident. A virtuous circle led to increased confidence, lower interest rates and robust growth of well-paying jobs. The increase in revenues and the recovery of fiscal sovereignty have in turn permitted the Government to reduce and improve the fairness of taxes, and make new social and economic investments. This virtuous circle will continue.

We have been successful, but we will not be complacent. The Government will not spend itself into deficit. It will continue to pay down debt. Its objective is to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to 25 per cent within 10 years. It will provide transparent, accountable management, treating every tax dollar with respect. The Government will make the difficult decisions among competing priorities and systematically review all expenditures, reallocating from old to new, from past to future.

Canada must now elevate its economic performance to the next level. Advancing technology and pervasive global competition demand of Canada a commitment to excellence, the pursuit of greater productivity, and a vision directed outward to the challenges and opportunities the world presents.

Le gouvernement souscrira à une stratégie en cinq points pour rendre notre économie durable et encore plus compétitive sur la scène internationale.

Le premier élément de cette stratégie consiste à investir dans nos gens - c'est là la plus grande force créatrice et économique du Canada.

Nos investissements aideront les travailleurs à se perfectionner sans cesse pour pouvoir suivre l'évolution constante du milieu de travail. Dans cette optique, le gouvernement mettra au point une nouvelle Stratégie des compétences en milieu de travail conçue pour améliorer les régimes d'apprentissage, favoriser l'alphabétisation et rehausser d'autres aptitudes professionnelles. À cela s'ajouteront des installations de formation modernes et des ententes relatives au marché du travail qui seront mises en place en collaboration avec les provinces et les territoires, les syndicats et les conseils sectoriels.

Le gouvernement continuera en outre d'examiner le régime d'assurance-emploi pour s'assurer qu'il répond toujours aux besoins de la main-d'ouvre canadienne.

Les tentatives pour améliorer la reconnaissance des titres de compétence étrangers et de l'expérience professionnelle antérieure n'ont pas produit les résultats escomptés. Compte tenu de la contribution croissante que les Néo-Canadiens devront apporter à notre société vieillissante, le gouvernement redoublera d'efforts, en collaboration avec les provinces et les ordres professionnels, pour faciliter leur intégration au marché du travail.

To increase access to post-secondary education, the Government will introduce legislation to implement its Learning Bond, an innovative savings vehicle that it announced to help low-income families provide for their children’s post-secondary education.

The second element of the economic strategy is to strengthen Canada’s ability to generate and apply new ideas.

The Government of Canada has made substantial investments-more than $13 billion since 1997-that have built a strong foundation in basic science and technology, including the Canada Foundation for Innovation, health research and other initiatives to create leading-edge capabilities. It will continue to build on this strength.

The National Science Advisor is assisting the Government to ensure that these investments are strategic, focused and delivering results, and is working to bring about a fuller integration of the Government’s substantial in-house science and technology activity.

The next challenge is to turn more of Canadians’ bright ideas into dynamic businesses, great jobs and growing export earnings. To that end, the Government will ensure a supply of venture capital, particularly for early-stage businesses-for example, through the venture financing arm of the Business Development Bank of Canada.

The Government will develop policies to foster Canadian capabilities in key enabling technologies-such as biotechnology, information and communications, and advanced materials-which will be drivers of innovation and productivity in the 21st century economy.

Providing “smart government”-the third element of our economic strategy-aims to make it easier for businesses to do business in Canada.

Smart government includes a transparent and predictable regulatory system that accomplishes public policy objectives efficiently while eliminating unintended impacts. This can be a key competitive advantage for Canada. That is why the Government welcomes the just-released report of the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation.

Smart government also includes providing an up-to-date legislative framework for business. The Government will therefore propose changes to modernize the Competition Act.

Le quatrième élément de la stratégie économique globale du gouvernement est son engagement à l'égard du développement régional et sectoriel.

Le gouvernement fera sa part pour contribuer au succès de secteurs importants comme l'automobile, l'aérospatiale et les autres secteurs liés à la fabrication, ainsi que l'agriculture et les industries axées sur les ressources naturelles.

Canada’s regional economies are a vital source of economic strength and stability. Support for regional and rural economic development will target the fundamentals-skills upgrading, support for research and development, community development, and modern infrastructure such as broadband communication-by employing the regional agencies and tools such as the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

The Government’s regional objectives will be complemented by the most fundamental reform of the Equalization program in its 47-year history. The objective is to make more stable and predictable the total payments by the federal government to the less-wealthy provinces in support of key public services.

A region of particular challenge and opportunity is Canada’s North-a vast area of unique cultural and ecological significance. The Government will develop, in cooperation with its territorial partners, Aboriginal people and other northern residents, the first-ever comprehensive strategy for the North. This northern strategy will foster sustainable economic and human development; protect the northern environment and Canada’s sovereignty and security; and promote cooperation with the international circumpolar community.

Promotion of trade and investment is the fifth pillar of the Government’s economic strategy.

Strong investment will be the primary generator of growth and good jobs for the future. The Government will foster investment by attending to the conditions that encourage entrepreneurs and providers of risk capital. These include sound monetary and fiscal policies as well as competitive taxes, efficiently targeted to promote economic growth.

Canada has always been a trading nation, but never more so than today. It is therefore vital that we secure and enhance our access to markets, both in North America and the world. To this end, the Government will continue to push for an open, rules-based international trading system and a successful conclusion of the Doha Round of global trade negotiations.

Issues such as softwood lumber and BSE underline the importance the Government attaches to obtaining more reliable access to U.S. markets. It will build on the successful Smart Borders initiative and on measures designed to develop a more sophisticated and informed relationship involving business and government officials in the United States.

The Government will enhance its capacity to expand international trade and commerce, with a particular focus on North America and emerging markets.

To complement its international commerce initiatives, the Government is determined to forge a stronger Canadian economic union, free of the internal barriers that still diminish opportunities and reduce our competitiveness.

La santé des canadiens / The Health of Canadians

Canadians have told their governments, year after year, to renew Medicare, to stop bickering and work together to ensure that it will be there for them and their children. Governments have responded. On September 15, all fourteen First Ministers agreed on the Ten-year Plan to Strengthen Health Care.

The Plan sets out a clear commitment, shared by all provinces and territories, to achieve tangible results-results for patients. What united all First Ministers was the commitment to a meaningful reduction in wait times for health services because it is key to transforming the health system. The Plan holds all governments to account by establishing a requirement for evidence-based benchmarks, comparable indicators, clear targets and transparent reporting to the public on access to health care. This means that the needs of patients will drive change.

The Plan will accelerate reform and ensure better access to key tests and treatments. It will increase the number of doctors, nurses and other health professionals. This will be helped by quicker assessment and integration of those who have received their training abroad. The Plan will improve access to home and community care services and to safe and affordable drugs.

The Plan commits to a 10-year track of substantial, predictable long-term funding, closing what has been called the “Romanow Gap.” The Plan creates a Wait Times Reduction Fund, so that Canadians can see tangible progress in key areas such as cancer and heart treatment, diagnostic imaging, joint replacements and sight restoration.

The Plan addresses the unique challenges facing the delivery of health care services in Canada’s North, including the costs of medical transportation, and encourages innovative delivery of services to rural Canada.

As part of the Plan, governments will, for the first time, set goals and targets for improving the health status of Canadians. The Health Council of Canada will provide an annual report on health status and health outcomes, and will report on progress in implementing the Plan.

Funding arrangements will require that jurisdictions comply with the reporting provisions agreed to by First Ministers.

L'amélioration de la santé des Canadiens ne se limite pas à accélérer la prestation des soins de santé : elle oblige aussi à favoriser des habitudes de vie saines; à se pencher sur des facteurs de risque comme l'inactivité physique et la mauvaise nutrition; à prévenir les blessures; et à mettre en place des stratégies de lutte contre la maladie. Le gouvernement s'emploiera en outre, avec des partenaires, à accroître les activités sportives aux niveaux communautaire et compétitif.

Le gouvernement a déjà nommé, pour le Canada, un administrateur en chef de la santé publique qui est chargé de susciter des changements réels. De plus, il présentera une nouvelle mesure législative visant la protection de la santé, en plus de saluer la création du Réseau pancanadien de santé publique. Ce réseau resserrera la collaboration entre les organismes de santé publique de tout le pays. Il renforcera les moyens existants et permettra de coordonner les interventions en cas d'épidémies de maladies infectieuses et d'autres urgences en matière de santé publique.

Children, Caregivers and Seniors / Les enfants, les aidants naturels et les personnes âgées

For a decade, all governments have understood that the most important investment that can be made is in our children. That is why, even when it was fighting the deficit, the Government established the National Child Benefit-the most significant national social program since Medicare.

There is more that must be done to help families help their children. Parents must have real choices; children must have real opportunities to learn. The time has come for a truly national system of early learning and child care, a system based on the four key principles that parents and child care experts say matter-quality, universality, accessibility and development.

The Government will put the foundations in place with its provincial and territorial partners, charting a national course that focuses on results, builds on best practices and reports on progress to Canadians. Within this national framework, the provinces and territories will have the flexibility to address their own particular needs and circumstances.

Notre société vieillit. Les familles canadiennes doivent prendre soin non seulement des jeunes enfants, mais aussi, de plus en plus, des conjoints âgés et des grands-parents.

Le gouvernement reconnaît le rôle essentiel des Canadiens et des Canadiennes qui s'occupent de parents âgés ou invalides ou de personnes lourdement handicapées. Il améliorera le niveau de soutien fiscal prévu actuellement, et il demandera au Parlement de consulter l'ensemble des citoyens au sujet d'éventuelles initiatives supplémentaires.

S'appuyant sur des mesures antérieures, le gouvernement aidera les personnes handicapées à accroître leur autonomie; à cette fin, il s'inspirera des recommandations du Comité consultatif technique sur les mesures fiscales pour les personnes handicapées.

Les Canadiens âgés ont une meilleure santé et vivent plus longtemps que jamais. Nombre d'entre eux veulent demeurer actifs et participer à la vie communautaire. Pour leur venir en aide, le gouvernement a annoncé la création du programme Nouveaux Horizons, et il envisagera d'autres moyens d'empêcher que se perdent les talents et la contribution que les personnes âgées peuvent offrir à la société.

Nos aînés méritent d'être traités avec dignité. Une des mesures prises par le gouvernement consistera à bonifier le Supplément de revenu garanti pour les plus démunis d'entre eux.

Aboriginal Canadians / Les canadiens autochtones

We must do more to ensure that Canada’s prosperity is shared by Canada’s Aboriginal people-First Nations, Inuit and Métis. We have made progress, but it is overshadowed by the rates of fetal alcohol syndrome and teen suicide in Aboriginal communities. These are the intolerable consequences of the yawning gaps that separate so many Aboriginal people from other Canadians-unacceptable gaps in education attainment, in employment, in basics like housing and clean water, and in the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

The Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable held last April was a major step along a new path of partnership and prosperity. The Government and Aboriginal leaders agreed to measurable goals to reduce these gaps and their consequences.

What could be more profound than targeting real change in the rate of fetal alcohol syndrome and teen suicide?

At their meeting on September 13 of this year, all First Ministers and Aboriginal leaders took action. There, this Government undertook to provide $700 million to encourage greater Aboriginal participation in the health professions, to address chronic diseases such as diabetes, and to create an Aboriginal Health Transition Fund to better adapt existing health care services to Aboriginal needs.

The Government is working together with Aboriginal Canadians and provincial and territorial governments to create the conditions for long-term development-learning, economic opportunity, and modern institutions of Aboriginal governance-while respecting historical rights and agreements.

The Government and Aboriginal people will together develop specific quality-of-life indicators and a “Report Card” to hold all to account and to drive progress.

Canada’s Cities and Communities / Les villes et les collectivités du Canada

Canadians want their communities, towns and cities to be great places to live-safe, with affordable housing, good public transit, clean air and water, and abundant green spaces. Communities are key to our social goals and our economic competitiveness. They are the front lines in building a better quality of life.

Through the New Deal for Canada’s Cities and Communities, and working with the provinces and territories, the Government will make available, for the benefit of municipalities, a portion of the federal gas tax, growing over the next five years. These funds will enable municipalities to make long-term financial commitments needed to help contain urban sprawl and to invest in new sustainable infrastructure projects in areas like transit, roads, clean water and sewers.

To address key issues such as urban renewal, immigrant integration and the challenges facing off-reserve Aboriginal Canadians, the Government will expand the partnership approach used to develop the Vancouver and Winnipeg Agreements and proceed to implement its recent agreement with the Government of Ontario to cooperate in service delivery. The Government will also build on the work of the Harcourt Advisory Committee.

Shelter is the foundation upon which healthy communities and individual dignity are built. The Government will extend and enhance existing programs such as the Affordable Housing Initiative, the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative for the homeless, and the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program.

Nos collectivités tirent leur dynamisme de la volonté d'hommes et de femmes de tous les milieux de prendre en main leur avenir et de se porter garants les uns des autres. Cela se constate dans le nombre d'organismes bénévoles et d'entreprises d'économie sociale qui trouvent des solutions locales aux  problèmes locaux. Le gouvernement est déterminé à favoriser cette économie sociale - ces innombrables activités et entreprises à but non lucratif qui, partout au Canada, canalisent les énergies des citoyens et des entrepreneurs pour le bien des collectivités. Il aidera à réunir les conditions nécessaires à leur réussite, entre autres en rendant leur milieu plus propice aux affaires. À cette fin, il déposera une nouvelle loi sur les entreprises à but non lucratif.

Notre engagement profond à l'égard des droits de la personne et du respect mutuel cimente nos collectivités. Le gouvernement est déterminé à défendre ces valeurs. Il modernisera la Loi sur la citoyenneté du Canada pour réaffirmer les droits et les devoirs relatifs à la citoyenneté canadienne ainsi que les valeurs que constituent le multiculturalisme, l'égalité entre les sexes et la dualité linguistique. Il s'emploie à appliquer le Plan d'action en matière de langues officielles, et il continuera de promouvoir la vitalité des communautés minoritaires de langue officielle. Il prendra des mesures pour renforcer la capacité du Canada à lutter contre le racisme, la propagande haineuse et les crimes motivés par la haine, ici même, dans notre pays, et dans le reste du monde. De plus, il présentera des dispositions législatives visant à enrayer le trafic de personnes et à réprimer la pornographie juvénile.

Le dynamisme et la créativité de nos collectivités tiennent à la qualité de leur vie culturelle. Le gouvernement encouragera les institutions et les politiques culturelles qui aspirent à l'excellence, qui reflètent une société diversifiée et multiculturelle, qui relèvent les nouveaux défis de la mondialisation et de l'économie numérique, et qui favorisent la pluralité des opinions et des expressions culturelles au Canada et à l’étranger.

Notre environnement / Our Environment

Our quality of life today, and the legacy we bequeath to future generations, demands fundamental change in the way in which we think about the environment.

The Government will work with its partners to build sustainable development systematically into decision making.

As the ethic and imperative of sustainability take deeper root worldwide, human ingenuity will turn increasingly to ways to produce and use energy more cleanly and efficiently; to eliminate toxins from our air, water and soil; and to build more sustainable communities. Here lie great new opportunities for the world economy. Canada’s entrepreneurs must aim to be at the leading edge.

To that end, the Government will work with the private sector to improve the commercialization of the best new environmental technologies. Major investments funded out of the proceeds of the sale of the Government’s Petro-Canada shares will support their development and deployment.

The Government will work to get its own house in order. It will consolidate federal environmental assessments and will work with the provinces and territories toward a unified and more effective assessment process for Canada. By 2006, the Government will implement a new Green Procurement Policy to govern its purchases. It will also introduce legislation that will strengthen the focus on the ecological integrity of Canada’s national parks.

Dans aucun autre domaine les défis et les possibilités de la durabilité ne sont aussi évidents que dans nos façons d'utiliser et de produire l'énergie. En matière d'énergie, le gouvernement axera ses efforts sur l'efficacité et la recherche-développement. Il entreprendra de mettre au point, de concert avec les intervenants, des approches globales visant à promouvoir la production et l'utilisation d'énergie propre et renouvelable, et à favoriser une efficacité énergétique accrue. Il donnera notamment plus d'ampleur à des activités déjà en cours, telles que le soutien à la production d'énergie éolienne, et il quadruplera le programme Encouragement à la production d'énergie éolienne.

The Government reiterates that it will respect its commitment to the Kyoto Accord on climate change in a way that produces long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy. It will do so by refining and implementing an equitable national plan, in partnership with provincial and territorial governments and other stakeholders.

As the Government builds a sustainable society at home, it will continue to pursue multilateral and bilateral approaches to what are ultimately global challenges. For example, it will work with the United States and agencies like the International Joint Commission on issues such as clean air, clean water and invasive species. In 2005, the Government will bring forward the next generation of its Great Lakes and St. Lawrence programs, underscoring its commitment to protect and preserve these internationally significant shared ecosystems.

The Government will also move forward on its Oceans Action Plan by maximizing the use and development of oceans technology, establishing a network of marine protected areas, implementing integrated management plans, and enhancing the enforcement of rules governing oceans and fisheries, including rules governing straddling stocks.

A Role of Pride and Influence in the World / Un rôle qui suscite la fierté dans le monde

In today’s world, effective international engagement is needed to advance national aspirations. Now that time and distance have lost their isolating effect, it is no longer possible to separate domestic and international policies. Canada’s internationalism is a real advantage, but we must find new ways to express it if we are to effectively assert our interests and project our values in a changing world.

Just as Canada’s domestic and international policies must work in concert, so too must our defence, diplomacy, development and trade efforts work in concert. This fall, the Government will release a comprehensive International Policy Statement that will reflect this integration. Parliamentarians and other Canadians will have the opportunity to debate its analyses and proposed directions.

Meanwhile, the world does not wait. The new security threats that face Canada demand new approaches immediately. The Government has already responded. In April of this year, it introduced Canada’s first-ever comprehensive National Security Policy, which will ensure a more focused and integrated approach to securing our open society. The Government is now implementing this policy. In this context, the Government is also deepening cooperation with the United States on mutual assistance in the event of major natural or human-caused emergencies.

This new context requires us to manage wisely our relationship with the United States, to know our friend better, and to strengthen our economic and security relations. Our relationship must be built on shared values, on mutual respect, and on a strong and independent voice for Canada.

Enhancing Canada’s security means that we have to invest more in our military as part of defending ourselves at home, in North America and in the world. We have to earn our way in the world. But ours will never be the biggest military force, so it must be smart, strategic and focused.

De nos jours, la fière tradition de leadership du Canada dans le maintien de la paix est mise à l'épreuve par des exigences croissantes dans des contextes extrêmement dangereux et politiquement complexes, qui mettent souvent en cause des États dysfonctionnels. Nous avons vu, dans des endroits comme l'Afghanistan, la Bosnie ou Haïti, le travail exceptionnel que peuvent accomplir des Canadiens et des Canadiennes. Nous savons que les nôtres sont parmi les meilleurs au monde pour relever le défi qui consiste à être soldats pour gagner la paix, diplomates pour la négocier, et travailleurs humanitaires pour la maintenir.

C'est pourquoi le gouvernement ajoutera quelque 5 000 membres à nos forces régulières et 3 000 membres à la réserve, afin que le Canada soit mieux préparé et mieux équipé pour relever ce défi.

Comme on l'a vu au Darfour et ailleurs, la meilleure forme d'intervention est souvent celle de forces régionales acclimatées à la culture et à la géographie locales. En pareil cas, particulièrement en Afrique, le Canada entend continuer de jouer son rôle en formant des forces régionales de maintien de la paix afin de les préparer à exécuter des opérations de sécurité délicates, tout en respectant les principes du droit humanitaire international.

Dans de très nombreux points chauds du monde, établir l'ordre ne constitue que le premier pas. La pauvreté, le désespoir et la violence prennent souvent leur origine dans l'échec des institutions chargées d'assurer la gouvernance fondamentale et la primauté de la loi. Parce qu'il croit au pluralisme et aux droits de la personne, l'apport du Canada en ces régions est peut-être unique.

C'est pourquoi le gouvernement met sur pied Solidarité Canada qui a pour mandat, d'abord, de mettre notre idéalisme à contribution en aidant de jeunes Canadiens à mettre leur enthousiasme et leur dynamisme au service du monde. Il s'agit, deuxièmement, de mettre à profit nos talents et nos idées en permettant à des experts de tous âges et de divers horizons - gouvernance, santé, économie ou droits de la personne, par exemple - d'aller là où l'on a besoin d'eux. Enfin, il s'agit de coordonner les efforts déployés par le gouvernement et de collaborer avec la société civile. Solidarité Canada permettra au monde de profiter au maximum de nos valeurs et de notre expérience.

For all that we as Canadians want to achieve, and for all that we want for others, we also need international institutions that work. Dealing with complex issues like the “responsibility to protect” and managing the global commons will require leadership from all continents-from North and South. For that reason, the Government will work to bring about a meeting of G20 leaders to address common and pressing concerns, such as how to improve public health systems, combat terrorism and reform our multilateral institutions.

Gouverner dans un but commun / Governing in Common Purpose

The Government’s agenda for this Parliament is based on a comprehensive strategy to build a prosperous and sustainable 21st-century economy for Canada; strengthen the country’s social foundations; and secure for Canada a place of pride and influence in the world.

Supported by a committed and excellent public service, the Government will work diligently in this minority Parliament to address the priority areas it has identified. It will also introduce initiatives in many other areas, including commitments from the last Speech from the Throne, and will build on the work of Parliamentary committees, involve parliamentarians in the review of key appointments, and examine the need and options for reform of our democratic institutions, including electoral reform.

The Government invites members from both Chambers to join with it in the same democratic spirit: committed to unity and the inclusion of all regions and all voices, ready to work in common purpose on behalf of Canada.

Members of the House of Commons:

Vous serez appelés à voter les crédits nécessaires pour financer les services et les dépenses approuvés par le Parlement.

Honourable Members of the Senate and Members of the House of Commons:

HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE, MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, MESDAMES ET MESSIEURS,

It is my great pleasure to greet you on this first day of the 37th Parliament since Confederation. The vital relationship that exists between the Canadian people and Parliament is what we celebrate today through history, custom and symbolism.

I also have the pleasure of welcoming new members to the House of Commons, and I want all parliamentarians to know how deeply I appreciate the ideals that motivate you to serve your country. I also appreciate the sacrifices brought on by your task and made in the name of the common good and of leadership. Dans une démocratie saine, le leadership n'est pas réservé à quelques-uns, mais il est le bien de tous, puisque c'est une question de savoir réellement ce que l'on veut et ce que l'on peut apporter.

Il y a un peu plus d'un an, je devenais le 26e Gouverneur général du Canada. J'avais décidé, comme principal objectif pour la première année de mon mandat, de visiter chaque province et territoire pour y rencontrer le plus de Canadiens et de Canadiennes possible, là où ils vivent et font leur vie, afin d'engager avec eux un véritable dialogue. I have seen many places that Canadians have decided to call home, from big cities to small hamlets, from the Island of Montreal to Ellesmere Island.

But what we call home is more than a place name on a map. It is our belonging to a community of ideas and ideals; it is the knowledge that we can say something and be listened to, and the conviction that we can respect, rely upon and help each other.

En rencontrant des Canadiens d'un bout à l'autre du pays, j'ai pu les entendre parler des différents enjeux qui les préoccupent. Face à ces questions, nous nous rappelons évidemment que nous avons démontré à maintes reprises que nous sommes assez confiants pour agir, et avec succès. Le changement ne nous fait pas peur; nous avons toujours su le maîtriser à notre avantage.

Meeting Canadians across the country has given me the opportunity to hear about the different challenges we face. Looking at these issues, we of course remember that we have demonstrated, time and time again, that we have the self-confidence to act, and to act successfully. Change does not frighten us - we have always harnessed it to our advantage.

It is often said that our country's strength lies in its diversity. Why is this so? Because diversity imposes serious responsibilities. Indeed, if we accept our place in a rich and successful society, we must also acknowledge and engage with the parts of our society that are less advantaged.

The Government has been given a third mandate by Canadians. In leading Canada into the new millennium, its overarching goal will continue to be to build a stronger, ever more inclusive Canada and secure a higher quality of life for all Canadians. In pursuing this aim, the Government will carry out the commitments set out in its election platform.

Canada is proud, optimistic and strong. The Government has achieved the critical objective of restoring the nation's finances. The economy continues its longest period of economic expansion since the 1960s. Inflation and interest rates are low and stable. More than two million new jobs have been created since 1993. Significant new investments are being made in children and youth, in innovation and skills, in health care, and in the environment.

À l'aube de ce nouveau siècle, c'est un parcours jalonné de défis de toutes sortes qui s'ouvre au Canada et aux Canadiens : être concurrentiels dans une économie mondiale où tout va de plus en plus vite et où la technologie règne en maître; faire face aux incertitudes économiques chez nos partenaires commerciaux; viser à une plus grande cohésion sociale dans le contexte d'une mondialisation croissante; promouvoir les intérêts et les valeurs du Canada sur la scène internationale.

Nous devons faire en sorte que, dans chaque région, chaque province, chaque territoire et chaque collectivité, tous les citoyens soient en mesure de se faire entendre et de se joindre aux autres bâtisseurs du pays; que les avantages de notre prospérité soient à la portée de toutes les collectivités, urbaines ou rurales, y compris les populations des régions isolées et celles du Nord; que soient promus l'innovation, la croissance et le développement de tous les secteurs de notre économie, notamment ceux de l'agriculture et des ressources naturelles ainsi que ceux de l'industrie manufacturière et des services.

Canadians must rise to these challenges. Success in our more interdependent and complex world will require the contribution of all Canadians. The Government of Canada, for its part, will focus on:

building a world-leading economy driven by innovation, ideas and talent;

creating a more inclusive society where children get the right start in life, where quality health services are available to all, and where Canadians enjoy strong and safe communities;

ensuring a clean, healthy environment for Canadians and the preservation of our natural spaces; and

enhancing our Canadian voice in the world and our shared sense of citizenship.

In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Government of Canada will be guided by the values of Canadians. It will work with other levels of government, the private and voluntary sectors, and individual citizens.

It will continue to set bold goals and work toward them in a pragmatic, step-by-step way. It will continue to be a prudent steward of the nation's finances as it focusses on the priorities of Canadians. Its efforts will be affordable and sustainable. The Government reaffirms its commitment to balanced budgets.

To assist the Government in fulfilling its responsibilities, Canada must have a public service distinguished by excellence and equipped with the skills for a knowledge economy and society. The Government will seek bright, motivated young women and men to accept the challenge of serving their country in the federal public service. The Government is committed to the reforms needed for the Public Service of Canada to continue evolving and adapting. These reforms will ensure that the Public Service is innovative, dynamic and reflective of the diversity of the country - able to attract and develop the talent needed to serve Canadians in the 21st century.

The Government will help to create opportunity for Canadians and ensure that opportunity is shared by all. This is the Canadian Way for the 21st century.

Creating Opportunity / Des possibilités nouvelles

Une économie novatrice est essentielle pour offrir des possibilités nouvelles aux Canadiens et aux Canadiennes.

Une économie novatrice s'appuie sur la recherche et le développement. Elle suppose une main-d'ouvre hautement spécialisée et des investissements dans la technologie de pointe; un environnement commercial et des politiques fiscales qui encouragent la prise de risques bien calculés et l'esprit d'entreprise, et qui récompensent la réussite; un environnement propre à attirer les investissements; une image de marque, partout dans le monde, fondée sur l'excellence canadienne.

An innovative economy is one where the benefits of new ideas are shared by every sector and every region - from East to West to North, from office workers to farm families.

Canada has laid a solid foundation for success in the new economy. Our economic fundamentals are among the best in the world. Spiralling debt and deficits have been replaced by social and economic investments, tax cuts and debt repayments. On January 1st of this year, most elements of the Government's comprehensive and broad-based package of $100 billion in tax relief took effect.

Jamais au cours des trois dernières décennies n'avons-nous été si bien placés pour saisir les possibilités qu'offre l'économie mondiale et résister aux ralentissements à court terme que pourraient subir les principaux partenaires commerciaux du Canada.

Innovation

To secure our continued success in the 21st century, Canadians must be among the first to generate new knowledge and put it to use.

Our objective should be no less than to be recognized as one of the most innovative countries in the world. Achieving this will require a comprehensive approach and the support and participation of all governments, businesses, educational institutions, and individual Canadians.

We must strive for Canada to become one of the top five countries for research and development performance by 2010. This is a challenge for all Canadians, but in particular for the private sector as the largest research investor in Canada.

As its contribution, the Government will at least double the current federal investment in research and development by 2010. In making new investments, the Government will:

continue to pursue excellence in Canadian research by strengthening the research capacity of Canadian universities and government laboratories and institutions;

accelerate Canada's ability to commercialize research discoveries, turning them into new products and services; and

pursue a global strategy for Canadian science and technology, supporting more collaborative international research at the frontiers of knowledge.

Les nouveaux investissements fédéraux se traduiront par des recherches ciblées de façon stratégique et coordonnées avec les différents partenaires. Ils bénéficieront directement aux Canadiens dans des domaines comme la santé, la qualité de l'eau, l'environnement, la gestion des ressources naturelles et la recherche océanographique. Entre autres mesures, le gouvernement accroîtra le soutien destiné à la mise au point de technologies nouvelles pour les Canadiens ayant des handicaps.

Research in life sciences will benefit all of Canada, particularly our agricultural and rural economies. The Government will help Canada's agricultural sector move beyond crisis management - leading to more genuine diversification and value-added growth, new investments and employment, better land use, and high standards of environmental stewardship and food safety.

Compétences et apprentissage / Skills and Learning

Canada will only realize its full potential by investing aggressively in the skills and talents of its people.

To succeed in the knowledge economy, Canada will need people with advanced skills and entrepreneurial spirit. Canada's youth are optimistic, technologically savvy, globally connected and the most highly educated generation in our history. The Government will continue to help young Canadians contribute to their country, gain employment, and apply their business and creative skills.

Building a skilled work force must be a national effort. The Government of Canada will work with provinces and territories and with non-governmental organizations to ensure that all Canadians, young and old, can achieve their learning goals. Canada must see at least one million more adults pursue learning opportunities during the next five years.

Le gouvernement aidera en outre les adultes qui veulent se perfectionner, mais qui arrivent difficilement à trouver le temps ou les ressources nécessaires pour le faire tout en subvenant à leurs propres besoins et à ceux de leur famille. Il créera donc un régime enregistré d'apprentissage personnel pour aider ces Canadiens à trouver les sommes nécessaires à leur formation. Son programme de prêts aux étudiants à temps partiel sera amélioré afin qu'un plus grand nombre de travailleurs puissent étudier tout en ayant un travail rémunéré.

Some Canadians face particular challenges in upgrading their skills and enhancing their education. The Government will take steps to make it easier for them to access skills and learning.

Youth at risk are among the most likely to drop out of school or to have difficulty in making the transition from school to work. The Government will work with its partners to ensure support for youth who particularly need help staying in school or getting their first job.

Today, many Canadian adults lack the higher literacy skills needed in the new economy. The Government of Canada will invite the provinces and territories along with the private sector and voluntary organizations to launch a national initiative with the goal of significantly increasing the proportion of adults with these higher-level skills.

Persons with disabilities face barriers to full participation in the economy and society. The Government of Canada will work with the provinces and territories and other partners toward a comprehensive labour-market strategy for persons with disabilities.

Increasing numbers of Aboriginal people are developing their business skills and competing in the new economy. The Government will work with Aboriginal people to help strengthen their entrepreneurial and business expertise.

Immigrants have enriched Canada with their ideas and talents. The Government will take steps to help Canada attract the skilled workers it needs. It will also work in co-operation with the provinces and territories to secure better recognition of the foreign credentials of new Canadians and their more rapid integration into society. The Government will re-introduce changes to immigration legislation to streamline and improve the immigration system.

Brancher les Canadiens / Connecting Canadians

The Government has helped to make Canada one of the most connected countries in the world, yet the speed of change continues to accelerate. Canada must continue to develop and strengthen its information infrastructure.

The private sector today is expanding high-speed access to the Internet in many regions. The National Broadband Task Force will advise the Government on how Canadians together can achieve the critical goal of making broadband access widely available to citizens, businesses, public institutions and to all communities in Canada by 2004.

Le gouvernement continuera d'appuyer le Programme d'accès communautaire et le Réseau scolaire canadien, assurant ainsi aux Canadiens, à leurs communautés et à leurs écoles un accès à l'autoroute de l'information. Ces programmes jouent un rôle essentiel dans les efforts déployés pour combler le fossé digital, notamment pour les populations rurales, les gens des régions isolées et du Nord ainsi que les Autochtones. Le gouvernement veillera également à rehausser le Réseau scolaire canadien en y augmentant les contenus de formation en ligne et en les améliorant.

Le gouvernement continuera de travailler à offrir d'ici 2004.

Commerce et investissement / Trade and Investment

En étroite collaboration avec les États-Unis, notre plus important partenaire commercial, le gouvernement s'emploiera à assurer de part et d'autre un accès plus sûr et plus efficace aux marchés. Il continuera en outre le travail conjoint déjà entrepris pour moderniser notre frontière commune.

Le gouvernement lancera également une stratégie d'image de marque pour sensibiliser les investisseurs aux avantages qu'ils auraient à choisir le Canada. À cette fin, il continuera à mener des missions commerciales d'Équipe Canada, qui connaissent du succès, et il projette des missions d'Équipe Canada Investissement aux États-Unis et en Europe.

Des possibilités pour tous / Sharing Opportunity

The Canadian Way recognizes that economic and social success must be pursued together. We cannot build a prosperous society in the absence of economic growth. We cannot lead in innovation and new ideas without healthy and secure citizens. We must not pursue our interests in the world without strengthening our distinct culture and values here at home.

Nowhere is the creation and sharing of opportunity more important than for Aboriginal people. Too many continue to live in poverty, without the tools they need to build a better future for themselves or their communities. As a country, we must be direct about the magnitude of the challenge and ambitious in our commitment to tackle the most pressing problems facing Aboriginal people. Reaching our objectives will take time, but we must not be deterred by the length of the journey or the obstacles that we may encounter along the way.

The Government is committed to strengthening its relationship with Aboriginal people. It will support First Nations communities in strengthening governance, including implementing more effective and transparent administrative practices. And it will work to ensure that basic needs are met for jobs, health, education, housing and infrastructure. This commitment will be reflected in all the Government's priorities.

Children and Families / Enfants et familles

Securing a good start in life for children is the only way to ensure that they are ready to learn, to seize opportunity as adults, and to contribute to the building of their country.

There was a time in Canada when retirement often meant facing a new life of hardship. A generation ago, Canadians set a national goal to eliminate poverty among seniors, and we have made significant progress.

There was a time in this country when falling sick meant risking one's life savings. Working together, Canadians built a national, publicly funded health care system to ensure access to quality care for every citizen regardless of income.

There was a time when losing a job also meant immediate loss of income for workers and their families. And so Canadians created Employment Insurance.

Now Canadians must undertake another national project - to ensure that no Canadian child suffers the debilitating effects of poverty.

La population canadienne et les gouvernements ont déjà pris des mesures importantes en ce sens.

Une économie forte et la création d'emplois ont été essentielles pour réduire la pauvreté et assurer aux parents les ressources nécessaires pour prendre soin de leurs enfants. La croissance économique ne peut toutefois suffire. Les gouvernements ont eux aussi un rôle essentiel à jouer en aidant les familles laissées pour compte et en fournissant un soutien aux familles et aux enfants.

Tous les gouvernements ont adopté une gamme de mesures pour aider les familles et les enfants. La Prestation nationale pour enfants constitue la pierre angulaire de nos efforts communs pour offrir aux enfants un meilleur départ dans la vie. Il s'agit sans contredit du plus important programme social mis en place au Canada depuis la création du régime d'assurance-maladie dans les années 60. La part que le gouvernement du Canada versera au titre de la Prestation nationale pour enfants continuera d'augmenter pendant les quatre prochaines années.

Dernièrement, le gouvernement du Canada ainsi que des provinces et les territoires ont mis en ouvre l'initiative du Développement de la petite enfance dans le but d'élargir et d'améliorer l'accès aux services pour toutes les familles et tous les enfants. Le gouvernement y consacrera plus de 2 milliards de dollars sur cinq ans. Dans cette entente, les gouvernements se sont engagés à faire rapport des résultats obtenus à la population. Le gouvernement du Canada et ses partenaires auront ainsi les renseignements nécessaires pour prendre d'autres mesures, au besoin, afin que tous les enfants aient un meilleur départ dans la vie.

The Government of Canada will also take immediate action with its partners where the challenges are greatest.

Single parents and their children often face special challenges overcoming poverty. The governments of Canada, New Brunswick and British Columbia have been testing new approaches to help single parents become more self-sufficient. The Government of Canada is prepared to test innovations with other provinces and territories, with the longer-term aim of developing new measures that help these parents overcome poverty.

The Government will work with its partners on modernizing the laws for child support, custody, and access - to ensure that these work in the best interests of children in cases of family breakdown.

It will improve the support available to parents and caregivers in times of family crisis. No Canadian should have to choose between keeping their job and providing palliative care to a child. The Government will take steps to enable parents to provide care to a gravely ill child without fear of sudden income or job loss.

In securing a better future for Aboriginal children, the Government will work with First Nations to improve and expand the early childhood development programs and services available in their communities. It will also expand significantly the Aboriginal Head Start program, to better prepare more Aboriginal children for school and help those with special needs.

The Government of Canada will also co-operate with Aboriginal communities and provinces and territories on the measures required to reduce the number of Aboriginal newborns affected by fetal alcohol syndrome. No child should experience this syndrome, but Canada's immediate aim must be to significantly reduce its incidence in the Aboriginal population by the end of this decade.

Good Health and Quality Care / Santé et soins de qualité

A healthy Canadian society is built on the health and well-being of individual Canadians and the health of our communities.

Canadians place a high priority on good health and on their health care system. We know that our system of medicare, which ensures access to needed services regardless of income or place of residence, is vital to our quality of life. It is a Canadian advantage and deeply valued by all its citizens.

The Government of Canada will uphold the Canada Health Act. It will work with the provinces and territories to ensure that all governments continue to fulfil their commitment to the principles of medicare.

Les gouvernements se sont concertés pour renforcer et renouveler le régime canadien de soins de santé. En septembre dernier, les premiers ministres ont confirmé que leurs gouvernements s'engageaient à respecter les principes de la Loi canadienne sur la santé. À cette fin, ils ont souscrit à un plan d'action qui leur permettra de donner à la population canadienne un système de soins de santé moderne, intégré et viable.

Au cours des trois prochaines années, les gouvernements adopteront des mesures concrètes pour réformer les soins primaires et encourager l'innovation, adopter des technologies modernes d'information sur la santé et se procurer les équipements diagnostiques et médicaux nécessaires. Le gouvernement du Canada s'engage, pour sa part, à verser aux provinces et aux territoires un montant additionnel de plus de 21 milliards de dollars sur cinq ans par l'entremise du Transfert canadien en matière de santé et de programmes sociaux.

Le gouvernement parrainera également diverses mesures locales visant à promouvoir la santé et à prévenir la maladie.

Il intensifiera ses efforts pour encourager le conditionnement physique et la pratique des sports, ainsi que pour continuer à lutter contre l'abus d'alcool et de stupéfiants, à réduire le tabagisme, à prévenir les blessures et à promouvoir la santé mentale.

Il s'emploiera à promouvoir la prévention, dans le but notamment de réduire l'incidence des formes de diabète évitable et de tuberculose, surtout chez les Autochtones, où le nombre de cas est tout particulièrement élevé.

Le gouvernement augmentera à nouveau de manière substantielle les fonds destinés aux Instituts de recherche en santé du Canada. Ces fonds additionnels leur permettront d'accroître la recherche sur la prévention et le traitement des maladies, les déterminants de la santé et l'efficacité du régime de soins.

Building on the health action plan's commitment to public reporting, the Government of Canada will work with the provinces and territories to create a citizens' council on health care quality. This council will ensure that the public's perspective is considered in developing meaningful indicators of health system performance.

As public reporting begins on how the health system is meeting the needs of Canadians, governments will use this information to continue to move forward with the renewal of medicare.

A Clean Environment / Un environnement sain

Canada is blessed by the beauty of its vast landscape and the wealth of its natural resources. But with this blessing comes the responsibility to ensure its preservation. A healthy environment is an essential part of a sustainable economy and our quality of life.

The Government's focus will be on the three priorities of clean air, clean water, and the conservation of Canada's natural spaces.

En décembre dernier, le gouvernement du Canada a signé avec les États-Unis un accord visant à réduire sensiblement les émissions qui causent le smog. Dans le cadre de cet accord, on vise d'ici 2010 une baisse de 90 p. 100 des émissions de véhicules qui causent le smog, ce qui contribuera à assainir l'air que respirent des millions de citoyens des deux pays. Le gouvernement s'emploiera à mettre rapidement en ouvre cet accord et d'autres mesures d'assainissement de l'air, de concert avec les provinces et les territoires.

It is Canada's responsibility, as steward of one of the world's largest supplies of fresh water, to protect this critical resource. Safeguarding our water is a shared task among governments, industry and individual Canadians. The Government of Canada will fulfil its direct responsibilities for water, including the safety of water supplies on reserves and federal lands.

The Government will also lead in developing stronger national guidelines for water quality by enhancing scientific research and continuing its collaboration with partners. Drawing on expertise within the Government and from across Canada, it will significantly strengthen the role of the National Water Research Institute.

It will fund improvements to municipal water and waste water systems through the federal-provincial-municipal Infrastructure Canada program.

It will also invest in research and development and advanced information systems to enable better land use and protect surface and ground water supplies from the impact of industrial and agricultural operations.

Les Canadiens sont les gardiens d'une part importante de la faune et de la flore de la planète. Le gouvernement investira donc dans la création de parcs nationaux et mettra en ouvre un plan pour rétablir l'intégrité écologique de ceux qui existent déjà. Il travaillera de concert avec ses partenaires en faveur d'une gestion durable plus intégrée des océans du Canada. Et il présentera à nouveau le projet de loi sur les aires marines de conservation et sur la protection des espèces en péril.

Au nombre de ses efforts de promotion du développement durable à l'échelle de la planète, le gouvernement veillera à ce que le Canada fasse sa part pour réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Avec ses partenaires provinciaux et territoriaux, il mettra en ouvre le premier plan d'action national sur le changement climatique, annoncé dernièrement.

To safeguard Canadians from toxic substances and environmental contaminants, the Government will also strengthen laws, research efforts and other measures for health protection. This will include the development of appropriate standards that reflect the special vulnerabilities of children.

Des communautés fortes et sûres / Strong and Safe Communities

Des communautés fortes et sûres sont une composante essentielle du tissu de notre société. Elles insufflent un sentiment de sécurité qui incitera les Canadiens à bâtir un meilleur avenir pour eux-mêmes et leurs familles. Elles contribuent aussi à attirer chez nous des gens de talent venant des quatre coins du globe.

Quelle que soit leur taille, les communautés canadiennes - urbaines ou rurales, autochtones ou multiculturelles - ont toutes sortes de défis à relever et des besoins bien particuliers. Le gouvernement du Canada veillera à ce que, dans toute la mesure du possible, ses initiatives et ses programmes contribuent à des solutions locales pour des problèmes locaux. Aidé de ses partenaires à travers le Canada, le gouvernement amorcera un dialogue sur les multiples possibilités qui s'offrent aux centres urbains et sur les défis qui les attendent. Avec les administrations provinciales et municipales, il collaborera en outre à améliorer les infrastructures de transport public. Et il aidera à stimuler la construction de logements abordables plus nombreux.

Ensuring that Canada's communities are safe is an important element of fostering and attracting the talented people needed for success in the new economy. Crime rates in Canada have fallen steadily for almost a decade.

The Government of Canada will continue to work with provinces and territories, communities, and all its partners to implement a balanced approach to addressing crime - focussing on prevention as much as punishment, strengthening penalties for serious crime, and considering the needs of victims.

The Government will focus on safeguarding Canadians from new and emerging forms of crime. It will take aggressive steps to combat organized crime, including the creation of stronger anti-gang laws and measures to protect members of the justice system from intimidation. It will provide enhanced law enforcement tools to deal with emerging threats to security, such as cybercrime and terrorism. It will act to safeguard children from crime, including criminals on the Internet. The Government will take steps to ensure that our laws protect children from those who would prey on their vulnerability.

The Government will re-introduce legislation to change how the justice system deals with young offenders. It will encourage alternatives to custody for non-violent offenders, emphasizing rehabilitation and re-integration into society, while toughening consequences for more violent youth.

Working with the provinces, territories and communities, the Government of Canada will strengthen the capacity of local communities to deal with conflict, prevent crime, and address drug abuse.

It is a tragic reality that too many Aboriginal people are finding themselves in conflict with the law. Canada must take the measures needed to significantly reduce the percentage of Aboriginal people entering the criminal justice system, so that within a generation it is no higher than the Canadian average.

Une culture canadienne dynamique / Vibrant Canadian Culture

Canada is defined by far more than its political boundaries or economic relationships. In these times of rapid change and globalization, it is more important than ever that we know who we are as Canadians and what brings us together.

The focus of our cultural policies for the future must be on excellence in the creative process, diverse Canadian content, and access to the arts and heritage for all Canadians.

Les réseaux français et anglais de la Société Radio-Canada sont depuis longtemps les pierres d'assise de la politique culturelle canadienne. La SRC contribue à rapprocher les Canadiens et à les mettre en contact avec leur histoire et leur pays. Elle diffuse ses émissions dans tous les coins du Canada, des grandes villes aux petites villes, jusqu'aux populations du Nord et aux communautés autochtones. Elle offre une voix canadienne distinctive dans les deux langues officielles ainsi que des débouchés importants pour nos créateurs. Le gouvernement accroîtra son appui à la SRC pour l'aider à mieux remplir son rôle distinct de diffuseur public au service de tous les Canadiens.

The Government will assist the book-publishing and sound-recording sectors to make the transition to the new economy. It will continue to support the development of digital content for the Internet and other new media in French and English. And it will work to expand international markets for Canadian cultural products and services.

Communities across Canada are increasingly recognizing the importance of arts and heritage for their quality of life and ability to attract talent, investment and tourism. The Government of Canada will continue to work with the private and not-for-profit sectors and other governments to strengthen Canada's cultural infrastructure. It will help communities to develop arts and heritage programs that are sustainable and relevant to their diverse circumstances and aspirations.

Creating and Sharing Opportunities Globally / Des possibilités nouvelles et pour tous à l'échelle mondiale

Le bien-être du Canada et des Canadiens est tributaire de la sécurité humaine, de la prospérité et du développement à l'échelle du monde.

Le gouvernement du Canada s'est engagé à travailler de concert avec ses partenaires internationaux pour promouvoir la paix et la sécurité, et ce, en améliorant les mécanismes axés sur la prévention et le règlement des conflits. Il veillera à renforcer la gouvernance à l'échelle du monde et à améliorer les institutions multilatérales existantes et nouvelles. Celles-ci comprennent entre autres le G20. Ce nouveau forum, dont le Canada assure la première présidence, a pour but d'accroître la stabilité de l'économie mondiale et d'assurer que la mondialisation profite à tous ses membres.

Le gouvernement augmentera l'aide canadienne au développement international et il mettra à profit ses investissements autant dans la lutte contre la pauvreté que dans les efforts visant à renforcer la démocratie, la justice et la stabilité sociale dans le monde.

Les Canadiens sont passés maîtres dans la mise en valeur de la technologie pour bâtir une société plus inclusive. L'expérience canadienne est aujourd'hui un modèle à suivre. Grâce à sa participation aux travaux du Groupe d'experts sur l'accès aux nouvelles technologies, créé par le G8, ainsi qu'à ses propres investissements dans les pays en développement, le Canada contribuera à combler le fossé digital à l'échelle mondiale.

Le gouvernement poursuivra ses efforts de maintien de la paix, qui font la fierté des Canadiens. Dans son budget de 2000, le gouvernement a alloué plus d'argent aux Forces canadiennes afin de les aider à être équipées et prêtes à répondre rapidement aux demandes d'aide provenant du Canada et de l'étranger.

The Summit of the Americas this year presents an exceptional opportunity to promote a balanced and coherent vision for deepening co-operation among the nations of the Western hemisphere. The summit declaration and action plan will support Canada's interest in strengthening democracy and human rights, expanding commerce through the Free Trade Area of the Americas initiative, increasing people's access to the benefits of growth, and providing opportunities for all nations in the Americas to improve the quality of life of their citizens.

At the Summit of the Americas and as chair of the G-8 in 2002, Canada will work to expand opportunities for more countries to participate in the benefits of globalization, while pressing for peace and security in the world.

Celebrating Our Canadian Citizenship / Hommage à notre citoyenneté canadienne

Canada was born of a noble vision and an act of will.

Our Canadian citizenship has been built over time through the experiences we have shared …

… when together we celebrate the successes of our scientists, scholars, athletes and artists, our leaders on the world stage, and our peacekeepers. And when we remember and honour our war veterans.

… when we visit other parts of our country or when we travel abroad and see ourselves through the eyes of others.

… when every year thousands of new Canadians stand proudly with their families to take on the responsibilities of Canadian citizenship.

Le gouvernement aidera les Canadiens à resserrer les liens qui les unissent pour mieux se comprendre et se respecter, à célébrer leurs réalisations et leur histoire, et à assumer la citoyenneté qu'ils partagent avec les autres.

Il continuera d'élargir les programmes d'échanges à l'intention des jeunes afin que soit atteint l'objectif de 100 000 échanges par an.

La dualité linguistique du Canada est au cour de notre identité canadienne et constitue un élément clé de notre société dynamique. La protection et la promotion de nos deux langues officielles sont une priorité du gouvernement, d'un océan à l'autre. Le gouvernement renouvellera son engagement à l'égard des communautés minoritaires de langue officielle viables et du renforcement de la culture et de la langue françaises, tout en mobilisant ses efforts pour que tous les Canadiens puissent communiquer avec le gouvernement dans la langue officielle de leur choix.

The institutions of Government will continue to be strengthened. Since 1993, the Government has taken a range of measures to enable members of Parliament to more effectively represent the views of their constituents. MPs have participated in pre-budget consultations, at the end of which recommendations were made to the Government. Moreover, private members' bills from the House and Senate have been taken into account more often and considered with greater attention than at any time in the past.

In this new session of Parliament, the Government will make further proposals to improve procedures in the House and Senate. Among other measures, voting procedures will be modernized in the House of Commons and, to assist parliamentarians in carrying out their duties, the Government intends to increase the resources of the Library of Parliament to better serve the research needs of standing committees of the House and Senate.

Tous les Canadiens sont appelés à contribuer au développement de notre pays et à faire en sorte que le Canada remplisse sa promesse au XXIe siècle. La voie canadienne doit demeurer le meilleur exemple qui soit pour les hommes et les femmes de tous horizons et de toutes origines afin qu'ils unissent leurs forces pour créer un avenir meilleur.

Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, Vous serez appelés à voter les crédits nécessaires pour financer les services et les dépenses approuvés par le Parlement.

Honourable Members of the Senate, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, Mesdames et Messieurs,

My wife, Diana, and I were happy to welcome Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh when they arrived in Canada last June and to be their hosts during their stay in the National Capital over Canada Day.

As Governor General I have visited every province and territory, and I wish every Canadian could share that experience. Our cities, towns, and villages reflect the diversity of all those who have come to this country. And yet our communities, whether on the coasts or the prairies, whether in the woodlands or on the northern tundra, show the same friendliness, openness, and generosity.

People care for each other in many ways, and they give their time and their support to their community.

Quand je suis devenu Gouverneur général, j'ai déclaré que j'avais l'intention de souligner la générosité des Canadiens, surtout des bénévoles. Nous avons donc créé le Prix pour l'entraide, qui reconnaît la générosité des plus dévoués d'entre eux.

In my functions, I visit with many units of the Canadian Forces. They have impressed me with their dedication, as demonstrated by their peacekeeping role, their heroic work in search and rescue, and their immediate response to natural disasters such as the Saguenay region and Red River floods.

Let me mention another source of great pride: the proclamation of the twenty-first of June, the longest day of the year, as National Aboriginal Day -- a day to honour the First Peoples of this land.

A New Parliament… / Une nouvelle législature…

Today marks the opening of a new Parliament, the last Parliament of the 20th century and the first Parliament of the 21st century, a Parliament with a unique and historic opportunity to provide leadership on national issues to secure the future for Canadians.

On June 2, 1997, the people of Canada renewed the mandate of the Government. Over the course of this Parliament, the Government will fulfil the commitments it made to the people in its election platform.

The Parliament of Canada is the only institution directly elected by all Canadians with the mandate to protect and express the national interest. Elected by all Canadians and endowed with the legitimacy that this bestows, the Government of Canada will stand up for the shared values of Canadians at home and abroad.

But governing in the 21st century also means recognizing that no one government can act alone. Given the complexity of the issues that face us as citizens in a global economy, collaboration is an essential ingredient for the success of Canada. More than ever, Canadians want their governments to work together in partnership.

À l'aube d'un nouveau millénaire, devant les défis et les possibilités qu'il nous offre, nous pouvons jeter un regard sur le dernier siècle de l'histoire canadienne et affirmer sans contredit que le Canada est vu dans le monde entier, à juste titre, comme un exemple de réussite extraordinaire. Le Canada représente le triomphe de l'esprit humain; il rassemble le meilleur de ce que les hommes et les femmes sont capables de faire....

…For a New Century of Canadian Achievement / …Vers un nouveau siècle de réalisations canadiennes

Au seuil du xxie siècle, les Canadiens font face à des changements dans le domaine de la technologie et de l'information aussi profonds que ceux de la révolution industrielle. Cela nous ouvre des perspectives exceptionnelles de croissance et de développement. Au fur et à mesure que les vieilles contraintes que nous imposaient le temps et les distances s'estompent, les individus comme les collectivités peuvent aujourd'hui accomplir des choses autrefois impensables.

Canada is ready. We are poised for success. Our citizens have the qualities that are needed to succeed in the 21st century:

We have the values of sharing and mutual help.

We are well educated.

We welcome innovation and new ideas.

We are an open and democratic society.

We are a bilingual and multicultural country at a time of increasing globalization.

We have learned to accommodate our differences and diversity and turn them into strengths.

Our federation makes the most of these talents. It gives us the cohesion we need to multiply our strengths by combining our talents, by pooling our resources and by sharing risks. It also gives us the flexibility we need to experiment and innovate in order to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

The Government wishes to recognize the important role of a professional, non-partisan public service in a well-performing civil society. Canada is served well by its public service, and the effort and dedication it exhibits in meeting the needs of citizens and in building partnerships among governments and other sectors of society. The Government will continue to renew the Public Service of Canada to ensure its members have the skills and dedication to continue serving Canadians well.

...Nous avons déjà jeté les bases de notre succès / We Have Already Built a Foundation for Our Success_

Ces dernières années, les Canadiens ont fait beaucoup d'efforts et de sacrifices pour surmonter un grand nombre de difficultés auxquelles notre pays a fait face. Nous y sommes parvenus, et nous avons commencé à jeter des bases solides sur lesquelles se fondera notre réussite au cours du nouveau millénaire.

Cette 36e législature s’ouvre au moment où nous avons mis de l'ordre dans les finances publiques et où l'économie s'engage dans un cycle de croissance vigoureuse. Certes, le chômage est encore trop élevé, mais des centaines de milliers d'emplois nouveaux sont créés par le secteur privé, le taux d'inflation est très bas et les taux d'intérêt n'ont jamais été aussi faibles depuis plus de trente ans. Un nombre croissant de sociétés canadiennes vendent aujourd'hui plus de biens et de services dans le monde entier que jamais auparavant.

Stimulating job creation and economic growth has been, remains, and will continue to be a major objective of the Government of Canada. The Government will build on the progress achieved and the foundations put in place over the last four years to strengthen the economy and increase confidence. We will pursue this course and take further action to encourage new investment, to create new jobs, and to generate the national wealth necessary to assure Canadians a stable and secure future.

The Government will continue to be vigilant and responsible about keeping the financial affairs of the country in order:

It will put the debt-to-GDP ratio on a permanent downward track.

It will balance the budget no later than fiscal year 1998­-99.

It will seek to devote one-half of the surplus in this mandate to addressing the social and economic needs of Canadians. The other half will go to a combination of reducing taxes and the national debt.

It will introduce legislation to implement the proposed changes to the Canada Pension Plan and the new Seniors Benefit in order to ensure Canada's public pension system remains sustainable in the 21st century.

One in three Canadian jobs depend on trade. Our prosperity and our ability to create jobs are directly linked to how well we capitalize on international opportunities. Team Canada trade missions have successfully generated new opportunities for Canadian businesses and have illustrated what we can accomplish when governments and the private sector collaborate. The Government will build on this success with a focussed strategy, developed in consultation with industry, to improve our international economic performance by expanding Canada's trade base, becoming the location of choice for global investment, and making Canada a preferred tourist destination.

Au Canada, un emploi sur trois est tributaire du commerce. Notre prospérité et notre capacité de créer des emplois sont liées à la manière dont nous savons exploiter les débouchés à l'étranger. Les missions commerciales d'Équipe Canada ont ouvert une foule de possibilités nouvelles aux entreprises canadiennes, et démontré les mérites de la collaboration entre les gouvernements et le secteur privé. Le gouvernement s'appuiera sur le succès de cette collaboration pour établir avec les milieux industriels une stratégie destinée à améliorer notre performance économique internationale, en élargissant notre base commerciale, et en faisant du Canada un lieu privilégié pour les investisseurs du monde entier et une destination touristique recherchée.

Le gouvernement du Canada a regagné sa capacité de répondre aux priorités des Canadiens sans excéder ses moyens financiers. Il est maintenant en mesure d'effectuer des investissements stratégiques pour nos enfants, nos jeunes, notre santé, nos collectivités, ainsi que pour le secteur du savoir et de la créativité, tout en continuant à assainir la situation financière du pays.

The Government is committed to following this balanced approach of social investment and prudent financial management as it leads Canada toward renewed and lasting economic health and increased social cohesion.

As important as all of these accomplishments is the fact that the federal, provincial and territorial governments are developing new and better ways of working together. We are making the federation better able to serve the differing needs of Canadians across the country.

Canadians feel better about their own future and the country's future. We are looking to our future together with a new optimism. The fact that we have demonstrated our ability as a country to set ambitious goals and achieve them gives us new confidence to set higher goals for the years ahead and succeed. We need to go beyond the limits of our expectations. It is the task of Parliament and the Government to rise to this new spirit of optimism.

Le défi de l'avenir / Our Challenge for the Future

Our challenge is to ensure that no Canadian is left behind as the country moves forward. The future belongs to societies whose economy is sound; who invest in knowledge, education and innovation; whose population is healthy; whose children are well prepared to learn; and who focus on securing a high quality of life for all citizens. Canadians have already set these priorities for this new Parliament. These are the Government's priorities.

Building a Stronger Canada / Pour un Canada plus fort

Les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux se doivent, à l'égard de tous les Canadiens, d'exercer un leadership responsable en faveur de l'unité du pays. L'engagement le plus important du gouvernement est de maintenir l'unité du Canada. Il n'a pas de plus grand devoir ou responsabilité. Au seuil du xxie siècle, l'objectif primordial du gouvernement du Canada est à la fois simple et ambitieux. Il consiste à renforcer notre pays et à en assurer l'unité en contribuant à l'entreprise commune de faire en sorte que le Canada demeure un des pays du monde où il fait le mieux vivre.

Les valeurs canadiennes d'ouverture, de tolérance et de partage, les qualités que représente notre diversité sociale et linguistique ainsi que notre niveau de vie élevé nous ont particulièrement bien préparés à relever les défis de l'ère nouvelle dans laquelle nous nous engageons.

Les Canadiens veulent une société fondée sur la justice et la générosité, une société prospère, une société tolérante où règne une grande diversité, enfin, une société qui encourage l'excellence et la créativité. Pour que ces aspirations se réalisent pleinement, il faudra mobiliser les Canadiens de tous les horizons, ainsi que les institutions, les entreprises privées, les milieux bénévoles et les gouvernements. Il faudra de la collaboration et des partenariats. Il faudra se tendre la main.

Les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux ont adopté une approche axée sur la collaboration pour renforcer et moderniser l'union sociale canadienne. Un premier résultat tangible est la nouvelle Prestation nationale pour enfants. Au cours de leur réunion la semaine dernière, neuf premiers ministres provinciaux et les deux leaders territoriaux ont réaffirmé leur désir de collaborer plus étroitement avec le gouvernement du Canada dans les domaines des soins de santé et de la politique sociale. Le gouvernement se réjouit de l'intérêt continu des premiers ministres et des leaders territoriaux à travailler de concert, et il s'engage à collaborer d'encore plus près avec eux pour régler ces importantes questions. Comme étape suivante, les premiers ministres se rencontreront cet automne pour travailler ensemble sur les questions du chômage chez les jeunes, des soins médicaux et du renouvellement de la politique sociale.

The Government will take a very broad and encompassing approach to promoting and strengthening our unity. All its major initiatives will serve to make Canada better and thus more united. The Government will approach its mandate committed to collaboration and partnership with all its partners in Canadian society. Canada provides our common space and our common means for realizing our potential. We would all be forever diminished, forever changed, should we fail to maintain the example Canada provides to the world. Our future as a country is too precious for us to risk losing it through misunderstanding. Therefore, the Government will bring frankness and clarity to any debate that puts into question the future existence or unity of Canada. It will create a better understanding of the true complexity and difficulty for all of us in severing ties that have developed in building a nation together. Most of all, it will demonstrate how much more we can do together than apart.

The Government will work closely with provincial and territorial governments to further advance the progress made by nine Premiers and the territorial leaders last week in Calgary toward the full recognition of the diversity inherent in the federation, including the unique character of Quebec society.

We must build on the mutual respect Canadians have for one another to achieve our common aspirations for a better future.

Investir dans nos enfants / Investing in Children

A country that has decided to invest in its children is a country that is confident in its future. A country that invests in its children successfully will have a better future. One of our objectives as a country should be to ensure that all Canadian children have the best possible opportunity to develop their full potential. We must equip our children with the capacities they need to be ready to learn and to participate fully in our society.

While families have the greatest responsibility in the nurturing and development of our children, they are not alone. Developing our children requires a concerted effort and partnership by parents, governments, and the private and the voluntary sectors. It requires focussing on what children need to thrive.

The experiences of Canadian children, especially in the early years, influence their health, their well-being, and their ability to learn and adapt throughout their entire lives. By investing now in the well-being of today's children, we improve the long-term health of our society. Addressing the needs of low-income families with children is therefore a priority of the Government.

Federal, provincial and territorial governments have agreed to address in a co-operative way the problems of low-income families with children. Together we are now building the comprehensive and effective National Child Benefit System.

Le gouvernement a déjà donné la preuve de son souci de réaliser ce projet en accroissant de 850 millions de dollars par an sa contribution à la prestation fiscale pour enfants, et les paiements majorés aux familles commenceront le 1er juillet 1998.

Le gouvernement s'emploiera avec ses partenaires provinciaux et territoriaux à établir un calendrier commun pour augmenter la contribution fédérale à la prestation fiscale pour enfants d'au moins 850 millions de dollars supplémentaires au cours de ce mandat. Le gouvernement travaillera également avec les provinces et les territoires à la création d'un cadre national de réinvestissement qui guidera la réaffectation des épargnes de nos partenaires à de nouveaux services et prestations à l'intention des familles à faible revenu ayant des enfants.

Nous avons les moyens d'améliorer la vie de nos enfants. Pour s'épanouir et demeurer en santé, ceux-ci ont besoin qu'on leur consacre temps et attention; ils ont aussi besoin de familles épanouies, de collectivités qui leur apportent soutien et sécurité. En janvier 1997, les gouvernements fédéral, provinciaux et territoriaux ont convenu d'élaborer ensemble le Programme national de l'enfance, une stratégie complète destinée à améliorer le bien-être de nos enfants.

Federal, provincial and territorial governments will work together to develop this broader agenda for children, including clear outcome measures by which to gauge success. As part of this national agenda, the federal government will undertake three new initiatives:

It will establish Centres of Excellence to deepen our understanding of children's development and well-being and to improve our ability to respond to their needs.

It will expand our Aboriginal Head Start program onto reserves to ensure that all Aboriginal children have the opportunity to get a good start in life.

It will measure and report regularly on the readiness of Canadian children to learn, so that we can assess our progress in providing our children with the best possible start.

Investir dans le domaine de la santé et des soins de qualité / Investing in Quality Care and Good Health

For decades, the Canadian health care system has been a source of pride for Canadians: it reflects the fundamental values that Canadians most cherish. Our publicly financed system of health care is recognized at home and abroad as simply the best in the world.

Nonetheless, there is an increasing anxiety among Canadians about the present state and the future of our medicare system. Citizens worry about whether they will have access to the highest possible quality of health care when they need it. The anxiety arises from a number of sources, including the pace and extent of restructuring that has gone on in recent years.

The federal government recognizes that this restructuring has been difficult for Canadians and, therefore, it will increase health care funding to the provinces from previously budgeted levels. It will introduce legislation to increase to $12.5 billion a year the guaranteed annual cash payments to provinces and territories under the Canada Health and Social Transfer.

Un des objectifs de notre pays doit être de continuer à assurer à tous les citoyens l'accès aux meilleurs soins de santé possible et de mettre à leur disposition les outils nécessaires pour jouir d'une bonne santé au seuil du xxie siècle. Les Canadiens ont le droit d'attendre de leurs gouvernements qu'ils collaborent dans l'harmonie afin de mieux atteindre les objectifs communs des Canadiens et de satisfaire leur désir de disposer d'un meilleur régime de santé.

Le gouvernement est fermement résolu à maintenir un système de soins de santé complet et administré par le secteur public, qui assurera aux Canadiens de toutes les régions du pays un accès universel à des soins de haute qualité.

Le gouvernement a un rôle de premier plan à jouer pour protéger et renforcer l'assurance-maladie. Il a également un rôle constructif à jouer avec les provinces et les autres parties intéressées. Il assumera ce rôle dans un esprit d'ouverture, de pragmatisme et d'innovation. Nous pouvons prendre des mesures pour guider les efforts de tous les gouvernements, et nous le ferons.

Preparing Canada for the 21st century means ensuring the medicare system meets the needs of the future. It means responding to emerging issues in health care. Working with its partners, the Government will undertake the following initiatives:

It will take measures to support Canadians in responding to the expanding needs for home care and community care.

It will develop a national plan, timetable and a fiscal framework for providing Canadians with better access to medically necessary drugs.

It will improve the quality and effectiveness of health services across Canada by establishing the Health Transition Fund to help the provincial governments innovate in the areas of primary care and provide more integration in the delivery of health services, home care and pharmacare.

Canadians recognize that good health depends on much more than medical care. Our social and economic situations also help to determine the quality of our health. As a country, we must increase our efforts to promote healthy lives. The Government will contribute to this goal with an agenda to promote good health. Emphasis will also be placed on those factors that determine the health of a country's population, including the equality of economic and social opportunity for all citizens.

Some of the most urgent health problems today are found in Aboriginal communities. The Government will work with other partners and Aboriginal communities to

develop new initiatives to address the rapid increase in tuberculosis and diabetes in Aboriginal communities; and

enhance research and dissemination of health information focussed on the needs of Aboriginal people through a new Aboriginal Health Institute.

To fulfil other pressing health needs, the Government will expand the Canadian breast cancer initiative, renew the national HIV-AIDS strategy; and double the resources for the tobacco reduction strategy, with a particular focus on community-based programs to prevent young Canadians from starting to smoke and to encourage smokers to quit.

The Government will work with its provincial partners and other interested parties to improve Canadian health information systems to improve decision making about health and health care across the country.

Building Safer Communities / Vivre en sécurité dans nos collectivités

Safe communities are among the hallmarks of our Canadian identity. While the reported crime rate has decreased for four consecutive years, it is still too high. The Government is committed to ensuring that Canada remains a place where Canadians feel secure in their homes and on the streets of their communities. A safe society depends on strong crime prevention efforts as well as traditional legal responses. Governments around the world are developing community-based crime prevention programs.

The Government will help protect the right of all Canadians to feel safe in their communities by working with other governments, the private sector and voluntary groups. It will

increase funding for community-based crime-prevention initiatives to $30 million per year;

develop alternatives to incarceration for low-risk, non-violent offenders, such as sentencing reforms, community diversion programs, and alternative sanctions; and

integrate information systems of all partners in the criminal justice system.

Creating Opportunity for Young Canadians / Offrir des possibilités aux jeunes Canadiens

Today's generation of young Canadians is the best educated in our history. Young Canadians are living in a country well-positioned for opportunities in the new economy. Yet, the level of unemployment among Canadians between the ages of 18 and 25 is unacceptably high. The federal, provincial and territorial governments will act to address this problem, and First Ministers and territorial leaders will be working on this issue when they meet this fall.

To secure our future as a society, our immediate challenge is to make sure that our young generation makes a successful transition to the world of work, that young people who want to continue to learn have access to education, and that young people who found it difficult getting started in the workplace get a second chance.

All Canadians have a stake in meeting this challenge successfully. No single sector of society nor any one level of government has all the answers. We must all contribute, each in our areas of competency, to meet the challenge we have set for ourselves. The Government welcomes the action being taken by the private sector, through initiatives such as Career Edge and the Corporate Council on Youth in the Economy, and encourages the private sector to do more. The Government is committed to work with other governments, the private sector, communities and individual Canadians to help equip young people for the future.

An important role for governments is to ensure the widest possible access to post-secondary education. Canadians are concerned about the increasing cost of higher education, and the resulting debt burden on students. The Government took some important measures to address this problem in its budget of February. The Government will continue to reduce barriers to post-secondary education through further changes to the Canada Student Loans Program, increased assistance for students with dependents, and new scholarships to encourage excellence and to help low- and moderate-income Canadians attend university or college.

The Government finds it unacceptable that thousands of jobs are going unfilled in high-growth sectors of our economy at the same time as young Canadians are unemployed. The Government will work with the provinces, universities and colleges, the high-tech industry and other rapidly growing sectors to better forecast the number and types of jobs that will be available and to develop a plan for ensuring that people are appropriately educated to fill them.

Trois facteurs jouent un rôle important pour l'insertion dans le monde du travail – un bon niveau d'instruction, la possibilité de trouver un premier emploi, et la présence de mentors qui aident les jeunes à s'établir. Le gouvernement consacrera plus de ressources à l'aide aux jeunes afin de faciliter leur insertion dans le monde du travail et de la rendre productive. Les programmes de stage, en particulier, ont donné d'excellents résultats dans ce domaine. Ces programmes seront étendus et étoffés, et le financement accru pour les emplois d'été des étudiants sera maintenu. Un programme pancanadien de mentorat sera créé en partenariat avec les gouvernements provinciaux et le secteur privé.

Pour aider les jeunes Canadiens qui ont besoin de prendre un second départ, le gouvernement élaborera et étoffera les programmes communautaires destinés aux jeunes qui ont le plus de difficultés à se tailler une place dans le monde du travail, à cause de leur peu d'instruction et de compétences. Ces programmes donneront lieu à l'établissement de centres polyvalents pour les jeunes Autochtones. Ces centres apporteront une aide socioculturelle ciblée, et ils fourniront plus de possibilités d'emploi et d'apprentissage aux jeunes Autochtones vivant en milieu urbain.

Le gouvernement continuera à soutenir les efforts des particuliers, des collectivités et des autres gouvernements pour accroître la capacité d'apprentissage permanent des Canadiens.

Investir dans le savoir et la créativité / Investing in Knowledge and Creativity

The revolution in the knowledge and information economy is transforming all sectors of the economy from primary resources to service industries. Canada is well-positioned to be a world leader in the global knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. We have the talent, we have the resources, we have the technology, and we have the institutions.

By rising to the challenge of mobilizing our resources well, we can enable our citizens to succeed in the global knowledge-based economy. This is how we will spur continuing job creation and sustained growth in our standard of living in the 21st century. The Government is determined to do more to support innovation and risk-taking in Canada and to attract more foreign investment in knowledge-based industries to Canada. We will build creative partnerships between the private and public sectors to accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies in all sectors of the economy.

With targeted growth strategies, we will build those knowledge-intensive sectors where we are strong and where the opportunities for growth and global leadership is highest. Examples are aerospace; bio-pharmaceuticals; bio-technology in agriculture and fisheries; and the environmental, information, and telecommunications technologies. In particular, the Government will significantly increase the resources allocated to help small and medium-size businesses develop and commercialize new technology.

The Government will explore innovative policies and measures that give particular attention to increasing opportunity for Canadians in rural communities. It will adapt its programs to reflect the social and economic realities of rural Canada. Further, the Government will redouble its efforts to ensure that rural communities and all regions of Canada share in the economic benefits of the global knowledge-based economy.

Les gouvernements ont un rôle capital à jouer pour appuyer la science, la technologie et la création du savoir. La dotation par le gouvernement du Canada de la Fondation canadienne pour l'innovation, en partenariat avec le secteur privé, les provinces et les universités, contribue à la mise sur pied d'un système national d'innovation de pointe. Tous les gouvernements doivent accroître leur aide à la recherche effectuée dans les universités.

L'appui au savoir va au-delà de l'aide à la recherche universitaire. En soutenant davantage les arts, on permet à la culture canadienne d'atteindre des publics au pays et à l'étranger. Nos films, nos livres, nos périodiques, nos pièces de théâtre, nos vidéos, notre musique et nos productions multimédias nous parlent de nous en même temps qu'ils font connaître la créativité canadienne dans le monde. Par conséquent, le gouvernement du Canada accroîtra son soutien au Conseil des Arts, et il s'emploiera particulièrement à aider la culture au pays et à promouvoir le commerce des produits et services culturels et éducatifs canadiens à l'étranger.

We will make the information and knowledge infrastructure accessible to all Canadians by the year 2000, thereby making Canada the most connected nation in the world. This will provide individuals, schools, libraries, small and large businesses, rural and Aboriginal communities, public institutions, and all levels of government with new opportunities for learning, interacting, transacting business and developing their social and economic potential. For example, we will enhance the voluntary sector's capacity to engage Canadians by improving their access to the technology they need to play a stronger role in Canadian life.

A connected nation is more than wires, cables and computers. It is a nation in which citizens have access to the skills and knowledge they need to benefit from Canada's rapidly changing knowledge and information infrastructure. It is also a nation whose people are connected to each other. The Government will continue to work with provinces to ensure greater mobility for people with disabilities and to ensure their integration into the economic and social mainstream of Canadian life. The Government will also bring forward measures to strengthen networks among Canadians and to increase knowledge of Canada and understanding among Canadians; these measures will include enhanced exchange programs for young Canadians.

Accroître les possibilités offertes aux communautés autochtones / Expanding Opportunities in Aboriginal Communities

Thousands of years ago, Aboriginal people began building Canada's first communities. Today, by strengthening our Aboriginal communities, we are reinforcing the diversity that makes Canada unique in the world. The Government will

develop relationships with Aboriginal people based on the principles of partnership, transparency, predictability and accountability;

support the building of strong Aboriginal communities -- communities that provide their members with better living standards and opportunities; and

strengthen the capacity for good government in Aboriginal communities.

To contribute, the Government of Canada is committed to respond to the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoplesas soon as possible.

Looking Outward / Regard vers l'extérieur

Our country has a tradition of being a responsible, engaged, committed world citizen. This is a key characteristic of our national identity and a source of pride to Canadians. Canada is a force for peace and understanding around the world, for bridging differences, and for finding common ground. Canada espouses the common humanity that binds together the human family.

This tradition is the legacy of Nobel laureate and former prime minister of Canada, Lester Pearson, whose 100th birthday we mark this year. Canadians want their government to carry on this tradition and give it new relevance as the world enters a new century.

Nothing better illustrates the ongoing commitment to this tradition than Canada's leadership since 1994 in the international effort to ban anti-personnel mines. This Canadian initiative has evolved from a bold idea to be the focus of a large and growing international consensus that will culminate in the signing of an international treaty in Ottawa in December of this year.

Le patrimoine naturel riche et diversifié de notre pays est une source de fierté nationale et un objet d'admiration à l'échelle internationale. La population canadienne est à la fois la bénéficiaire et la gardienne d'un pays qui recèle 9 p. 100 de l'eau douce de la terre, 10 p. 100 de ses forêts et 25 p. 100 de ses terres humides.

Nous tirons grand plaisir de notre magnifique environnement, mais nous nous inquiétons de son avenir. Entretenir ce qui est en bon état et améliorer ce qui a été détérioré exige un effort constant. Le gouvernement fera cet effort.

Le gouvernement s'est engagé à travailler sur la scène internationale pour promouvoir le développement durable et pour trouver des solutions pratiques aux problèmes d'environnement mondiaux comme l'émission des gaz à effet de serre et les produits chimiques toxiques. Il continuera de traiter le problème international sérieux de la surpêche. Il est résolu à prendre des mesures nationales pour réduire la part du Canada dans ces problèmes.

In this same Canadian tradition of internationalism, the Government will undertake the following initiatives:

It will promote Canadian values on the world stage by co-operating with like-minded countries to revitalize the United Nations and

other key multilateral institutions. It will work directly with other countries to enhance and promote human rights, peace building and democracy.

It will destroy the Department of National Defence's stock of land mines, in advance of the signing of the Ottawa Treaty in December, to continue its leadership and illustrate its commitment to a global ban. And Canada will continue to work toward an accompanying international strategy to help land mine victims recover and civilian populations reclaim their land from these mines.

It will continue to move forward with reforms to the Canadian military.

It will continue its campaign for liberalized trade. Breaking down trade barriers, both within Canada and around the world, helps ensure markets for Canadian goods and services and provides the best opportunity for greater prosperity.

Célébration du nouveau millénaire / Celebrating the Millennium

For Canadians, the start of the new millennium represents an historic opportunity to celebrate our achievements as a nation and our hopes for the future. It will be an unequalled opportunity to show ourselves and the world the richness of our diversity, the strength of Canadian values, and the great promise of our future in the 21st century.

The Government will help build a partnership among governments, communities and citizens to mark the new millennium. Many Canadians have creative ideas and suggestions for millennium projects. There will also be an opportunity for parliamentarians from all parties to participate in developing ideas to mark the millennium.

Moving Forward into the 21st Century / Sur la voie du xxie siècle

Almost 100 years ago, Sir Wilfrid Laurier said, "The 20th century shall be the century of Canada and of Canadian development." And therefore, he was right. Today, we have the opportunity for success in the 21st century that is far beyond what Laurier could have ever imagined.

Pour y arriver, il y a encore du travail à faire -- travail que personne ne peut faire seul. Nous devons tous assumer la responsabilité de notre collectivité et de notre pays. Notre plus grande responsabilité consiste à forger un nouvel esprit de partage et de respect mutuel en vue du prochain siècle.

En travaillant ensemble, en respectant l'atout qu'est notre diversité, nous garantirons notre avenir et nous bâtirons un pays plus fort. Nous nous assurerons que les perspectives économiques soient solides, nos enfants bien préparés, nos vies saines et nos communautés fortes.

Each generation has the opportunity to choose the society it wants to leave for its children. The greatest legacy we can leave to our children in the new millennium is a vibrant living legacy that will make Canada a better place: a stronger country with a brighter future and greater opportunities for its young people. By working together, we will build that future.

Members of the House of Commons: You will be asked to appropriate the funds required to carry out the services and expenditures authorized by Parliament.

Honourable Members of the Senate/Members of the House of Commons: May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberations!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Honourable Members of the Senate; Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the House of Commons;

It is my great pleasure to greet you as you begin the third session of the Thirty-Fourth Parliament.

In the past fifteen months, my wife and I have had the wonderful privilege of meeting thousands of Canadians at Rideau Hall, La Citadelle and in our visits to all of Canada's provinces and territories.

Whatever our background and wherever we live, Canadians share the same basic hopes and aspirations. We are proud of the great country we have inherited. Above all, we are determined to leave it a better and stronger place for our children.

As Gerda and I meet Canadians, we are moved by the special regard they have for the Queen and for the role she has played in our history. In the nearly forty years since she ascended the throne, she has been served by all seven Canadian Governors General-and she remains a living example of the continuity and stability that are fundamental to our system of government.

Therefore, it was a genuine pleasure this year, on your behalf, to congratulate Her Majesty and wish her well on the occasion of her 65th birthday.

This session will be a turning point in Canadian history. Let no one doubt the seriousness of the challenges we face as a country. You will have the responsibility and the opportunity to forge an historic accommodation that embraces all Canadians, overcomes division and discord and charts a course for prosperity for generations to come.

Last July 1st, when Her Majesty came to celebrate Canada Day with us, she said that the unity of the Canadian people is the paramount issue we face, just as it was at the time of Confederation. And, she went on, ``There is no force, except the force of will, to keep Canadians together.'' I believe that Canadians have that will.

I am confident that, as long as we adhere to the values on which this country was founded-belief in human dignity, respect for differences, civility in our dealings with each other-we cannot fail.

L’histoire du Canada est une épopée de courageux efforts et de brillantes réussites. Les Canadiens et les Canadiennes ont édifié ensemble une société libre et juste; leur démocratie, l’une des plus vieilles de l’histoire contemporaine, brille comme un phare de liberté dans le monde entier. Notre pays est respecté aux quatre coins du globe pour le rôle constructif qu’il joue dans les affaires mondiales, la protection qu’il accorde aux droits de la personne, son ouverture à la diversité, sa conscience environnementale et ses réalisations culturelles.

Le Canada fait aussi envie par sa prospérité économique. Bien que trente et unième par la taille de sa population, il est parvenu à bâtir une économie qui se classe au huitième rang dans le monde. Et grâce à cette vigueur économique, il a pu maintenir des programmes sociaux des plus progressistes.

Des millions de personnes de par le monde abandonneraient volontiers tout ce qu’elles possèdent pour avoir le privilège de vivre au Canada. C’est une réalité que nous avons intérêt à rappeler à quiconque met en doute la valeur de notre citoyenneté.

Canada will celebrate its 125th birthday during this session. Let us ensure this celebration will be looked back upon as a milestone on the road to a united and prosperous future. Let us mark the occasion with the same spirit of confidence and the sense of accomplishment with which we all commemorated Canada's Centennial and Expo 67. We believed then that the potential of Canada was unparalleled. It remains so now.

To realize our great promise, we must rebuild Canadian unity and overcome the acrimony, apathy and incomprehension that currently undermine it. In light of the global economic revolution of the past quarter century, we must make the reforms necessary to earn the prosperity that until recently seemed our birthright. And we must address urgently the doubts that have been expressed about the capability of our institutions and processes to achieve these goals.

Proposals will be put before you, therefore, that address these three major concerns of the Canadian people and of my government-unity, prosperity and government responsiveness. I am confident that the importance of these issues will persuade all Parliamentarians to put Canada first, set partisan motives and calculations aside and work together for a stronger country.

Canadian Unity / L’unité nationale

We have been confided the stewardship of this great nation, constructed across an entire continent by generations of men and women determined to make a home for themselves and a future for their children. They were inspired in their sacrifice by the conviction that tolerance and fairness, courage and compassion, and individual enterprise and neighbourly cooperation could overcome all obstacles and erase all doubts.

Now it is the turn of our generation to overcome obstacles, erase doubts and strengthen Canada to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In doing so, we must safeguard the rights of all Canadians and maintain those standards of citizenship that distinguish the Canadian way of life.

Some reforms can be achieved through legislation or policy; others require changes to our attitudes; and still others require changes to our constitution.

A constitution should unite a nation. Canadians across this country should be able to see themselves and their hopes and aspirations mirrored in their constitution. It is the one document that all Canadians should refer to with pride. That is not presently the case in Canada. And no task is more important than making the constitution a more faithful reflection of who we are, what we represent as a country and what we aspire to be as a people.

The Citizens' Forum on Canada's Future was constituted to give Canadians an opportunity to express their hopes and views on the kind of country Canada should be, so we can continue to prosper as we cross the threshold together into a new century. The Special Joint Committee on the Process for Amending the Constitution was established to allow Canadians to be involved in finding a better way of making constitutional changes. Both have increased understanding among Canadians of how much we have in common-as well as awareness of what we stand to lose. Canadians are moving beyond focusing on problems to suggesting solutions.

allooks forward to receiving the recommendations of the two committees by Canada Day, July 1st. The committee reports, together with the work of similar commissions in several provinces and the soundings you have all taken of the views of your own constituents, will give you the understanding you need of what Canadians want done.

Mon gouvernement énoncera de nouvelles propositions destinées à centrer le débat sur l’objectif d’un Canada plus uni et plus prospère. Il sera question notamment de changements dans les institutions nationales et dans les responsabilités et les pouvoirs fédéraux et provinciaux. Mon gouvernement se guidera sur certains principes de base, à savoir :

– que le Canada a déjà fait la preuve de sa valeur; qu’on souhaite y apporter des changements afin de l’améliorer, non pas pour rejeter ce que nous avons déjà accompli ensemble ;

– que le Gouvernement du Canada représente tous les Canadiens; et que tout changement passe nécessairement par le compromis raisonnable et la conciliation, en pleine connaissance de cause, des interest de tous ;

– que le caractère unique du Québec doit être affirmé, comme doivent être reconnus les intérêts particuliers de l’Ouest, des provinces de l’Atlantique, de l’Ontario, du Nord et des Canadiens autochtones ;

– que la réforme constitutionnelle sera jugée d’après les critères de la justice, de l’efficacité, de l’efficience et de la protection qu’elle accorde aux droits de tous les citoyens.

In September, my government will refer its proposals to a joint parliamentary committee that will be established to consult with Canadians. The committee will be asked to travel in order to hear the views of men and women across Canada. In each jurisdiction it visits, the committee will be mandated to meet in public session with its counterpart provincial or territorial legislative committee or, where no such committee exists, with counterpart legislators. It will, also, meet with aboriginal groups. The committee will be asked to report back to the government within five months.

After receipt and consideration of the committee's report, my government will propose a plan for a renewed Canada for consideration by the people of Canada. You will be asked to approve enabling legislation to provide for greater participation of Canadian men and women in constitutional change.

Mon gouvernement s’emploiera à créer des conditions propres à aider la population à mieux comprendre son histoire et ses traditions et à attacher plus de prix à la diversité qui fait sa richesse. C’est dans cet esprit que seront organisées les célébrations qui marqueront l’an prochain le cent vingt-cinquième anniversaire de la Confédération.

L’harmonie intérieure de notre nation et l’importance de notre contribution aux affaires mondiales dépendent de la connaissance que nous avons de nous-mêmes en tant que peuple. A notre époque ou tout change si vite qu’il s’ensuit inévitablement des perturbations. A notre époque d’interdépendance croissante, il importe plus que jamais que nous parlions au reste du monde d’une seule et même voix, afin que le Canada soit moins vulnérable. Mon gouvernement entend poursuivre une politique étrangère active afin de défendre intégralement les intérêts du Canada dans le monde entier, qu’ils soient économiques ou sociaux, ou qu’ils se rapportent à la sécurité ou à l’environnement. Il continuera aussi de promouvoir les valeurs démocratiques et de défendre les droits de la personne dans la mise en oeuvre de sa politique étrangère et de ses politiques d’aide au développement, car c’est ainsi qu’il peut le mieux contribuer au progrès et à la stabilité d’un monde en pleine évolution, tout en assurant la sécurité et la prospérité du Canada.

La prospérité pour tous / Participating in Prosperity

Mon gouvernement invitera les Canadiens et les Canadiennes à participer à l’élaboration d’une nouvelle stratégie destinée à engager le pays sur la voie d’une plus grande prospérité. L’objectif est d’édifier une société prospère qui sera en mesure de faire une place égale à tous, hommes et femmes, d’offrir un juste partage des bienfaits et des responsabilités et d’assurer protection aux plus démunis de ses membres.

Il ne suffit pas de modifier la Constitution pour réaliser l’unité nationale. Une économie vigoureuse est un facteur d’unité. Et inversement, l’unité est un facteur de prospérité. Faute d’unité, on s’expose au déclin dans la rude conjoncture de l’économie mondiale.

Economic recovery depends on reducing interest rates. To bring interest rates down, government finances have been put on a sound base. My government is controlling its spending and has established low but achievable inflation targets. That is the way to restore the confidence of Canadians in their future.

Restored confidence means new investment and new investment means meaningful jobs and a better life for all Canadians. With this fiscally disciplined approach, the economy will recover in the second half of this year and will grow strongly in 1992.

Looking to the longer term, Canadians are asking themselves what the future holds for themselves and for their families in a world that is changing so rapidly and profoundly. Deficit reduction, tax reform, free trade and productivity growth are all part of my government's plan to secure the future of Canadians.

Canada is inescapably part of the global economy. As citizens of a country that depends for its prosperity on the sale abroad of almost thirty percent of all it produces, the importance to Canadians of being able to compete effectively in international trade can scarcely be overstated. We guarantee our future, not by running from global competition, but by meeting it head-on, by equipping ourselves to compete with the best, by giving ourselves the economic conditions we need to be competitive and by making world markets accessible to our products.

The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement has helped to secure the Canadian economy in difficult times. Private, non-residential investment in Canada, as a share of our gross domestic product, has been taking place at record levels. For the first time in sixteen years, Canada has been attracting more direct investment-the key to job creation and job opportunities-has been going abroad.

My government believes North America-wide free trade is a logical next step-and one that would increase the prosperity of all Canadians-if an acceptable agreement can be negotiated with Mexico and the United States. My government will, also, cooperate with Canadian business to take advantage of the growing opportunities for sales and investment abroad as a result of the integration of Europe and of the extraordinary economic growth in Asia. A successful outcome to the multilateral trade negotiations in Geneva would be the best means to guarantee access for Canadian products in markets around the world; achieving that goal will be a high priority for my government.

At home, my government will work with provincial governments to ensure that Canada becomes a single, integrated market from coast to coast to coast. We need to eliminate:

– policies that favour a province's suppliers over lower cost producers from other provinces;

– regulations that often make it simpler for producers to ship their products abroad than to sell them in neighbouring provinces;

– hiring policies that give preference to provincial residents over those from other provinces; and

– occupational standards that restrict the work opportunities of residents of other provinces.

By one recent estimate, there are approximately five hundred barriers to interprovincial trade in Canada. My government's goal is to see barriers to interprovincial trade, services and investment come down by 1995, so that Canada becomes a single, integrated market. The savings to taxpayers and consumers of creating such a market could be as high as six billion dollars-about one thousand dollars a year for a household of four. And a larger home market would allow more Canadian companies to achieve the size and competitive edge to launch themselves successfully into world markets.

Today, investment and technology flow with ease across international boundaries, markets for goods and services are specialized and decisions on production are made on a world-wide basis. In the interdependent world we live in, prosperity is more and more a factor of knowledge, skills and innovation. The nations and firms that are succeeding and will continue to succeed in this environment are those whose people are educated, productive and able to adjust to rapidly changing circumstances. The risk for Canada is not so much to be undercut by developing countries with low-wage economies but to be outperformed by technologically advanced countries with highly paid, highly skilled workers.

Increasing our productivity across the full range of Canadian industry-resources, and services-is the only way to secure and enhance our prosperity over the longer term. Productivity is the difference between prosperity and decline. The prosperity of all Canadians and our ability to maintain social programs depend on the productivity of Canadians. Increasing productivity requires the collaborative efforts of governments, business, labour and individual Canadians, in all regions. To focus this effort, specific targets will be set.

Les entreprises, les travailleurs et les gouvernements seront invités à conjuguer leurs efforts pour créer au moins deux millions et demi de nouveaux emplois et augmenter d’au moins 25% le revenu réel des Canadiens, tout cela d’ici l’an deux mille. Ce sont là des objectifs réalistes et réalisables dans un Canada uni, qui comptera près de trente millions d’habitants au tournant du siècle et dont le produit intérieur brut approchera le milliard de dollars.

Mon gouvernement estime qu’il est tout à fait possible d’étendre la prospérité du Canada tout en préservant notre environnement naturel. L’expérience internationale démontre sans l’ombre d’un doute que les nations les plus prospères sont également les plus sensibles aux questions d’environnement. Pour garantir la survie de ce patrimoine national, mon gouvernement a présenté lors de la dernière session son premier plan complet en matière d’environnement, le Plan vert.

Au cours des prochains mois, mon ministre de l’Environnement mettra en oeuvre diverses initiatives rattachées au Plan vert. Conjuguées à celles des provinces et du secteur privé, ces initiatives assureront aux Canadiens, pour aujourd’hui et pour demain, la pureté de l’air, de l’eau et des sols nécessaire à leur santé et à l’amélioration de leur qualité de vie. On favorisera également la mise au point de produits inoffensifs pour l’environnement, qui sont de plus en plus en demande à l’étranger.

Nous devons tous reconnaître les grands enjeux liés à l’intégration des considérations écologiques et économiques dans nos processus décisionnels. Au cours des mois à venir, mon gouvernement consultera les gouvernements provinciaux et les leaders du secteur industriel et des milieux écologistes pour explorer, parallèlement à notre actuelle démarche réglementaire, des façons novatrices d’atteindre les résultats souhaités en matière d’environnement sans nuire à la prospérité économique.

Increasing economic prosperity is first and foremost an issue of people. Canada's ability to prosper in a global economy will be determined by the level of Canadians' educational achievement, by the sophistication of our management skills and by our attitudes to work and to change. In the dawning knowledge age, how well we live will depend on how well we learn.

Canadian men and women must have access to both the skills and the lifelong learning opportunities necessary to improve their job prospects and ensure their own prosperity. But Canadians are questioning whether this country's approach to learning, despite the great dedication of so many talented educators and administrators, is adequate for the times.

The issue is not exclusively, or even primarily, money. Canada already spends more money per capita on education than almost any other industrialized nation does. Every year the federal government alone spends about eleven billion dollars, directly and indirectly, on education and training. The issue is results.

-Three out of ten students’ drop-out of high school before graduating.

-Four out of ten adults cannot read or do math well enough to perform everyday tasks.

-Canadian industry spends less than half as much on training its employees as American industry does, a fifth as much as the Japanese and an eighth as much as the Germans.

This is not the kind of performance that will guarantee increasing prosperity for our children; in fact, it has given rise to concerns whether the next generation of Canadian men and women will be the first to have a lower standard of living than their parents. The time has come to reach a national consensus on performance, goals, partnerships and priorities for learning. As part of my government's new agenda for prosperity, a discussion paper on learning will be published to stimulate and focus discussion on education and training.

My government recognizes that education is a provincial responsibility under the constitution and respects that fact. My government also recognizes that Canadians are concerned about education, and would like to see Canada-wide goals established, with provincial endorsement and cooperation, for the year 2000. These goals could include:

– cutting illiteracy rates in half;

– ensuring that ninety percent of Canadians attain high school diplomas or the equivalent by age twenty-five;

– doubling the number of post-secondary graduates in mathematics, the sciences and engineering; and

– quadrupling the training provided by employers to their employees.

Students and parents, employers and employees, educators and governments will be asked to work together to develop a “learning culture,'' just as we have developed an environmental culture. My government will, also, ask the newly created Labour Force Development Board to present proposals in this area. The objective is to equip Canadian men and women to participate fully in creating and sharing Canadian prosperity.

The full participation of Canada's aboriginal peoples in Canada's economic prosperity and political life is a goal shared across the country. To put itself in a position to respond more effectively to the needs of the aboriginal peoples of Canada, my government will appoint the Right Honourable Brian Dickson, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, to serve as a special representative of the Prime Minister in order to consult widely on the terms of reference and membership of the Royal Commission announced recently and report back to my government.

Particular care will be taken to ensure that the Commission neither delays nor negates constitutional, legislative or other reforms already under way. These reforms include land claim settlements, community development initiatives, education and other activities launched during the second session of the Thirty-Fourth Parliament. In cooperation with Indian people themselves, my government will explore alternatives to the Indian Act, especially concerning land, monies and self-government. Finally, my government will consult aboriginal Canadians on changes in the system of administering justice. The goal is to work with Canada's aboriginal peoples so that they control their own lives, can contribute to Canadian prosperity and can share fully in it.

Nos enfants sont les membres les plus importants de notre société, mais aussi les plus vulnérables. Lors du Sommet qui leur était consacré, à New York en septembre dernier, l’attention mondiale était braquée sur les menaces qui les guettent. Soixante et onze chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement s’y sont engagés à maintenir cet intérêt pour les dix prochaines années. Mon gouvernement annoncera pour sa part diverses initiatives destinées à concrétiser les engagements qu’il a pris alors ; c’est ainsi que nos jeunes seront mieux instruits, mieux protégés et mieux entourés et qu’ils pourront apporter leur contribution personnelle à la vie nationale. Mon gouvernement reverra en outre ses politiques à l’égard de la famille, qui est le noyau fondamental de la société canadienne. Enfin, il mettra sur pied un comité d’hommes et de femmes d’élite chargé d’enquêter sur le grave problème de la violence faite aux femmes.

Il vous soumettra par ailleurs des propositions portant sur la politique et les programmes visant à supprimer les obstacles qui empêchent encore aujourd’hui les personnes handicapées de participer pleinement à la vie politique du pays et de profiter de sa prospérité économique. Mon gouvernement compte mettre en oeuvre une stratégie quinquennale qui devrait permettre de résoudre divers problèmes comme l’accès à l’emploi, à la formation, au logement et aux transports, la sensibilisation du grand public et l’intégration à la collectivité.

Vous serez appelés à approuver d’autres mesures législatives importantes destinées à promouvoir les intérêts sociaux, économiques et internationaux de la nation canadienne. Vous aurez également à voter les crédits nécessaires pour financer les services et les dépenses autorisés par le Parlement.

Changing the Way Ottawa Works / L’efficacité de l’appareil d’Etat

Change is the hallmark of our age; in Europe, in Asia, in Latin America, old assumptions are being discarded and new principles are being adopted. In Canada, too, new problems require new solutions. There is a need for change in the way Parliament does business and in the way governments conduct their affairs. The goal is to ensure that Canadians' agenda is Parliament's agenda.

In the Thirty-Third Parliament, a committee of the House of Commons proposed far-reaching reforms to enhance the role of private members. During that Parliament, you implemented more than eighty-five percent of the committee's recommendations. And, at the end of the last session of this Parliament, further changes were passed to make it possible for members to spend more time at home with their constituents so that they can be more effective in representing the wishes of their constituents and more efficient in the conduct of House business.

Canadians exercise their democratic freedom by electing their representatives through secret ballot. During this session, you will receive the report of the Royal Commission on Electoral Reform established by my government. Canadians want to know that their elected representatives have the power and authority to represent them. My government will propose further reforms so that all Members of Parliament can fulfil better their obligations to their constituents.

The respect of the people for Parliament and Parliamentarians is essential for a healthy democracy. But the appearance, and sometimes the reality, of excessive party discipline and over-zealous partisanship, of empty posturing and feigned outrage have eroded that respect in Canada. Members will be asked, therefore, to consider new procedures for assessing legislation, for raising grievances on behalf of constituents and for questioning government. This will further enhance the role of individual members and afford them greater independence.

Change is also necessary in the ways governments conduct their affairs. Governments must be both effective and efficient, implementing necessary programs at the lowest cost to taxpayers. Canadians understand that their governments simply cannot afford to do everything that is demanded of them. In the past six and a half years, through prudent management, the growth of government operations has been curtailed. My government has privatized and eliminated twenty-four Crown corporations and streamlined virtually all government departments and agencies. Since 1984, ninety thousand employees have been removed from the payroll of the federal government and its agencies. During this session, my government will take that process further. A draft spending control bill to cap federal program spending will be referred to a parliamentary committee for consultations with Canadians. Legislation will also be introduced to create a debt servicing and reduction fund so that GST revenues, as well as monies from further privatization of Crown corporations and from voluntary contributions, will be used to service the national debt. Streamlining of government structures and operations to serve Canadians better and to save taxpayers' money will continue to be a priority of my government.

Better ways to conduct the business of government are being examined. Improvements in the management of the public service, started under the Public Service 2000 initiative, will continue. A public service reform bill will be introduced into Parliament in support of this renewal program. Additional special operating agencies will be created to provide better service to Canadians through more autonomy and a sharper focus on objectives. My government will, also, continue to privatize those government activities best done by the private sector, as well as wind up and consolidate other agencies in order to provide Canadians better value for their tax dollars.

Conclusion

La présente session s’ouvre à un moment critique de notre histoire. Elle sera pour vous l’occasion d’insuffler une nouvelle vigueur au pays et de rallier les Canadiens et les Canadiennes autour d’une entente renouvelée. Avec leur collaboration, mon gouvernement poursuivra ses objectifs d’unité, de prospérité et d’efficacité gouvernementale afin que tous les citoyens se sentent membres à part entière de ce pays, qu’ils profitent tous également de ses bienfaits, qu’ils se reconnaissent tous dans sa Constitution et qu’ils puissent tous y réaliser leurs aspirations.

Honorables sénateurs et sénatrices, Mesdames et Messieurs les députés, vous allez jouer un rôle décisif dans l’édification d’un Canada plus fort. L’histoire sera juge des décisions que vous prendrez sur ces questions cruciales.