governor general's wife. that's the east block of parliament hill that has been refurbished, as most of the buildings have been in the last 10-12 years. a lot of work going on there. the peace tower, a few years ago, surrounded by construction. [clock bells chiming] 2:30 bells chiming on the hill. a gorgeous day like this, you would expect that he would be in a horse drawn landau. he will be arriving by limousine. members of the band there. pomp and pageantry as well as the politics that goes along with the speech from the throat. it is one of those were days

where we get a glimpse inside the senate. the house of commons is elected members. that is what we went through on may 2, a federal election. in the senate, and this was brought up in the discussion of term limits, these senators are appointed. they have no election. it is where the governor general sits. it is where the queen sits when she is in the country. they go to the senate because they are not allowed in the house of commons, because it is for the people and their representatives. you have the two chambers. you have a debate going on know about changing the senate, not just term limits for how long senators would be there, but how they arrive in the senate. will there be elections in the provinces? to elect senators would totally

changed the way things operate in parliament. we may be heading into a long, drawn-out debate on that issue. it becomes constitutional matters. you have to get the cream of a certain number of provinces -- you have to get agreement of a certain number of provinces. we go back to the kind of first ministers readings. who knows whether that is the road we could possibly, potentially head down in the next little while? it is on the minds of some people on a day like this. how far will this speech from the throne go, and the kind of changes that may take place in the senate? as well as all the other issues that could come up.

evan, simply because this is one of those rare days when we get a glimpse inside two senators at work, sometimes even at sleep in the senate chamber. i've seen that happen. how far do think we are going in this four-year mandate of this government in discussing changes to the senate? >> i think you said it best, peter. once you start talking about is, there are two levels. there is the political level, as the ceremony starts. you see the limousine. the base want some action. this is an all longstanding call for 1994. they want to abolish the senate, but at the very least term limits. it seems possible. they may be able to get through it without a constitutional challenge.

it is a hornet's nest once you open that up. it has to do with quebec feeling a wide representation in the senate. once you get into the complicated world of constitutes a business, and nobody can -- of constitutional business, nobody can predict the outcome. my gut here, peter, is that there will be something on the political angle about term limits and that will be a modest goals of the base get something. >> well, there he is, the governor general, david johnson is arriving on parliament hill for what will be the first reading by him of the speech from the throne. and he is accompanied by his wife, sharon johnson, and the two johnson to have been very active now in their role, traveling the country, traveling the world. the governor general has been

to afghanistan. he was in britain during the royal wedding a short time ago. 21 gun salute. with the guard of honor. parliament hill, throne speech. ["o canada" playing] >> present arms! [guns fire once]

>> and the commander of the guard of honor will invite the governor general for a quick inspection of the guard of honor. see the flag, you see it every once and awhile and you are wondering, what is that with all stripes? ♪ a fellow who had long campaigned for a different flag than the one we have. he has his flag, and it looks as part of the official declaration of parliament hill. it is not. it is one individual who has put his ideas forward as what he thinks should be the nation's flag.

evan mentioned the governor general's love of hockey at a time of year when many canadians are fascinated by what is happening in two teams in canada. the canuks. i watched how that city is responding to that team. also in winnipeg with the rebirth of the nhl in winnipeg. evan mentioned his time in hockey. he was a very good hockey player. not just a good hockey player. he played at harvard. also played at the university of cambridge. he was twice elected to the all-american hockey team. he is a member of harvard's athletic hall of fame. trust me. they do not give those

distinctions easily. and he still gets on skates and enjoys it. a great rink in ottowa. the field guns still firing. the 21-gun salute. [band stops playing] [guns firing] >> and the last few words to a couple of the guard of honor. everything found in order, as the queen's representative heads back to take one final honor from the guard. before heading into the parliament buildings to begin

the day's work of the speech from the throne. talking to a few members of the band. they've been passed by by former governors general. issue of a guard of honor gets a formal inspection. this is something the new governor general has added to the moment, saying hello to those who have been providing the accompanying music. final salute before entering

parliament. a couple of greetings. this is blair armitrage.

>> some sunshine. hi, marjorie. great day. >> it certainly is. >> the chief defense staff. bill elliott head of the rcmp, the commissioner. the governor general now forming a first recession that heads towards the senate chamber but not directly, because it will be slipping out of you in a few moment's time as he gets hooked up with a wireless microphone, and it's everything in order before heading into the senate chamber.

walking down the hall of honor. if he kept walking in this direction, he would end up and the parliamentary library. they will veer off shortly to the right, the offices behind the senate chamber. here we go, having a look inside, a peek inside the senate chamber. there's senator wallen, who rosemary barton was talking to a little earlier her senate colleagues on the conservative side. one operating his mobile device there. there are rules against that.

rosemary is the expert on those kinds of things. did they ever actually tried to stop people from using those inside, the senate or the house of commons chamber? >> not yet. bite your tongue. i do not want them to stop. otherwise, i cannot talk to them when they are down there. >> when these things became popular, there was some initial attempt to prevent members in both houses from using them, but it did not seem to go anywhere. >> a lot of them tweet from the floor, which is nice because it gives you a behind-the-scenes. a lot of them not only use blackberries, but a lot of them use ipads. they have their briefing notes on the ipad. they will have a hard time stopping them from using them.

>> 6 of the justices of the supreme court in their robes. now, as terry mentioned earlier, often on a big speech from the throne day, this place is packed. there are all kinds of guests from past governments, former prime ministers, especially dignitaries, premiers. but this one not so much. i guess partly because it became so predictable. it will be short session, the opening session of this parliament it just for a few weeks. the broad outline of the budget on monday, much the same as the budget that did not get passed

before the election was called. it seems like it's not quite the day of excitement that throne speeches have been. terry, you want to weigh in? over's deja vu quote all again. it is not just the throne speech. it will be anticlimactic for all the people. the senate chamber will fill outit's not a complete snooze, because you are tight -- you have touched on some of the issues that are too big to handle like democratic reform. as you pointed out earlier, some of the changes, if they are past, like term limits for senators, like more mp's, instead of 308 we may have 338. to accommodate population growth.

will change the face of parliament. one of which isn't democratic, the senate. [trumpet fanfare] once this session gets going, in the fall, rather than in this june session, you will see some heavyweight issues that has the potential to change the character of our parliament. then i think there will be a lot of attention. today is deja vu. >> the fanfare welcoming the governor general and mrs. johnson into the senate chambers. ♪

>> please be seated. >> this will take a few minutes because they have to go through the formalities first of all of inviting all the members of parliament to come down to the senate chamber to listen. so let's watch how that unfolds. >> you will proceed to the house of commons and acquaint the house, that it is the pleasure of his excellency the governor general that they attend him immediately in the senate chamber. [repeating in french] >> you will proceed to the house of commons that it is the pleasure of this excellent sweet the governor general that they attend him immediately in the senate chamber -- it is the pleasure of his excellency the governor general that they attend him immediately. >> the black rod will walk down

to the house of commons to give that instruction to the parliamentarians in the other chamber, that the governor general awaits their arrival. if you are wondering why we have an acting black rod, it is because the current black rod is getting ready for the royal visit of the duke and duchess of cambridge. for armitrage, it is his day in front of the cameras on an important moment in this new parliament. he is leaving the senate side.

he walks through the rotunda area, a gorgeous spot on parliament hill. and enters the house of commons side. and walk down what is affectionately called prime minister's row. because of all the official portraits of the prime ministers that are on the walls there. jim campbell, john turner, on the left-hand side, pierson on the right. going by fairly quickly, so you got to catch them fast.

and he's head to the giant oak doors, leading into the house of commons and do the famous tap three times. [taps] and the door is open. a lot of anxious mp's inside, who yesterday went to the process of electing the youngest speaker ever in parliament. >> a message from his excellency the governor general. >> the black rod tells the the sergeant of arms that he has a message for the speaker of the house of commons. this is the sergeant of arms

for the house of commons. >> [speaking french] >> mr. speaker, a message from his excellency the governor general. >> places the maise on his shoulder that sits on the table there in parliament when it is in session. the acting usher of the black rod will enter the chamber. there you see the liberal party in the background, in the back end corner.

they have never been down there. the interim leader. the mvp off to the left there on your picture. >> mr. speaker, it is the desire of his excellency the governor general that this honorable house do attend him immediately in the senate chamber. [repeats in french] >> the black rod's job has been done. the invitation has been offered to the house of commons and has been accepted.

and they'll begin the procession back down towards the senate chamber. keep in mind as the mp's follow the new speaker, there he is -- they will not be allowed right inside the senate chamber. they get up to the bars and stand there. there is not enough room for all of them, but certainly, many of the new ones will want to be there to see their first speech inside the chamber. so this is the class of 2011. there are 308 elected members of the house of commons. one of those days where they all tend to walk out together, not in their individual party

groupings. that kind of thing is going on, the shaking of hands, introducing of themselves to each other. there's elizabeth may. she's promised 100% support from our caucus, which is the new rules of decorum in the house of commons. not formal rules. they will do a better job this time around. this is the kind of thing that is often said on day one of parliament. we will see how many days it goes. if you are wondering why we saw elizabeth may with a cane, she's awaiting hip surgery. jack leighton had hip surgery. kept that cane throughout.

he is still using it on occasion. here's black rod arriving inside the senate. we are moments away from the formal reading of the speech from the throne. as soon as all the mp's get in there, the speaker of the house of commons will have his moment in the senate. 32 years old from saskatchewan.

>> may it please your excellency, the house of commons has elected me their speaker, though i am a little able to fulfil the important duties assigned to me. if i should at any time fall into error, i pray the fault may be imputed to me and not to the commons. and who, three, better to enable them to discharge their duty to their queen and country, claim they're all undoubted rights and privileges that they may have freedom of speech, access to your excellency's person at all times and the proceedings may receive from your excellency the instruction. just[repeats in french] >> the house of commons has elected me their speaker, though i am but little able to fulfil it. if i should fall into error, i pray the fault may be imputed to me and not to the comments.

and who, through me, i am better able to discharge their duty to their queen and country, humbly claim the rights and privileges, especially that they may have freedom of speech, access to your excellency's person at all seasonable times, and that their proceedings may receive from your excellency the most favorable construction. >> mr. speaker, i am commanded by his excellency the governor general to declare to you that he freely confides in the duty and attachment of the house of commons to her majesty's person and government and not doubting that their proceedings will be conducted with wisdom, temper,

and prudence. he grants and upon all occasions will recognize and allow their constitutional privileges. i am commanded also to assure you that the commons shall have ready access to his excellency upon all seasonable occasions, and that their proceedings as well as your words and actions will constantly receive from him the most favorable construction. [repeats in french]

>> the speech now being brought to the governor general. and the reading of it. >> honorable senators, members of the house of commons, ladies and gentleman. >> i begin by congratulating all parliamentarians on this opening day of the forty-first

parliament of canada on my own behalf and on behalf of her majesty queen elizabeth ii, queen of canada, who sends her congratulations and warm good wishes. many of you are returning to your duties as members of the house of commons, and over one hundred of you are about to take your places as elected representatives for the first time. together, you have been entrusted with a profound responsibility -- to serve the public interest on behalf of all canadians. in the months since my installation as governor general, i have had the privilege of meeting with canadians in their communities, and at rideau hall and la citadelle. it has been an honour to answer this unique call to service, and

i want to share with you something of what i have learned in my travels across this remarkable country of ours. i have learned that, regardless of age or affiliation, all canadians want to help create a better future for this country. each of us aspires to a canada where everyone can succeed and contribute, where excellence and opportunity coexist. i have met with canadians from all walks of life and discovered this common ground. in 2017, we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of confederation, and i invite all canadians to imagine ways to build a smarter, more caring nation as we approach this

wonderful milestone. i believe that in order to achieve our vision, we must work together to support families and children, to reinforce learning and innovation, and to encourage philanthropy and volunteerism. each of us can answer the call to service in our own way and, together, continue this bold experiment that we call canada. canadians have expressed their desire for a strong, stable national government in this new parliament. with this clear mandate, our government will deliver on its commitments. it will implement the next phase of canada's economic action plan to build on the progress already made. it will continue to focus on jobs and growth. it will bring the federal budget back into balance. it will invest in our system of universal health care. it will support the communities and families that work so hard to care for each other.

our government will defend the rights of law-abiding citizens, and it will promote canadian values and interests at home and abroad. our government will be here for all canadiansfor individuals, for families and for all regions of the countryas together we move canada forward. jobs and growth will remain our government's top priority. through canada's economic action plan, our government took direct action to create jobs and protect canadians during the global recession. on monday, as our first order of business, our government will reintroduce our budget, in order to implement the next phase of canada's economic action planour low tax plan for jobs and growth.

we will get back to work on the things that matter most to canadians -- good jobs, security for our families and a prosperous future. our government's plan builds on five years of hard work to create the right conditions for growth and job creation -- a stable, predictable, low-tax environment, a highly skilled and flexible workforce, support for innovation and new technologies, and wider access to markets abroad. this approach has allowed canada to meet the challenges of the global recession.

the next phase of our government's plan is designed to help us stay on track during the recovery. since 2006, canadians have benefited from significant, broad-based tax cuts. these cuts have given families the flexibility to make the choices that are right for them. they have freed businesses to grow and succeed, creating the jobs on which canadians depend. our government will continue on this path by introducing new tax credits for individuals and families, and by keeping taxes low to create jobs. it will also complete work already underway with the government of quebec to reach an agreement on tax harmonization no later than september 15, 2011.

however, there is more to be done. the global economy remains fragile, and risks to our recovery persist. as well, canada's workforce is aging, and it will no longer grow as it has in the past. this demographic challenge will impact our economic future and put long-term pressures on our pension and health systems that must be addressed. in the years ahead, our prosperity will also depend on making sure that all canadians have the skills and opportunities to contribute, to innovate and to succeed. our government's plan will provide assistance for workers who want to learn new skills and seize opportunities. it will remove barriers for older workers who want to continue their careers. it will lay the foundation for long-term growth by helping a new generation gain the critical skills they will need to thrive in the workforce. the success of canada's job-

creating businesses demands both hard work and good ideas, and we must create the right conditions for both to be rewarded. our government will introduce and seek swift passage of copyright legislation that balances the needs of creators and users. in order to improve canada's productivity, enhance our economic competitiveness and increase our standard of living, our government will continue to make targeted investments to promote and encourage research and development in canada's private sector and in our universities, colleges and polytechnics. it will look for ways to support innovation while ensuring that federal investment in research and development is effective and maximizes results for canadians. it will also release and implement a digital economy strategy that enhances digital infrastructure and encourages canadian businesses to adopt digital technologies and provide digital-skills training

for their employees and new hires. [speaking in french and] >>in addition, our government will continue to cut red tape for small businesses so that they can focus their attention on growing their businesses and creating jobs. this will be achieved while maintaining the highest standards to protect our environment and the health and safety of canadians. our government will also continue opening new markets for canadian businesses in order to create good new jobs for canadian workers. since 2006, we have signed free trade agreements covering eight countries, and negotiations covering some fifty more are underway.

our government will aim to complete negotiations on a free trade agreement with the european union by 2012. it will also seek to complete negotiations on a free trade agreement with india in 2013. in all international forums and bilateral negotiations, our government will continue to stand up for canadian farmers and industries by defending supply management. >> [continuing in english] the united states is our most important trading partner, ally and friend. our government will work with president obama and his administration to deliver on the shared vision for perimeter security and economic

competitiveness. we will strengthen our collaboration to streamline and secure our border and enhance regulatory cooperation, ensuring that people and goods can flow freely and safely between our two countries. our government also understands the importance of attracting foreign investment to our economy. foreign investment helps canadian companies grow by introducing new technologies and practiceslaunching pads to strengthen growth and innovation here at home. it provides new opportunities to connect our firms to the world. our government will continue to welcome foreign investment that benefits canada. our government will also move forward with willing partners to establish a new national securities regulator, subject to the supreme court's decision on the extent of federal jurisdiction. nearly three years ago, the world faced an unprecedented financial crisis. drawing on strong fundamentals and the values of the hard- working canadians and firms

that refused to let difficult times define them, our economic action plan helped canada emerge quickly from recession. working closely with provinces, territories and communities, our government moved swiftly to deliver a targeted, time- limited stimulus program that created and protected jobs right across the country. hard work, determination and responsible choices allowed us to make these extraordinary investments when times were tough, while avoiding the high debt levels that threaten other countries. we must now take that same approach to future growth. we must eliminate the deficit and return to balanced budgets to ensure that our economy can continue to grow and create jobs and that the federal government will have sufficient fiscal flexibility for future choices. our government had committed to achieving this by 2015. in order to accelerate the return to a balanced budget and

to eliminate the deficit one year earlier, over the next year we will undertake a strategic and operating review of government spending led by a new cabinet subcommittee established for this purpose. this review will be focused on reducing the cost of government, while keeping taxes low and preserving transfers to individuals and provinces for essential things like pensions, health and education. our government will also complete its stimulus package as promised and continue specific measures to restrain the growth of government expenditures. [speaking french] >> our government's plan will put us on a strong footing to resume paying down the federal debt, further reduce taxes on families and continue investing in priorities. there is no greater priority

for canadians than caring for their loved ones. canadians believe that their parents and grandparents have worked hard and deserve a secure retirement. they want their children and grandchildren to grow up with every opportunity to lead happy, healthy lives. many canadian families struggle to realize these goals. that is why our government's low-tax plan will permanently enhance the guaranteed income supplement for some 680,000 of canada's most vulnerable seniors. this increasethe largest in a quarter centurywill help these seniors make ends meet. at the same time, our government will continue to help canadians save for their retirement, and will work with provincial and territorial partners to implement the pooled

registered pension plan. >> [continuing in english] our government's plan also recognizes the tremendous time and resources required of family caregivers. many individuals and families have added responsibilities in caring for infirm parents or relatives. these family caregivers make special sacrifices, often leaving the workforce temporarily and forgoing employment income. the new family caregiver tax credit will support those who care for a dependent family member who is infirm. in addition, our government will remove the cap on eligible expenses that caregivers can claim under the medical expense tax credit. our government will also support parents in providing their children with opportunities to grow personally and discover their creative passions by establishing a children's arts tax credit.

canadians want and expect their health care system to be there when they and their families need it most. canadians want better results from the health care system, at the same time as an aging population is putting unprecedented pressure on the system's ability to deliver. [speaking french] >> our government is committed to respecting provincial jurisdiction and working with the provinces and territories to ensure that the health care system is sustainable and that there is accountability for results. it will maintain the six percent escalator for the canada health transfer, while working collaboratively with provincial partners to renew the health accord and to continue reducing wait times. as has been done before, our government will enter into a separate agreement with the

government of quebec regarding the implementation of the renewed health accord. >> [continuing in english] canadians are united by core values, a shared history and a sense of common purpose. our government will join canadians in celebrating our heritage, in promoting our values and in standing for what is right on the world stage. in an uncertain global environment, our government will also continue to pursue a stable, principled foreign policy that advances canada's interests. the canadian armed forces play a crucial role in defending our sovereignty and national security. as the canadian mission in afghanistan transitions to training, diplomacy and development, our government joins canadians in honouring those who gave their lives and in recognizing the sacrifice and achievements of all the men and women, both military and civilian, who have served and continue to serve in afghanistan. our government will continue to recognize and support all

veterans. today, as north africa and the middle east are being transformed by their people, the canadian armed forces are standing tall with our allies to protect civilians in libya. our government will hold a parliamentary debate on the future of this important mission. as part of our ongoing efforts to promote human rights, our government will create a new office of religious freedom to help protect religious minorities and to promote the pluralism that is essential to the development of free and democratic societies. we will also take action to strengthen our national sovereignty. our government is committed to protecting the integrity of our immigration system. it will introduce measures to address marriage fraudan abuse of our system that can victimize unsuspecting canadians and vulnerable immigrants. our government will also reintroduce legislation to combat human smuggling, which can place migrants in dangerous conditions and undermine trust

in canada's immigration system. our government has made canada's north a cornerstone of its agenda. [speaking french] >> the strongest expression of our sovereignty comes through presence and actions, not words. our government will continue to exercise leadership in the stewardship of northern lands and waters. it is also committed to working with the northwest territories and the private sector to complete the dempster highway -- by linking inuvik to tuktoyaktuk -- thereby realizing prime minister diefenbaker's vision of connecting canada by road from sea to sea to sea. canada's natural environment shapes our national identity, our health and our prosperity.

our government has expanded protected lands and marine areas to an unprecedented extent, so that current and future generations can continue to enjoy them. in this, the 100th anniversary year of our national parks system, our government will create significant new protected areas. it will work with provincial, regional, municipal, aboriginal and community stakeholders toward establishing an urban national park in the rouge valley of eastern toronto. looking to the future, our government will engage a broad range of stakeholders on the development of a national conservation plan, to move our conservation objectives forward and better connect all

canadians with nature. >> [continuing in english] our government is committed to developing canada's extraordinary resource wealth in a way that protects the environment. it will support major new clean energy projects of national or regional significance, such as the planned lower churchill hydroelectricity project in atlantic canada. it will engage the provinces, territories and industry on ways to improve the regulatory and environmental assessment process for resource projects, while ensuring meaningful consultation with affected communities, including aboriginal communities. beyond our natural heritage, canadians also cherish our shared history. anniversaries are an important part of how a society marks its collective progress and defines its goals for the future. a key milestone next year will be the bicentennial of the war of 1812. we will remember how those of

diverse backgrounds and various regions came together to fight for canada, ensuring the independent destiny of our country in north america. we will also celebrate the 200th anniversary of the selkirk settlement, which marks the founding of manitoba and the early days of the modern west. next year we will observe her majesty's diamond jubilee, celebrating her six decades of service as queen of canada. and canadians look forward, in just a few weeks' time, to welcoming their royal highnesses the duke and duchess of cambridge on their first royal tour since their marriage this spring. [speaking french] >> the government of canada has no more fundamental duty than to protect the personal safety of our citizens and defend against

threats to our national security. >> [continuing in english] our government will move quickly to reintroduce comprehensive law- and-order legislation to combat crime and terrorism. these measures will protect children from sex offenders. they will eliminate house arrest and pardons for serious crimes. they will give law enforcement officials, courts and victims the legal tools they need to fight criminals and terrorists. our government will continue to protect the most vulnerable in society and work to prevent crime. it will propose tougher sentences for those who abuse seniors and will help at risk youth avoid gangs and criminal activity. it will address the problem of violence against women and girls. our government has always believed the interests of law- abiding citizens should be placed ahead of those of criminals. canadians who are victimized or threatened by crime deserve their government's support and protection, and they should have the right to take reasonable steps to defend themselves and their property when the police cannot be there to assist them. our government will reintroduce legislation to clarify and strengthen laws on self- defence, defence of property

and citizen's arrest. our government will also continue to implement its response to the air india report. [speaking french] >> in addition to guarding the interests of our nation as a whole, our government will continue taking action to address the needs and aspirations of every region of the country. local communities are best placed to overcome their unique challenges, but government can help create the conditions for these communitiesand the industries that sustain themto succeed. >> [continuing in the english] canada's rural communities are rich in history and culture, and generations of rural canadians have worked hard and played by the rules. they should not be the target of unfair laws. our government will act on its

promise to introduce legislation to end the wasteful and ineffective long-gun registry. canada's traditional industries remain crucial to our economy. our government has always stood behind canada's agricultural, forestry, fishing, mineral, manufacturing and energy sectorsand will continue to support them as they innovate and grow. it will also introduce legislation to ensure that western farmers have the freedom to sell wheat and barley on the open market. canada's aboriginal peoples are central to canada's history, and our government has made it a priority to renew and deepen our relationship. the contribution of canada's aboriginal peoples will be important to our future prosperity. concerted action is needed to address the barriers to social and economic participation that many aboriginal canadians face. our government will work with aboriginal communities, provinces and territories to meet this challenge. it will help open the door to greater economic development by providing new investments in first nations land management.

it will promote access to clean water and the deployment of clean energy technology in aboriginal and northern communities. building on the work of the national panel on first nation elementary and secondary education, our government will engage with partners to make concrete, positive changes to give first nations children a better education so that they can realize their dreams. we will also expand adult basic education programming in the territories to help to increase education and employment levels. [speaking french] >> our government will also introduce legislation to ensure that people living on reserve have the same matrimonial real property rights and protections as other canadians. canada's diverse communities are connected by shared values and aspirations, and by the

willingness to lend a hand. this has been markedly evident in the response of ordinary canadians to recent and devastating floods and wildfires. our government recognizes the resolve and courage shown by canadian communities in the face of adversity and will stand by them in their times of need. in these and all other measures our government will pursue, we will provide the principled, accountable leadership and good, clean government that canadians deserve. >> [continuing in english] on first taking office, our government introduced major new accountability legislation as its first act in the thirty- ninth parliament, and it will now move forward on its long- standing commitment to democratic reform. reform of the senate remains a priority for our government. our government will reintroduce

legislation to limit term lengths and to encourage provinces and territories to hold elections for senate nominees. canadians rightly expect fairness and accountability in the full range of government institutions that serve them. our government will reintroduce legislation to restore fair representation in the house of commons. it will take steps to phase out direct taxpayer subsidies to federal political parties over the next three years. it will support transparency for first nations communities by requiring their chiefs and councillors to publish their salaries and expenses. our government will also support the efforts of the public service to modernize the way it works so that it can continue to provide the highest standard of service to canadians. [speaking french] >> in filling the two upcoming vacancies on the supreme court of canada, our government will engage parliamentarians through the transparent process first used in 2006.

our government will also ensure that citizens, the private sector and other partners have improved access to the workings of government through open data, open information and open dialogue. >> [continuing in english] as canadians, we take pride in our history and look forward to our future as the true north, strong and free. from our earliest days, we have always come together to advance our common purpose, each of us ready to do our part to move canada forward. [speaking in french] >> building on the careful investments and decisive actions of the past five years, our government will move swiftly to deliver the next important phase of the economic action plan. our government will reflect the courage canadians show in meeting the challenges of today

and their determination to rise to those they see on the horizon. 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. >> [continuing in english] honourable senators and members of the house of commons, let the work of our great democracy support canadians as they go about fashioning a twenty-first century destiny limited only by their ambition and imagination. may divine providence guide you in your deliberations and make you equal to the trust bestowed upon you. >> and with that, the governor general completes his speech at just seconds under 30 minutes, with his about the average length of these speeches. for the most part, it went as

expected. there was something that happened during that speech which was not seen on camera, not on the live cameras. that was a protest inside the senate chamber, right on the floor of the senate chamber, just behind the supreme court justices whose heads to see at the bottom of your screen, right behind this justices in the red robes. somebody was wearing a page's outfit. from the information we have gotten, it was in fact a senate page or a house of commons page. these are young people hired to move messages back and forth. he was holding up a "stop harper" sign, and was quickly escorted out of the chamber. that is just outside the senate chamber. >> it was highly unusual. reuters has already posted a

picture of the senate page that was removed. a number of senators were tweaking from inside the red chamber that it was a paid there were familiar with. she is dressed like any other page, as you can see on your screen, with the white gloves and name tag. she went behind the justices, pulled out this sign, and one of our web reporters saw this. she was quickly escorted out. brought down the side stairs, away from where i am. this is beyond unusual. it is unusual that she would put her job at risk. i can imagine the first thing that happens is that she loses her job. that she would take a moment of such high ceremony to protest against steven harper and the conservative government is totally unheard of. i have never seen anything like it, especially from someone employed by the house of commons.

they try to contribute to democracy in some way. i guess she was, but this probably was not the best way to keep her job. >> you are right. it is certainly unprecedented in my memory. there have been demonstrations, as we all know, in the public galleries, at different times. but that is extremely unusual. but her name is, we don't know. what has happened to her since, we do not know. but we can assume she will not be back on the job tomorrow after that. but there are pictures. there you are. you get a sense of the kind of coverage that is going to provoke. that takes away from the message the government was hoping to get forward. all we can tell from that picture is that her first name is brigit.

that is the name that was on the name tag. bridget marcelle is the name on the name tag. if we get more information, we will get it to you. an unprecedented incident right in the middle of the speech on the floor right in front. we do not know whether the governor general, from the streets i have seen from senators -- they are tweeting from the senate floor. they do not think the governor general saw it. they think the prime minister probably did. but still get some content action. i do not think there were any surprises in that speech. but a lot of ground was covered. what is your sense of all of this? >> we have focused over the last several months, particularly the final weeks of the minority government, and the details we are seeing is a huge amount of big stuff, much more

substantial stuff which we have not talked about. what i am getting at is that we have been talking about crime legislation, getting rid of the gun registry, how we will achieve balance in the budget and get rid of the deficit by 2015. all of these seemed like a big issues at the time. now they seem like details. when you compare the rest of the content of the speech, it does represent a substantial agenda for this minority government. i am speaking principally about the border security deal with the united states. that can affect canada in a thousand ways. free trade with europe -- who wants to talk about free trade with europe? it would be a big deal if it could be achieved, and the

government is saying they will be able to do it by 2012. then maybe a free-trade deal with india. the big issues are democratic reform, introducing term limits in the senate. it opens up a big can of worms, as we already discussed, and the prospect of having more members in the house of commons with the population boom in alberta. with all of these details, we have taken our eye off the ball a little bit. this is a reminder there are big issues and big agenda items. >> you are right about that. big issues and bake items. full details yet to come on how they will do a lot of these things. that is normal for a speech from the throne. it gives you the broad view.

>> there are a lot of details to be worked out. free trade with the european union is not going to come without supply management. there is poultry, for example. that is one specific that blocked the passage. >> as important as it is, i did not hear you volunteering to cover the start. -- those talks. >> i did say it was boring. when it comes to free trade talks, my bad knee act up. -- act up. >> i want to check in on the content of the speech. >> a lot of what we expected about what their agenda was coined to be -- we talked about how they were going to be able to get to this a year earlier. they talked about senate reform term limits. they also talked about ending the subsidies for provosts,

phasing that out over three years. a couple of things have jumped out to me. they talked about a deal which would be $2.20 billion, finalizing that. the notion of redistributing, may be adding more seats, as well as a national security regulator -- the idea to give some money back for that. one thing that did jump out at me that was worth talking about was buried in there. it says they will remove barriers for workers, mandatory retirement. this is going to be difficult. one of the ways that are going to deal with this is early retirement. how do they let workers work longer and then try to force them into mandatory retirement?

we will have to figure out what happens monday on the budget. the scrums will happen literally right behind me. everyone is gathering to hear the first clash from the opposition leaders. there was the copyright legislation. they promised to reintroduce. that will not happen this session, but it will be the exact same deal. the big-ticket items terry talked about -- the security perimeter deal -- these are the things we will be talking a lot about. we will have to figure out where they square the circle on these. >> you are right about the retirement issue. there are two conflicting things. there is a problem in coming

with pensions and the cost of pensions. increasing the retirement age issue stops the pension question, at least for a while. they have to square the circle or circle the square, or do something to make those lines meet. we will keep an eye on that. i guess we are obviously looking for jack layton, the official leader of the opposition, his early comments about what he has heard, and also bob bay, what he has to say. let us sit down to the senate side and see if there is more on the page who got her protest right on the floor of the senate. >> it is safe to say it was highly organized. as we last spoke, a press release came out from the pages in question.

that is a 21-year-old recent graduate from the university of ottawa working in the senate for a year. she realized she could not do anything here to stop "the harper agenda." she could not do anything to stop the agenda. she wants more of an emphasis on green jobs. obviously, this was well thought out and well planned. she knew that this would get the media's attention. >> they will be working to accomplish things and accept their ideas and talk about solutions. instead of that, we got the same old ideas.

we were listening for new initiatives to create good new jobs. there is not much there. we have tax cuts for the big banks. they are doing something to make her retirement more secure for people. there is no mention made of climate change. for the cost of everyday living for people. people are having trouble making ends meet. i do not think the government is aware of that. >> the government is prepared to work with other parties on solutions and work on a different fashion. it was what they have proposed to do before. it was not much of an outreach. that is disappointing. we did not hear anything about

jobs creation. they are building the future of the country. there is retirement security. that is a huge problem for canadians. family doctors and things we need for health care, everything was way off. the cost of living addresses their needs to meet their needs day today and month-to-month. nothing there. it is a speech that we put forward to. quite a number of disappointments. >> why should the government have changed its tone or direction when it got a strong mandate from canadians? because they only received 40% of the vote. we needed a change in tone.

there was no mention made on the drawing speech. >> [speaking of france] -- french] >> there were some references to the royal family. it must be time to mention that queen elizabeth is the queen of canada. there will be a real visit. is that completely harmless? they will be visiting canada in a few weeks. i would not have found a strange, those references. >> [speaking french]

>> with respect to the senate, his first action was to appoint non-elected people who have been rejected by the voters. i know there was no reference to it. was he serious about this? i do not know. >> [inaudible] >> that is the problem. it does not look much different at all. i do not see any significant change. we saw something we pushed for. we did not say the payments that had been demonstrated with the differences or cut back. you push forward on this. there is not really much else. after an election, issues were

raised. canadians in large numbers voted against the government. they clearly did so for certain reasons. that they would attack retirement security, and make sure that people have family doctors, that they would have dealt with the basic affordability and jobs issue. they were not there. that is distressing. >> do you think that this is evidence of honesty, that they did this in the speech? >> did we not learn something in the election campaign? people express their views about a certain number of important issues such as retirement security. such as the need to have more family doctors. such as the need to create jobs and to help small business. there were all kinds of good

ideas that came out in the election and i wonder why the government did not decide to select a couple of those ideas and work with the parties into to try to resolve the issues >> we shall see. it is our job to work with canadians across the country is on actions on key issues they clearly today they have left behind, the need for family doctors and four more jobs. we see the government backing off of those agendas rather than seizing them and trying to get something done and we will do something as the official opposition to press the government to take action. >> [speaking french] >> not really, because they have the same concerns about their

families. yes, well, there are very important issues for quebeckers and they were not properly addressed. the government talked about flooding but did not talk about what it planned to do about that. they just used the word. [inaudible] >> they want to see that pass as quickly as possible, the copyright act. what you think about that statement? are they rejecting debate on this? >> that is certainly one of our concerns. the government has not found the interest of the creative sector of our society and those of the big companies that are active in that area. we have to resolve the issues but we need an approach that is valid. i think there will be a major

debate on this when they introduced the bill. and we are prepared for that. we are hearing that they see progress. the good news is that discussions are still going on. we are dealing with rotating action at the moment. the full impact are not there yet. let's hope and we would encourage all sides to work toward a resolution. the meetings are still going on and the different aspects under significant consideration, that is good news for all of us. let's work hard to of the weekend and see if we cannot get this sorted out. [speaking french] >> we have found out that they are continuing. we hope that they will continue. we are encouraging the government and the other side to try to work things out. canada is at the table and

they're still talking. i think we should try to resolve this as quickly as possible for the workers and for the businesses and the people who depend on it. >> apparently there will be a number of free trade agreements including with europe. your political party has some reservations about free trade. what you think about this? >> [speaking french] >> we do not want to create a situation where public services will all be privatized. it is friday afternoon. we're not in favor of privatizing all of our public services without any debate. and that is why we have to look at those bills and thus free trade agreements very carefully,

and the ndp will be doing that. because a number of those discussions, the agreements -- with respect to municipal services, they have to be open competition, for example. in order to sign the agreement, water services from our minister polities have to beat -- municipalities have to be open to competition with big european companies. are canadians in favor of that? should they not have a discussion about the implications of this? i think it is up to us to ensure that these things are discussed will we sign any kind of agreement like this. what about human rights? are they protected adequately? what about the environment? it is a it -- is a race to the bottom? or are we going to actually improved the situation of

families and workers and so on? those are very important questions for us to be looked at with respect to those of free trade agreements. now with colombia, they were a number of problems and we do not want to see any repetition of those problems. >> [inaudible] >> [speaking french] >> you do not feel that you are in a straitjacket as the opposition? no, we have already accomplished something important. we had some billions of dollars to accomplish the quebec issue,

something not in the last budget. that is one of the things that we indicated during the leader'' debate. we're pressing the government to take action and we will not give up on that. and we are disappointed to see a number of practical and perfectly achievable discussions and public missions were not accepted by the government, but we will certainly continue to try to convince them to do that. >> [inaudible] >> taking questions outside the house of commons. we will break away from jack as we wait for the leader of the liberal party to be up. we have only eight minutes left in our coverage. we would try again in as much as we can. here is what -- the first time the leader of the green party talk to rosa maria martin. >> this is elizabeth made.

good to see you. >> the sudden appearance of the page with a protest sign is something i had not sing. this is the most ceremonial and somber thing that occurs in our parliament. it was not the right place. but that was both surprising and given what the youth of our country are facing, and no reference to the climate crisis at all, climate change not even mentioned, i can sympathize. but it was not the right place or time. the speech from the throne reflected the budget that we saw in 2011. the only significance being that difference to change the public financing reform for political parties, the commitment to get rid of the long-gun registry. the austerity program, i was urging the prime minister to work on it to make it

transparent and invite other parliamentarians in said that we can all see where the cuts will occur. i think that would help. >> nothing surprising are different from the platform. they were very transparent. >> there was at least to mention of the war of 1812, but nothing about climate change. given the focus on security threats to candidate, i wish the prime minister had picked up from the advice of our auditor general to say, we have neglected issues. and one of them she mentioned was on first nations. there was a good place to make changes. but there was nothing on climate change. >> good for you to be here. >> it is great to be here on the floor in our ancient ceremony,

pressing up to the bar, looking up to royalty, those of us who are commoners. >> now to the liberal leader. >> no sense of federal leadership there. there was nothing there at all with respect to the environment, about the sustainability and kind of changes needed now. to slow down climate change. with respect to external affairs and foreign affairs, no mention made of diplomacy, only on the military. and we live in a world where the work of art diplomats may in fact be more important in the future than it has been in the past. and that is something that was not acknowledged in the document. there really were no surprises, but at the same time, there was the tone of complacency. even worse, with the bill on

crime, no recognition of the fact that many people believe that the measures proposed by the conservatives are really reactionary and do not address the real causes of our social and economic issues now. >> [inaudible] [speaking french] >> [speaking french] would you like me to commend the government? that is up for you to do it if you wish. i am here to set up what i saw was a certain tone of complacency in this. quite frankly, i believe that in terms of the challenges facing canadians, we have to remember that 60% of canadians did not vote for the current government. they talked about a big mandate, but in my opinion, they do not have a big mandate. they won a majority of seats under our election system. but the fact is that the

majority of canadians do not really share the priorities and viewpoints of the conservatives. >> [speaking french] >> mention was made of it but no specific measures outlined. there was no mention made of poverty, either, or violence that affects a lot of people in canada, or any sense of what should be done. we will continue to explore what the conservatives have in their mind in this regard and we will see what happens. >> [speaking french] >> what does that mean? who is against civility? what exactly does that mean? they talked about the work done by our armed forces, but did not refer to our diplomats or to the

people who work in the areas of development. i see a certain lack of imagination in terms of what they will be doing to secure the future for us. >> [inaudible] >> [speaking english] economic instability, the challenges we face in the world, the growing gap between rich and poor in the world, pockets of violence around the world causing instability, the question of environmental change, not really addressed at all in the document. if you look at these questions, the support for international institutions, the word united nations was never mentioned. none of the international institutions were ever imagine. the word poverty was never mentioned. all told document in that sense is lacking a political element, a political framework that would give one a sense that this

government understands the nature of the world out there and the need for canadian leadership and full participation. i did not get the sense that they had that there. >> that is the leader of the liberal party adding to the list of things -- leaders did not find enough in the speech from the throne to rally their support behind it. not unexpected in a majority government situation. that completes our special coverage from ottawa, the speech from the throne, the new harper majority government. thank you for watching. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> the brith