Governor-General Mary Simon opened her first Throne Speech in a language no representative of the Queen has ever before used in Canadian history: Inuktitut. 

“Listen to the diverse voices who speak a multitude of languages and who shape this country,” Simon told the Senate chamber on Nov. 23. 

In a trilingual mix of Inuktitut, English, and French, the Governor-General practiced what she preached — and outlined Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s third term priorities. 

If a federal government’s policy package is a cake, budgets and fall economic statements are the eggs and butter. Throne Speeches are the icing: sweet, flashy, but rarely filling on their own. Heading into another term as a minority government, the Liberals nonetheless expressed a commitment to an ambitious set of plans: accomplish meaningful progress on reconciliation, set worthy climate targets, bring Canada’s economic engines up to full speed, and hammer out affordable childcare. 

Throne Speeches set the tone for a government’s priorities and philosophies — and Simon’s speech contained plenty of tidbits for Canada’s social impact sector to consider. Here is a highlight of the most notable promises:

Improving Canada’s healthcare system:

• The gist: Expanding or rebuilding mental health and addiction treatment, long-term care, rural medicine, and data collection across healthcare systems is critical for the Liberal government’s vision of a healthier Canada. 

• Why it matters: Canadians reported poorer mental health and higher rates of problematic drug use during the first 19 months of the pandemic, while Canada’s long-term care facilities were among the hardest-hit by COVID-19 in the OECD. Non-profits and charities work extensively on mental health, addiction, and long-term care — and could be valuable partners to the federal government. 
• From the Throne Speech: “To build a healthy future, we must also strengthen our healthcare system and public health supports for all Canadians, especially seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities, vulnerable members of our communities, and those who have faced discrimination by the very system that is meant to heal.”

A National Adaptation Strategy for climate change:

• The gist: Canada’s been working on a strategy to reduce exposure to the effects of climate change across the country in conjunction with Indigenous leaders, provincial, territorial, and local governments since December 2020. In the Throne Speech, the Liberals promised to develop a National Adaptation Strategy. 

• Why it matters: Canada is warming at twice the rate of other developed countries. The results have been catastrophic: in just six months, B.C. was baked by temperatures considered hot for the Middle East, flooded, and is now recovering from lethal landslides. Adaptation is as important as reducing climate change now. As social service providers, non-profits and charities frequently respond to the outcomes of these disasters: food insecurity, mental health crises, and housing shortages. 
• From the Throne Speech: “…to address the realities communities across the country already face, the Government will also strengthen action to prevent and prepare for floods, wildfires, droughts, coastline erosion, and other extreme weather worsened by climate change. The Government will be there to build back in communities devastated by these events.”

A renewed Anti-Racism Strategy:

• The gist: The Liberals are promising a renewed national strategy to combat racism through public education, a promise to crack down on hateful content online, and better collection of data on racism and discrimination. 

• Why it matters: Hate-based harassment and violence rose sharply during the early days of the pandemic, particularly against East Asians. Anecdotal evidence — collected by non-profits and mutual aid organizations — suggests hate crimes are vastly underreported in Canada, and it doesn’t appear as though the spike is plateauing anytime soon.

• From the Throne Speech: “Canadians understand that equity, justice, and diversity are the means and the ends to living together. Fighting systemic racism, sexism, discrimination, misconduct, and abuse, including in our core institutions, will remain a key priority. The Government will also continue to reform the criminal justice system and policing. This is the moment to rebuild for everyone.”

Passing a ban on conversion therapy:

• The gist: Canada was in the process of banning ‘conversion therapy’ that attempts to change the sexual orientation of LGBTQ people before the last election was called. Now that the dust has settled, the Liberals will try and pass a ban into law. 

• Why it matters: Conversion therapy, a practice that shames and traumatizes LGBTQ people for their orientation, is still practiced in Canada — and the results are often soul-destroying for victims. LGBTQ advocates and non-profits say federal enforcement action is needed to suppress the practice. 

• From the Throne Speech: “This is the moment to rebuild for everyone. The Government will continue…to fight harmful content online, and stand up for LGBTQ2 communities while completing the ban on conversion therapy.” 

Commemoration and discussion of residential school survivors

• The gist: Canada will appoint a Special Interlocutor, a facilitator of sorts, who will create a process for the federal government and Indigenous communities to work together on reconciliation. It’ll also create a national monument for residential school survivors. 

• Why it matters: Concrete federal action on reconciliation is still sorely lacking, especially around compensation for past and ongoing trauma inflicted on Indigenous communities. Non-profits and charities who work with Indigenous clients routinely speak about the effects of intergenerational trauma and the way it triggers health and addiction problems within Indigenous communities. 

• From the Throne Speech: “Already, I have seen how Canadians are committed to reconciliation. Indigenous Peoples are reclaiming our history, stories, culture and language through action. Non-Indigenous Peoples are coming to understand and accept the true impact of the past and the pain suffered by generations of Indigenous Peoples. Together they are walking the path towards reconciliation. We must turn the guilt we carry into action.”

Growing Canada’s foreign assistance budget:

• The gist: Canada is promising to bump up its foreign assistance spending, with a particular focus on investing in women and girls. 

• Why it matters: Canada is a laggard on foreign assistance spending, spending well below a target set as a benchmark for developed countries — 0.7 percent of gross national income. This is bad news for Gaza, Afghanistan, Haiti, and other regions struggling to rebuild after catastrophes. 

• From the Throne Speech: “Increasing Canada’s foreign assistance budget each year, and investing in sustainable, equitable, and feminist development that benefits the world’s most vulnerable and promotes gender equality will continue to be priorities. We will always stand up for a brighter future for all.”

A National Action Plan on gender-based violence

• The gist: Canada is launching a 10-year National Action Plan to address gender-based violence and promises continued help for organizations “providing critical services” to women and girls. 

• Why it matters: Having a comprehensive plan would help organizations working on the issue to coordinate with governments, work together, and comprehensively address the complicated factors that drive domestic violence in Canada. 

• From the Throne Speech: “When someone in our country is targeted because of their gender, or who they love, or where they come from, the way they pray, the language they speak, or the colour of their skin, we are all diminished.

Everyone should be – and feel – safe.”

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