THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston
Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont unveiled Premier Ford’s priorities for his third successive term in office with a throne speech yesterday, which officially marks the return of the Ontario Legislature.
To no surprise, the Premier’s commitment to “Protect Ontario” remained front and centre against the backdrop of U.S. imposed tariffs. The province will focus its efforts on safeguarding the economy, by protecting workers and industry from the devastating impacts of the ongoing trade war.
Below are five key takeaways from the throne speech
1. Economic resilience: A constant theme throughout the address called on the need for economic resilience and self-reliance to contend with the threats posed by our southern neighbours. Commitments to stimulate growth by attracting investment and creating jobs in specific areas such as the Ring of Fire were highlighted as an opportunity to capitalize on.
2. Energy sovereignty: As expected, the need to prioritize energy production was highlighted during the speech with a nod to nuclear power which will be necessary to meet Ontario’s growing electricity demand while continuing to strengthen its position as a global leader.
3. Infrastructure development: The speech emphasized the importance of reducing gridlock and building new public infrastructure through significant investments in roads, highways and public transit. This has remained a constant focus for the Ford government illustrated by its $200 billion development infrastructure plan introduced during the previous term.
4. Interprovincial trade: The impending need to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers was mentioned as low-han ging fruit, a move that provinces across the country are contemplating considering the U.S.-Canada trade situation.
5. Relief: Ontario’s $11 billion fund for businesses impacted by tariffs was highlighted as one of Ford’s immediate actions already underway while forthcoming measures to address the everlasting cost-of-living crisis were touted, positioned to oppose the impacts of the carbon tax.
In other news, MPP Donna Skelly was elected Speaker of the Legislature, which marks the first time in Ontario’s history that Ontario will have a female speaker.
With cabinet ministers now in a position to begin delivering against their mandated priorities, we’ve also seen political staff being shuffled to hit the ground running this week.
Looking ahead
Next up is the 2025 Ontario Budget, which we expect to see in May. The throne speech provided a bit of intrigue into what the province will likely focus its spending on, and we expect there to be significant dollars being committed towards the key themes noted above.
As always, NATIONAL will be keeping a close eye on forthcoming announcements and the 2025 Ontario Budget. Reach out to our Public Affairs team if you’d like more information on the throne speech, the recent political staff changes and how best to position your organization to engage the government.
