1)(Updated) Throne speech underscores Canada’s sovereignty, commits to joining ReArm Europe

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Kyle Duggan, May 27, 2025.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government confirmed Tuesday it is joining Europe’s massive new rearmament plan.

Reading the speech from the throne — which lays out the government’s policy priorities — King Charles said Ottawa will protect Canada’s sovereignty by building up the military and engaging with ReArm Europe, a major defence procurement plan designed to ramp up arms production on the continent.

Joining ReArm Europe could reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S. as a source of military equipment — at a time when the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing a trade war with much of the world and calling for Canada’s annexation.

“The government will protect Canada’s sovereignty by rebuilding, rearming and reinvesting in the Canadian Armed Forces,” King Charles said, reading from the speech.

Tuesday’s speech from the throne officially opened the new Parliament following the April election. It’s the first throne speech to be delivered by a sitting British monarch in Canada in nearly 50 years.

The speech mentioned “sovereignty” multiple times and ended on a note of national pride: “As the anthem reminds us, the true North is indeed strong and free.”

Reading from the text, King Charles said Canada faces “unprecedented challenges” and is at a “critical moment,” as the system of global trade that made the country prosper undergoes a shift and its relationships with its key allies come under pressure.

He said the world has become “a more dangerous and uncertain place” than at any point since the Second World War, but while Canadians feel anxious about the future, the moment also brings an “opportunity for renewal.”

“A confident Canada, which has welcomed new Canadians — including from some of the most tragic global conflict zones — can seize this opportunity by recognizing that all Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away,” he said.

While sovereignty was the key word of the day, the 23-page speech — titled “Building Canada Strong” — also called for accelerated home construction and actions to restore affordability, and used the word “build” 30 times.

The speech said the government means to quickly implement several marquee election promises, including a “middle class” cut to the lowest income tax bracket and the elimination of the GST from sales of homes at or less than $1 million to first-time homebuyers.

The speech commits the government to quickly introducing legislation to remove all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day. And it promises to reconfigure the approval process for infrastructure projects to fast-track projects of “national significance.”

The speech also promises to do all of these things in a new climate of “fiscal discipline.”

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said the speech was not “worker-centred.” He pointed out that the words “health care” and “Indigenous housing” were absent from it, as was any mention of protections for workers affected by U.S. tariffs.

“It also struck me as a bit of a Conservative-lite throne speech,” Davies told reporters in West Block afterward, adding that many provisions in the speech could “easily have been written by a Conservative government.”

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said the speech was heavy on slogans and light on details, and he would have written a different one.

“One slogan dealt with controlling government spending, but there were no specific savings to roll back the morbidly obese Liberal government’s costs,” Poilievre said. “We saw promises about getting things built, but no mention of oil and gas or pipelines.”

Asked if he will support the speech from the throne, Poilievre said his party will put forward a “constructive amendment that will add very specific plans.”

Calling on the government to repeal its offshore shipping ban and electric vehicle mandate, Poilievre said the Conservatives will put forward an amendment stating the Liberals should repeal Bill C-75, which overhauled the country’s bail system.

The NDP will discuss whether to support the speech at its caucus meeting on Wednesday.

— With files from Catherine Morrison

2)(Update) In throne speech, King Charles celebrates a Canada still ‘strong and free’

Courtesy Barrie360 and Canadian Press

By Craig Lord, May 27, 2025

King Charles delivers the speech from the throne in the Senate in Ottawa on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld King Charles departed Canada Tuesday afternoon after a whirlwind royal tour that saw him deliver a throne speech aimed at unifying the country and reasserting its sovereignty

Seated in a brand-new throne and surrounded by dignitaries, the King opened Parliament with a show of royal tradition — the first throne speech delivered by a reigning monarch in Canada in nearly half a century.

King Charles said that every time he visits, “a little more of Canada seeps into my bloodstream — and from there straight to my heart.”

The speech from the throne begins a new session of Parliament and is usually read by the governor general as the King’s representative in Canada.

The speech is typically drafted by the federal government to set out its priorities for the coming legislative session but the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed this one was done in “collaboration with the Palace.”

There were signs of personal touches from the King, including references to his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who delivered the throne speech in 1957 and 1977, and his own fondness for Canada, which he said he has now visited 20 times.

This was his first visit as King.

“I have always had the greatest admiration for Canada’s unique identity, which is recognized across the world for bravery and sacrifice in defence of national values, and for the diversity and kindness of Canadians,” he said in the speech’s opening moments.

The King was invited to deliver the speech by Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a symbolic gesture following months of comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about turning Canada into the 51st state. And it referenced the issue, at least indirectly, with the King saying in the opening moments, that Canadians have come “together in a renewed sense of national pride, unity and hope.”

And in the closing moments, he drew the event’s biggest applause, referencing O Canada, and saying “the True North is indeed strong and free.”

 Carney told The Canadian Press after the speech that line “rang true and shows that His Majesty understands what makes this country so great.”

He said the King delivered “a strong message of a confident Canada, pride, sovereignty and a great future.”

The King sat next to Queen Camilla as he read the roughly 27-minute speech, several portions of it in French.

King Charles is the first monarch ever to sit in the new throne designed for the Senate of Canada chamber. The throne includes the late Queen Elizabeth II’s cipher — a monogram that serves as a sovereign’s personal emblem — and incorporates a piece of English walnut from Windsor Great Park, a nod to King Charles.

Carney and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon were among those guiding the King and Queen through the Red Chamber and making introductions.

Also present for the speech were former prime ministers Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper — seated next to each other — and former governors general David Johnston, Michaëlle Jean and Adrienne Clarkson. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was also present, as were various provincial premiers and Supreme Court justices.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew was among those who greeted the monarch after the speech Tuesday. He said he discussed his province’s recent deadly wildfires with the King.

Kinew said in a social media post that they also talked briefly about the climate and building the economy, adding the King left saying, “We need Indigenous wisdom.”

The King left the Senate building after the speech to shake hands with some of the gathered onlookers before laying a wreath at the nearby Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The King and Queen then got into the back of a blue sedan to return to the airport, ending the visit.

“Thank you for coming,” one voice called out from the crowd as the Royal couple moved toward their motorcade.

“God save the King,” yelled another.

The King and Queen left Ottawa on a Canadian government plane, shortly after 1 p.m., a little more than 24 hours after they had arrived.

The couple started the second day of their Canadian visit by travelling in Canada’s state landau past crowds of admirers in front of Parliament Hill. They were joined by Simon and her husband Whit Fraser.

The King wore a dark blue striped suit with the Order of Canada around his neck and his customary medal array. The Queen wore a navy blue dress and hat, with a matching handbag.

The landau was escorted down Wellington Street in Ottawa by mounted RCMP officers, stopping in front of the Senate building, where the King received full military honours and a 100-person honour guard from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment.

The ceremony included an inspection of the guard and band and a 21-gun salute.

Royal watchers gathered along the parade route shared mixed emotions ahead of the procession Tuesday.

Beth MacDonald, a royalist who attended King Charles’ coronation two years ago, said she makes a point of attending every royal event she can. This one has added significance, she said, because it’s happening more than a year after the King announced his cancer diagnosis.

“This is going to be, I’ll almost say, bittersweet, because I know it’s probably his last visit over here,” she said.

David Greenberg, who was among the crowds lining the parade route, also attended the parade for the previous monarch’s throne speech. He said he was watching history happen.

“It doesn’t happen very often. It may not happen again,” he said.

The royal visit is happening at a critical moment, as U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly calls for Canada’s annexation and attempts to overturn the rules of global trade with tariffs.

“I think in the long run it’ll do good for Canadians to remember we’re Canadians, and not the 51st state,” MacDonald said. “Maybe this visit and him doing the throne speech will remind Canadians of that.”

Elizabeth Armstrong, another of the royal watchers in the crowd Tuesday morning, called the event a “strong but quiet statement from His Majesty.”

The royal couple arrived in Ottawa Monday afternoon. They spent time at a local farmers market and held private audiences with Carney and Simon.

— with files from Nick Murray and Sarah Ritchie

3) (Updated) Quebec MP Francis Scarpaleggia elected as new House of Commons Speaker

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Kyle Duggan, May 26, 2025

Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday — after an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.

Conservative MPs Chris d’Entremont and John Nater both put their names forward but withdrew on the House floor before the election began Monday morning.

The Liberals currently have 169 seats in the minority Parliament, leaving them three seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.

Electing a Liberal MP as a Speaker takes another vote away from the governing party, adding to the difficulties it faces in pushing its agenda through Parliament.

Members cast their ballots Monday morning by preferential secret ballot in a vote presided over by Louis Plamondon, currently the longest-serving MP.

In his speech to the House making his pitch for the job, Scarpaleggia compared adjudicating parliamentary proceedings to hockey. There’s nothing wrong with a “board-rattling, polemical bodycheck in the corners,” he said, but the “problem is when sticks go high.”

Liberal MP Greg Fergus, the last Speaker, sought to win the role back, although critics accused him in the last Parliament of being overly partisan.

In his speech, he cast himself as an experienced hand but also admitted the last Parliament was difficult.

“Tempers ran high and co-operation was low,” he said. “To be frank, it would have been a difficult time for anyone in that role.”

Fergus was elected Speaker in late 2023 after Anthony Rota resigned. Fergus presided over an often dysfunctional House and the government was unable to pass legislation for months due to effective obstruction.

Rota left the speakership under a cloud after, during a visit to Parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he recognized a Second World War veteran who turned out to have fought for a Nazi division.

Liberals Sean Casey, Rob Oliphant, Sherry Romanado and Alexandra Mendès also put their names forward to run.

Casey cautioned the current state of decorum in the House of Commons “is not OK” and argued there should have been “more expulsions” from the House in recent years.

Mendès was diagnosed with cancer in January but said her oncologist has assessed her as fit for the role.

The House Speaker plays an important role in keeping Parliament functioning smoothly — especially in minority situations like this one, which can quickly become unruly and upend the government’s agenda.

The job also comes with a diplomatic component and some significant perks — including a $309,000 annual salary, a driver, a sizable hospitality budget and an official residence on a rustic country estate in Gatineau Park.

Electing a new Speaker was the House of Commons’ only item of business for Monday, the day before King Charles III officially opens Parliament by reading the throne speech — a very rare event.

4)(Updated) NDP will not be granted official party status: government House leader

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By David Baxter and Catherine Morrison, May 26, 2025

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies said Monday the party will still play a “profoundly important role” in this Parliament, even though it won’t be granted official party status.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon said Monday morning the NDP will not be granted official party status because the law says a party needs at least 12 seats to be recognized.

The NDP was reduced to just seven seats in last month’s election.

Without official party status, the NDP will not be allowed to ask daily questions in question period, will not be guaranteed seats on standing committees and will lose out on financial resources provided to recognized parties.

Speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, Davies said that, in a minority government situation, any party that has seven seats “obviously has a balance of power.”

“I think that we’re going to be able to play a profoundly important role in this Parliament,” he said. “I think that there is, as in every minority Parliament, a real opportunity for us to push and promote progressive policies and hold this government to account in a way that you can’t do in a majority Parliament.”

Asked if the NDP will get seats on committees, Davies said the party is having “fruitful discussions” with other parties about that right now.

Davies added that the NDP is focused on securing resources and said it will keep its offices.

“One of the arguments I’ve made is we’re a national party, we had 1.2 million Canadians vote for us, and it’s important that we have the tools we need to function and discharge that responsibility,” he said.

Davies has told The Canadian Press he spoke with the Prime Minister’s Office about obtaining official party status for the NDP in the House of Commons. He cited several past instances of provincial legislatures granting party status to an opposition party.

Davies said the threshold for official party status has been adjusted in the past to reflect the makeup of the Parliament.

“We inquired about that, the government doesn’t seem interested in that. But what we’re most interested in is just getting resources that we need that will allow us to carry the voices of Canadians more effectively to this House of Commons,” he said.

The NDP lost official party status in the 1993 election but managed to regain it in the 1997 vote.