A throne speech for all parties

Our population is aging rapidly and there is precious little support for the millions of Canadians who provide the bulk of daily care to the sick and frail elderly. [...] The federal government has the means to finance initiatives that will combat poverty, reduce inequality and improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable citizens. [...] The new measure has two objectives − to reduce disincentives to work for social assistance recipients and to enhance incentives to work among the working poor. [...] That is why we had considered, in 2. The Caledon Institute of Social Policy deliberations leading up to the Budget, the possibility of allowing couples to split their incomes when calculating their income tax. [...] This government has decided instead to invite the provinces and territories to join us in a dialogue to develop a plan for the modernization and reform of Canada’s income security system.