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Canadians’ Priorities Ahead of Throne Speech Include Pandemic Measures and Economy, Poll Finds

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Canadians’ Priorities Ahead of Throne Speech Include Pandemic Measures and Economy, Poll Finds

Health measures to fight the pandemic, getting people back to work, and lowering taxes and the deficit are some of the top priorities for Canadians ahead of the throne speech on Wednesday, according to a new Ipsos poll.

“The biggest priority item for Canadians, they tell us, is support for health care initiatives to fight COVID,” Ipsos CEO Darrell Brickers told Global News, for whom the poll was conducted.

“Then after that it’s pretty much dominated by anything to do with the economy.”

The online survey of 1,000 Canadians aged 18 and over shows that other issues that are top of mind among the respondents include a universal basic income (17 percent), supporting small business amid the pandemic (14 percent), emergency relief for people who have lost their jobs (13 percent), tightening immigration (12 percent), a green economic recovery (10 percent), and race and equality (7 percent).

“Right now, Canadians, when you ask them about tomorrow, they’re not talking about the next decade, they’re talking about literally Tuesday,” Bricker said. “How am I going to get through Tuesday?”

“So the government has to be really, really careful about promising some big things for the future, because what Canadians want is something right now.”

Parliament is set to resume with a throne speech on Sept. 23, which will put forward the government’s agenda for the upcoming session of Parliament. Delivered by Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, the speech is expected to cover similar concerns to those shown in the Ipsos poll, as well as issues such as health care, child care, and housing.

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc said a main focus will be health and safety amid the pandemic.

“We’ve been saying very clearly that the pandemic and the health and safety of Canadians is the priority. So, people shouldn’t be surprised that the government’s focus will be squarely on that,” he said Sept. 20 on Global’s West Block program.

“But as I’ve said, they also expect the government to focus on issues as important as climate change and a successful economic recovery. We’ll be speaking to those issues as well in the throne speech.”

The Liberals will face a confidence vote regarding its proposed new agenda and that could then trigger an election—something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he doesn’t want.

“I have been very clear. The government has no interest in seeing an election this fall,” he told reporters on Sept. 9. “It will be up to the opposition parties to decide whether or not they have confidence in the plan this government’s going to put forward to help Canadians to build a better future.”

Focus News: Canadians’ Priorities Ahead of Throne Speech Include Pandemic Measures and Economy, Poll Finds

House Democrats Unveil Bill to Avert Government Shutdown, Lacks Farm Aid

House Democrats on Monday introduced a bill to keep the federal government funded until Dec. 11, although it’s not clear if the White House or congressional Republicans will take it up, raising the prospect of a federal shutdown by the end of September. The continuing resolution (CR) bill (pdf) extends current levels of spending past the Sept. 30 deadline until Dec. 11. However, it does not include $30 billion for farm aid that the White House sought, officials said. “We do prefer additional farm aid in the CR. Most of all we want a clean CR, keep the government open,” White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told reporters on Monday, suggesting that the White House may still accept the bill in its current form without farm aid. It’s not clear if the…