BREAKING: Liberals' throne speech announces plan to create a million jobs

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s governing Liberal party unveiled its plan to get the economy, ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, back on track and create a million jobs, laid out in its Speech From the Throne.

“This will be done by using a range of tools, including direct investments in the social sector and infrastructure, immediate training to quickly skill up workers, and incentives for employers to hire and retain workers. One way the Government will create these jobs is by extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy right through to next summer,” said Governor General Julie Payette.

“The Government will work with businesses and labour to ensure the program meets the needs of the health and economic situation as it evolves. Another example of how the Government will create jobs is by significantly scaling up the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, to provide more paid work experiences next year for young Canadians.”

An unequal job recovery

Over 1.1 million Canadians are still out of work and many more are working fewer hours and bringing home less money. Payette acknowledged racialized Canadians, young people, and women have been hit the hardest.

To help get women back to work the Government says it “will make a significant, long-term, sustained investment to create a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system.”

The Liberals also promised tax measures to tackle wealth inequality, including targeting corporate tax avoidance by “digital giants.”

“Web giants are taking Canadians’ money while imposing their own priorities,” Payette said. “Things must change, and will change. The Government will act to ensure their revenue is shared more fairly with our creators and media, and will also require them to contribute to the creation, production, and distribution of our stories, on screen, in lyrics, in music, and in writing.”

She also called on provinces to eliminate barriers to full, free trade.

Businesses forced to close by local health authorities will get financial support. Personal support workers will get a federal wage top up. The Canada Pension Plan survivor’s benefit will get a boost.

There will be a new Canadian Disability Benefit and an employment strategy for Canadians with disabilities. CEBA will be expanded to cover more kinds of expenses.

How much will it cost?

A price tag for the measures was not provided, but the Liberals say this is not the time for austerity, instead it’s a time to use Canada’s “fiscal fire power”. Specifics come later this in the federal government’s fiscal update.

Spending on COVID-19 programs like CERB and CEWS has put the federal government is on track for $343 billion deficit.

Payette, in the speech, said the costs would have been much higher if the federal government did less and the recession would have been worse.

“With interest rates so low, central banks can only do so much to help. There is a global consensus that governments must do more. Governments can do so while also locking in the low cost of borrowing for decades to come. This Government will preserve Canada’s fiscal advantage and continue to be guided by values of sustainability and prudence,” she said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to address the country in news conference at around 6:30 p.m EST Wednesday evening.

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