Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Ontario 31e 1e Discours du Trône 27 juin 1977 Pauline McGibbon Lieutenant Governor Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Mr. Speaker and members of the Legislative Assembly, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the first session of the 31st Parliament of Ontario and to offer a special greeting to those who are commencing their first term as hon. members of this House. My government rededicates itself to Ontario's continued progress, by which is meant not only the strength of our economic future, but also an increasing assurance of a balanced and more equitable society. Le gouvernement entend se consacrer à nouveau au progrès continu de l'Ontario, ce par quoi il vise non seulement la vigueur de notre avenir économique, mais aussi l'assurance accrue d'une société toujours mieux équilibrée et plus juste. On March 29, at the last Parliament, the government outlined an extensive program for consideration by the assembly. It remains pledged to that program and reaffirms that all necessary steps will be undertaken during the course of this session to ensure its adoption. As matters of first priority, to be completed before the summer recess, you will be asked to approve legislation to require the construction of a French-language secondary school by the Essex County Board of Education, and also to give approval to the creation of the Ministry of Northern Affairs. Amendments to The Environmental Assessment Act are necessary to enable the inquiry into proposed development north of the 50th parallel, to which Mr. Justice Patrick Hartt has already been named, to get under way. Legislation will be reintroduced to establish province-wide single-trade bargaining in certain sectors of the construction industry. Legislation is required to meet the deadline agreed to with the government of Canada for the conversion of speed limits and other related measurements to metric units. In addition, you are asked to deal with all legislative measures required to implement the budget, presented by the Treasurer (Mr. McKeough) to the previous House on April 19. During this and subsequent sittings, it is hoped that all members of this House will, in word and deed, strive to support a strong and viable Ontario within a prosperous and united Canada. In four days' time, our nation will celebrate its 110th birthday. Over the next three days, at the invitation of the government of Ontario, hundreds of concerned Canadians are taking part in a forum on Canadian Destiny at York University. The real merits of such a conference lie in its capacity to meet with constructive dialogue the anxieties concerning the unity of our nation; in its recognition of the importance of keeping open the lines of communication among all Canadians; in its call to rediscover Canada. Honourable members, my government endorses the traditional right of this House to the expression of differing points of view on ways to resolve the issues facing our province. At the same time, I have every confidence that the matters demanding your attention during this session can be met in a truly co-operative spirit and with loyalty and devotion to the interests of the citizens whom you represent here. I therefore leave you to the discharge of these responsibilities. In our Sovereign's name, I thank you. God bless the Queen and Canada.