Province Législature Session Type de discours Date du discours Locuteur Fonction du locuteur Parti politique Ontario 28e 3e Discours du Trône 24 février 1970 William Ross MacDonald Lieutenant Governor Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Mr. Speaker and members of the legislative assembly of Ontario, I extend warmest greetings and a sincere welcome to each and every one of you. As we begin the third session of the 28th Parliament of the province of Ontario, we enter a new decade with full confidence in the ability of the people of Ontario to recognize, accept and deal with the challenges before us. These are momentous days. These are exciting days. Let us devote our energies our abilities, our judgment and our common sense to our collective tasks for the betterment of all. For you, our elected representatives, this third session of the 28th Parliament provides an unparalleled opportunity to meet squarely the challenges of the 1970's. Let us do so, secure in the knowledge that planning and foresight have established a solid foundation of good government, a sound and vigorous economy, and a potential matched by few. The province of Ontario is, and we hope will always be, a dynamic partner in the Canadian federation, contributing in every possible way to the strength, vitality and unity of our beloved country. As a people, we in Ontario must be engaged not only in the re-evaluation of OUI past, but also in the process of charting a course for the final decades of this century. The backlog of problems bequeather to us by two world conflicts, a major economic depression and a host of lesser roadblocks of the earlier years of this century, has been largely overcome. But we are still locked in the continuing task of providing for day-to-day living. There is the necessity of developing and providing a system of education for our children that is adequate to their changing needs. There is the continuing urgency of making available housing within the means of our people. There is the necessity of assuring a fulfilling life in our cities. There is the necessity of providing more and more new and rewarding jobs. There is the requirement to maintain a healthy agricultural industry to provide for our expanding population. There is the necessity of ensuring that we have an honest and profitable climate for the conduct of business and commerce. There must be an efficient and rational integration of transportation throughout the province. And through the provision of social services of high standards, we must ensure that the basic needs of our people are met. Underlying all of this is the necessity to protect the rights of the individual while, at the same time, ensuring that we achieve higher standards of responsibility on the part of each and every person. The powerful muscle and sinew created during the postwar years must be fully harnessed in the '70's for the betterment of all. For a quarter century, Ontario has been expanding its industrial capacity, harnessing its natural resources, building great cities and providing goods and services to a rapidly growing and increasingly affluent population. We have been preoccupied with many of the material necessities of life which accompany such rapid growth. As residents of a dynamic province we have been flexing our economic muscles and each of us has shared in the benefits of having created one of the highest standards of living in the world. Let us take pride in our accomplishments. However, the time has come to ensure that what we have created reflects adequately the quality of life to which we aspire. As we move into the decade of the '70's, we must devote more of our attention to the provision of a richer, more rewarding life for ourselves, our children and their children. Such a fresh approach can make the 1970's a new decade of discovery. The 1970's will be a period when personal involvement in the activities of our communities will be encouraged and more pronounced; when the individual will relate more readily with his neighbours and his governments; when important steps will be taken to reduce the damage already wrought upon our environment; when the machinery of government will evolve to deal more efficiently with the complex problems of modern life. During this session of the Legislature, you will have placed before you some of the plans of the government of Ontario to meet the challenges which will be uniquely those of the 1970's. Through the years, the government of Ontario has developed a broad programme of essential services for the people of our province in fields such as health, education, housing, industry and agriculture. At the same time, it has created special programmes related directly to the role of the individual within the larger society. Many of these special programmes, such as the integration of newcomers into the mainstream of life in our province, respect for human rights, leisure, recreation, and cultural activities, enable the individual to enjoy a full and meaningful life and to make a positive contribution to our province and to Canada. As we enter the 1970's, however, even greater effort must be directed to these ends. To achieve these purposes, it is the intention of the government to consolidate and co-ordinate in a reorganized Department of Citizenship many such activities now directed to individual groups of residents. This comprehensive programme will demonstrate in a vigorous manner the commitment of the government to the assurance of full and equal citizenship for all residents of Ontario. The role of each and every person, whether he be an established resident or a newcomer, will be emphasized. Specific steps will be taken to assist and encourage the individual to become an active, contributing member of our society. This ministry will encourage interests in community affairs and an increased awareness of the challenges which we face and the community goals which must be attained. By drawing together all of these programmes in a single department and by giving emphasis to total involvement, a comprehensive citizenship programme can be developed to further enrich the quality of life in our province. To further safeguard the civil rights of the people of Ontario, the historic protections which we all enjoy will continue to be woven into the fabric of our laws. To this end, proposals for revising the jurisdictions and procedures of our courts will be placed before you. These and other important matters reflected in the reports of the Hon. J. C. McRuer will merit the full consideration of the Legislature. During the 1970's, the accessibility and availability of government to the people will continue to be a challenge requiring the utmost dedication of all levels of government. Last autumn the people of northern Ontario discussed their aspirations directly with the government of Ontario. Springing from a series of exceedingly successful development conferences, the government will place before you during this session its plans to co-ordinate activities related specifically to northern Ontario. This will be accomplished within a department of mines and northern development, which will have special co-ordinating and policy-making functions. Through this enlarged function of The Department of Mines, the people of northern Ontario can be assured of a new forum and an entirely new mechanism by which their concerns requirements and aspirations can be heard and more effectively communicated. Ontario has been truly blessed by providence with the bountiful gifts of nature. But this bounty of natural resources, including soil, water and air, must be recognized for what it is: a fragile gift to be treated with the utmost respect; an heirloom to be passed on unimpaired to our children. The ecological balance is extremely delicate. We cannot continue to abuse our environment. One of the great challenges we face during the 1970's is to restore this balance. The challenge to reduce and prevent pollution is, of course, not that of Ontario alone. It is world-wide. But it is one to which the people of Ontario can make-indeed must make -- a major contribution. To its credit, the Legislature of Ontario has concerned itself with this problem for many years. An impressive array of measures has been implemented to halt pollution of our water, air and soil, to repair past damages and to prevent future pollution. Substantial success has been achieved. As we enter the 1970's, a new and more vigorous attack is being mounted to meet the stresses we placing upon our environment and to protect it from further damage. To demonstrate its commitment to this task, the government of Ontario will concentrate all governmental activities related to the abatement and prevention of pollution the enforcement of appropriate statutes within The Department of Energy and resources Management. This department will establish policy objectives and standards in all fields related to the preservation and improvement of our environment and will work closely with other levels of government and industry to achieve our objectives. The government will carry into this session its continuing commitment to the current review of the constitutional instruments of Canada and looks forward during 1970 to further discussions with the federal and provincial governments. The government is confident and optimistic that the strength and unity of Canada will be enhanced by these discussions. The government believes that you, the elected representatives of the people of Ontario, should become more fully engaged in the examination of the positions taken to date and that you should have an opportunity to contribute fully to the constitutional review. To this end, a standing committee of the Legislature on constitutional matters will be established. Your participation will further ensure that the review will represent the aspirations of all the residents of Ontario. As we enter the 1970's the pressing requirements of our urban centres will demand more and more of our attention. As our population concentrates in and around our cities, we must find meaningful solutions to the needs of the urban dweller. In recognition of the challenges which are specific to our cities, the government will convene a conference during April which will begin the task of charting a new course for our municipalities. This Legislature will be adjourned so that each of you may attend this conference and participate in these vital discussions. You will be asked to approve measures which will facilitate collective bargaining, promote harmonious relations between labour and management and uphold and protect the rights and interests of all of the people of Ontario in labour disputes. You will also have placed before you legislation which will provide collective bargaining procedures for crown employees. You will have placed before you for approval legislation dealing with the incorporation, operation, management and dissolution of Ontario-registered ordinary corporations with share capital. This legislation will be in the form of a revised Business Corporations Act which will reflect your previous consideration, that of the business and financial community and the recommendations of the interim report of the select committee on company law. This spring and summer, the people of Ontario will emphasize their pride and confidence in their province and Canada by their participation in the 1970 World Exposition in Osaka, Japan. Through the Ontario Pavilion and its staff, we shall strengthen our relationships with the people of Japan and the world, expand our trade with the nations of the Pacific and find new markets for the products of Ontario agriculture. Our bright and eager hostesses, hosts and Ontario Provincial Police officers are now in Japan making final preparations for the opening of Expo 70 on March 15. It is my hope that many of you will have an opportunity to visit this exposition. Earlier this month, in a federal-provincial conference in Ottawa, much attention was directed to the problems of inflation. It was unanimously agreed that each government would examine all areas of expenditure in a concerted effort to contain spending to help ease the current inflationary pressures on our economy. The achievement of any meaningful results will require the closest scrutiny of all spending programmes in both the public and private domain and the co-operation of all citizens. Restraint and co-operation by all individuals and business enterprises are called for. The legislative programmes to be placed before you will reflect this approach. Every effort will be made to ensure that our governmental programmes for people will be continued within the limitations of our undertakings to contain total governmental expenditures. Within the framework of these restraints the government will respond to the needs of our society and our people as we enter the decade of the 1970's. May divine providence guide you in your deliberations. God save the Queen and Canada.