Amid the hustle and bustle of the federal election, the Ford government prorogued the legislature for the first time since being elected. The move itself is a defensible one, even if just for the benefit of a cleared order paper.

However, a new session of parliament means a new speech from the throne where the government should outline its vision for Ontario for the remaining days of its mandate. The question becomes, what should that speech say?

The government has certainly had some bumps in the road during its management of the pandemic but, all things considered, it has performed admirably. Vaccination rates are up, much of the economy is reopened in some form, and children are back at school. Most Canadians believe the worst of the pandemic is over and, for the purposes of this exercise, let’s assume that is correct.

The last speech from the throne, despite feeling like decades ago, was concise and direct. Thematically, it presented a vision of a government that would stand up for ordinary folk. Specifically, it promised to do so by protecting taxpayers and making their dollars go further, by creating jobs and boosting the economy, by being accountable for its actions, and by respecting Ontarians and building the things they have come to want from their government like transit lines and new long-term care beds.

The next speech from the throne does not need to vary widely from its previous incarnation. However, after a few years in power, the high-level promises to act must be followed by more specific initiatives. Here are some ideas of what could be included:

Putting health and safety first

Surely, the first theme of the speech from the throne should be a commitment to a steady hand that carefully guides Ontario out of the pandemic. This should include dealing with a challenging Delta variant, protecting health-care workers from targeted protests, ensuring children remain in schools, and continuing the vaccination push. Most succinctly, the government should commit to doing everything it can to ensure Ontario will not go back into strict lockdowns.

Jumpstarting the economy

Unlike the 2008-09 recession, the government’s role is not to spend the economy back to life. Rather, this administration should think of ways to get the snowball rolling downhill. How can Ontario create positive economic momentum? The tinkering around the edges of intellectual property policy and creating a more digital government may be good policy, but they do not matter to everyday Ontarians. Those efforts should give way to pro-worker, pro-economy reforms that our collective aunts and uncles can talk about.

This could take the form of even lower journeyperson to apprenticeship ratios to increase the amount of skilled tradespeople, boosts to the Low-Income Individuals and Families (LIFT) Tax Credit to encourage people to get back into the workforce, or cutting the small business tax rate to zero. The work of the recently created Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee should (hopefully) feed right into this theme. The last speech from the throne promised the government would make Ontario open for business; this speech from the throne should make sure that business can stay open.

Making life more affordable

Throughout the federal election it has become clear that there are cost pressures on everyday citizens. There are concerns about increasing food costs, a foundational debate being had over eye-popping child-care rates, and unaffordable home prices that are redefining "drive until you qualify." Though specific commitments could be made, such as the one million new homes promises featured by multiple parties in Election 44, all of these items are a clear proof point for broad-based tax relief. Putting more money into Ontarians’ pockets will help them with the increased cost of living, child care, and home ownership/rent. Though the relief is less direct than a targeted program, the relief would be nonetheless appreciated. Even better, the government still hasn’t followed through on its commitment to lower the second income tax bracket by 20 per cent. Now is a great time to re-commit to that promise and implement it, potentially in stages, over the months to come. Other more targeted promises on these cost pressures can follow as Budget 2022 approaches.

Getting back to basics

The 2018 speech from the throne had a clear slogan throughout: For the People. That was more than just a slogan; it became a gut-check of sorts. It was both a first decision on a complicated policy evaluation matrix and a lightning rod for pro-consumer and even somewhat anti-government ideas. Every government uses these slogans as markers in the sand. The 2014 speech from the throne by then-premier Kathleen Wynne’s administration coined the phrase "Building Ontario Up," for example. Something similar needs to be re-created to signal both internally to ministers without clear mandates, and externally to the voting public, what the government truly stands for. By what prism is it going to evaluate its options, even if rudimentary?

To me, that slogan must pull on the thread of a government that gets back to basics. Clearly, a more communications savvy individual can put the actual words together, but the foundation of government has been shaken by the events of the last two years. The deficit is historically high (for now), government is curtailing individual freedoms (justifiably so), and significant policy files including everything from hydro subsidies to carbon taxation have taken a back seat. As the pandemic winds down, a government that intervenes muchly and decides rarely is not and cannot be sustainable.

Here, through a carefully articulated slogan and theme, the Ford government has an opportunity to lay out a vision of a provincial government that will choose its spots. One that prefers to get out of the way and enable the private sector but won’t be afraid to stand up for everyday citizens and rattle the cages of the bureaucracy when warranted.

It is all to say that this speech from the throne is both an opportunity to present a plan for the future and to change the narrative for the better. It is a chance to demonstrate purpose, thoughtfulness and an understanding of the concerns of Ontarians. If done right, it will be the starting gun that begins the sprint to the election and the Ford government’s first step to a successful run in 2022 and beyond.

Mitchell Davidson is the Executive Director of the StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy. Mitchell was formerly the Executive Director of Policy for Premier Doug Ford and the policy lead on both of the Ontario PC Party’s most recent election platforms. You can follow the Institute’s written material or subscribe to its podcast, Intended Consequences, at strategycorp.com/institute/.

Davidson: What the 2021 speech from the throne could say

Read this for free.