The Speech from the Throne — delivered by King Charles III May 27 to open the latest session of Parliament under the Liberals and Prime Minister Mark Carney — was a powerful assertion of Canada’s identity as distinct political, social and cultural entity.

It also sent a coded message to U.S. President Donald Trump, according to several commentators, and a subtle rebuke to his repeated dismissal of Canada as a sovereign state.

But a few discordant notes — notably from a group of First Nations Chiefs in traditional head dresses — were heard in the symphony of welcoming sounds for the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, that reverberated through the streets of the city.

The role of the Crown in Canada’s history triggered some strong negative reactions in some Indigenous leaders who had travelled from as far away as Alberta and Manitoba to voice their concerns.

“It’s time the Crown paid more than lip service to the Indigenous people of this country,” Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro of the Mikisew Cree First Nation told The Catholic Register as he and his colleagues posed for photographs requested by several who had come to watch the royal parade. “We have been ignored and marginalized for far too long.” 

He added that he and his fellow-Chiefs from other First Nations were standing outside the Senate chamber, a mark of their status as “outsiders” despite the fact that they were the first inhabitants of the land.

Shortly after Carney’s election as Prime Minister, Tuccaro and Chief Sheldon Sunshine of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation sent him a joint letter stating: “As you know, Canada is founded on Treaties that were sacred covenants between the Crown and our ancestors to share the lands. We are not prepared to accept any further Treaty breaches and violations.” They added that they looked forward to working with the new government as treaty partners.

Catholics too need to be vigilant about some of the new government’s policies that are either only briefly mentioned in the Speech from the Throne or omitted altogether. A statement issued on April 23, just days before Carney and the Liberals were returned to power, by the Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops provided clear guidance on what Catholics should expect from this government.

“Our Catholic faith provides essential moral and social guidance, helping us understand and respond to the critical issues facing our country,” they wrote. “As the Church teaches, it is the duty of the faithful “to see that the divine law is inscribed in the life of the earthly city (Gaudium et Spes, n. 43.2).”

The bishops expressed concern over the fundamental right to life from conception to natural death and the lack of legal protection of the unborn, the expansion of eligibility for Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) and the lack of access to quality palliative care. 

Furthermore, their statement asserted that “We are called to walk together in justice and truth with Indigenous peoples.”

While the Speech from the Throne is heavy on tariffs, the removal of trade barriers and national security, there is no mention of the right to life or MAiD or any reference to the charitable status of churches and church-related charities. The last government had discussed removing charitable status from groups like churches.

Regarding justice for Indigenous people, the government has pledged to be a reliable partner and to double the Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program from $5 billion to $10 billion.