Editorial — Throne speech offers little in way of clear direction

TUESDAY MORNING EDITORIAL — Throne speeches are often vague, but generally indicate what we can expect from the government in the coming months. We can usually discern what is of broad interest and what might be of specific interest at a local level. Budgets and legislation provide specifics later on.

Monday’s Speech from the Throne, delivered by Lt.-Gov. Judy Guichon on behalf of the Liberal government, was less informative than usual.

It’s major topic was LNG and the opportunities, as the government envisions, that it presents for a new revenue stream for B.C. It was, however, cautionary, less confident-sounding than in the past. “This is a chance — not a windfall,” the speech said. “It will not be simply given to us, but achieved after a lot of hard work.”

The speech managed to equate LNG with the new law school at TRU, and new health-care facilities in Victoria and the Okanagan.

It was another crossroads speech. You know the ones, where we are at a crossroads and must decide which way to go — the government’s way or the highway. “We must choose whether to grow or to decline. If we choose to do nothing, to maintain the status quo, we will have chosen to decline.”

We’ve hard it so many times before.

Other than LNG, there was some stuff about leadership, First Nations, and then a short section on teachers. “Now with this common purpose — we have to move on.”

We certainly do. It was, all in all, one of the least visionary, least inspiring throne speeches in a good many years. Let’s hope the follow-up actions of the government offer a great deal more.