OTTAWA, ON – The thirty-ninth Parliament of Canada officially opened today, following the Speech from the Throne, delivered by Governor General, Michaelle Jean. The Speech reaffirmed the Conservative Government’s five key priorities which are:

1) Clean up government by passing the Federal Accountability Act

2) Provide real tax relief to working families by cutting the GST

3) Make streets and communities safer by cracking down on crime

4) Help parents with the cost of raising their children; and

5) Work with the provinces to establish a Patient Wait Times Guarantee

Ms. Jean delivered what has been said to be the shortest Speech from the Throne in Canadian history. Ms. Jean stated that the first piece of legislation to be introduced in the House of Commons will be the Federal Accountability Act, to rebuild Canadian trust in elected officials.

Dean Del Mastro replied to the speech by saying "The speech from the throne demonstrates the governments commitment to real action on the environment, to tackle crime, to reduce taxes, to invest in communities and business and ultimately to build a better, safer and stronger Canada. Under the strong and effective leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper we have made real progress in the 39th parliament, the speech from the throne underscores our ongoing determination to deliver the results that Canadians rightfully expect."