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Speech from the Throne

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	Topics Speech from the Throne Topic Home The Speech from the Throne (or Throne Speech) is an event in certain monarchies in which the monarchMonarch A monarch is a type of ruler or head of state.... (or a representative) reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliamentParliament A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system m... , outlining the government's agenda for the coming year. This event is often held annually, although in some places it may occur more or less frequently whenever a new session of parliament is opened. The speech from the throne is not written by the head of state who reads it, but rather by the government. In most cases, the speech is read in a neutral voice, and although the Head of State may refer to "my governmentMy Government My Government is a term sometimes used in Commonwealth Realms by the monarch or his/her representatives during the Throne Sp... ", it is clearly established that the Head of State is not responsible for determining the policies within the speech. Commonwealth Realms United Kingdom Her Majesty's Most Gracious Speech, also known as the Gracious Address, or, less formally, as the Queen's Speech, is the speech from the Throne performed in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... , before both Houses of Parliament. The speech itself is part of a lavish affair known as the State Opening of ParliamentState Opening of Parliament In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the... , with many formalities and traditions, including the Queen's wearing of her official state crown. In the speech, the Government's legislative programmeLegislative programme A legislative programme is a list of bills which the United Kingdom government intends to introduce to Parliament during a p... is outlined for the new parliamentary sessionParliamentary session A parliamentary session is a period of time where the legislature in a parliamentary government is sitting.... . Following a symbolic raising of other mattersOutlawries Bill Overview The Outlawries Bill is customarily introduced in the United Kingdom's House of Commons at the start of each session of Parli... , designed to highlight the independence of Parliament from the Crown, both Houses of Parliament, the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons Summary \|align=left\|ParliamentState Opening of Parliament... and the LordsHouse of Lords The House of Lords* is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.... hold a debate and can vote on the speech. This vote is held to constitute a motion of confidence in the governmentMotion of no confidence A motion of no confidence, also called a motion of non-confidence, a censure motion, a no-confidence motion, or ... which if lost would result in the end of that government. A Throne Speech is not typical in the devolved legislatures within the United Kingdom, the nearest equivalent being a statement of the legislative agenda of the executive branch usually given by a First Minister. However, the Queen often undertakes visits and speaks to the devolved bodies in a less official capacity. So far, she has been present and has given an address at all openings of the Scottish ParliamentScottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament is the national unicameral legislature of Scotland, in the capital Edinburgh.... , usually speaking reflectively upon its accomplishments and wishing the institution well for its coming term rather than considering the plans of the Executive. Other realms In the other Commonwealth realms, a similar speech to the British version is held in their respective legislatures. Generally, the Speech from the Throne will be read on Her Majesty's behalf by the relevant Governor-GeneralFacts About Governor-General A Governor-General is most generally a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above 'ordinary' governors .... , however if the Queen is present in the country she will often give the address in person. Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United Kingdom }\|-\|\|}Elizabeth II is the Queen of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth Realms.... opened the Canadian ParliamentFacts About Parliament of Canada The Parliament of Canada is Canada's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario.... with the Speech from the Throne in 1957, and again during her Silver JubileeSilver Jubilee of Elizabeth II Overview throughout 1977, culminating in June with the official "Jubilee Days," held to coincide with the [[Queen's Official Birt... in 1977. As in the UK, debate on the Speech from the Throne in Canada is preceded by a symbolic consideration of other business to demonstrate the independence of both houses. In the House of CommonsCanadian House of Commons The House of Commons is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate.... , the bill considered is Bill C-1, An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office; in the Senate, it is Bill S-1, An Act relating to Railways. Debate on the Speech from the Throne then takes place; although the form is nominally a motion merely to formally thank the Governor General for presenting the speech, the vote on the motion is understood to express support for or opposition to the policies in the speech, and is a confidence motion. AustraliaAustralia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland o... and CanadaCanada Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America.... , federatedFacts About Federation A federation is a union comprised of a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government.... countries, also hold a Throne Speech in the state or provincial jurisdictions, used to outline local legislative plans. Typically these are performed by the respective state GovernorsGovernors of the Australian states The Governors of the Australian states are the representatives in the six states of Australia of Australia's head of state, ... or provincial Lieutenant GovernorLieutenant-Governor (Canada) In Canada, the lieutenant-governor, in French *lieutenant-gouverneur/lieutenant-gouverneure, is the Canadian Monarc... , who represent the sovereign in that area. In Canada, the monarch does not give the Speech from the Throne in provincial legislatures, though Elizabeth II has addressed the Legislative Council of Quebec from its throne in 1964 and the Legislative Assembly of AlbertaLegislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta* is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Lieute... from the chamber's throne during her tour of that province in 2005. Other countries Other monarchies, such as the NetherlandsNetherlands The Netherlands is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands , which is formed by the Netherlands, the Neth... and NorwayNorway Insert non-formatted text hereNorway is a Nordic country on the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, bordering S... , have similar throne speech ceremonies. In JapanJapan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from... , the EmperorEmperor of Japan According to the Japanese Constitution, the Emperor is a symbol of the Japanese nation and the unity of its people.... makes only a short greeting speech on DietDiet of Japan The is Japan's legislature. It consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors.... opening ceremony; he does not refer to any government policies, instead allowing the Prime Minister to address the Diet on political matters. Many republicRepublic In a broad definition, a republic is a state or country that is led by people whose political power is based on principles t... s also hold a yearly event in which the presidentPresident President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, trade unions, universities, and countries.... gives a speech to a joint session of the legislature, such as the State of the Union AddressState of the Union Address The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the c... given by the President of the United StatesPresident of the United States The President of the United States of America is the head of state of the United States.... . Where the President is the political head of the government the speech is more partisan in character. See also July Monarchy Royal Christmas MessageRoyal Christmas Message The Royal Christmas Message is broadcast by the British Sovereign to the Commonwealth at Christmas.... State of the Union AddressState of the Union Address Overview The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the c... External links - BBC - BBC - BBC - They Work For You