Lieutenant Governor Judy Foote has delivered the speech from the throne, outlining where government’s priorities lie in the fall session.

At the forefront of the speech was the cost of living.

It was announced during the speech that the gas tax reduction, which was originally supposed to end at the start of the new year, will be extended until March 31, 2023.

Also on the cost-of-living front, Foote announced that the first order of business in the house will be the one-time $500 cost of living benefit announced earlier today.

As well, government will be making its first contribution to the previously announced future fund later this year.

The Lieutenant Governor made commitments to improving access to healthcare, including recruitment and retention.

Part of that process will involve making legislative amendments to simplify licensure requirements for internationally trained and qualified nurses.

Government will also address the general lack of inpatient beds and access to surgical capacity by working with the health authority on intermediate and long-term solutions to modernize existing infrastructure and evaluate the potential expansion of operating room and bed capacity in the province’s busiest hospitals.

Other topics included in the wide-ranging speech include pay equity, reconciliation, immigration, and clean energy and sustainable growth.