Ontario's provincial government promised to audit government spending, end cap-and-trade and scrap the current sex-education curriculum in the throne speech delivered Thursday by Ontario's Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell.

The speech, written by the premier's office, emphasized that change is coming for Ontario. It echoed many of Premier Doug Ford's campaign statements, vowing to sell beer and wine in convenience stores and provide long-term funding for the health-care system.

Titled "A Government for the People," the speech pledged to protect jobs, lower electricity bills and cut taxes.

The government says it will do a Commission of Inquiry into the government's financial practices to identify ways to "restore accountability and trust in Ontario's public finances."

It will include a line-by-line audit of all government spending to "identify and eliminate duplication and waste."

"The era of accounting tricks and sleight of hand must end," the speech said.

'Onerous restrictions' on police

The speech brings up questions, saying it will respect Ontario's police services by "freeing them from onerous restrictions that treat those in uniform as subjects of suspicion and scorn."

It does not clarify what those "onerous restrictions" are.

​Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, says this does not signal a return to the controversial and arbitrary street checks known as "carding."

"It doesn't signal a return to anything. What it signals a return to is a discussion about evidence and facts and what's going on in our communities that needs to be addressed to keep all communities safe," McCormack said.

No mention of climate change, Indigenous people

The speech says the government will introduce a plan to sell beer and wine sales in convenience stores, grocery stores and big box stores. However, it does not mention Ford's campaign plan to introduce "buck-a-beer."

The speech did not mention Indigenous people, and did not include any French.

There was also no mention of climate change. However, the speech repeated Ford's plan to pull out of the cap-and-trade system and said it would oppose all other carbon tax schemes. It also vows to end "green energy contracts" imposed on rural municipalities.

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser says it's distressing not to hear a plan for climate change.

"You just can't come in with a wrecking ball and take something down and then not build," he said.

New Minister of Environment Rod Phillips said the government does have a plan but did not provide specifics.

"We do understand that climate change is an issue," he said. "We just disagree with the solution of a carbon tax."

New long-term care beds

The government restated its decision to revoke the current sex-ed curriculum brought in by the Liberals, reverting to the previous version enacted in 1998. The curriculum will be updated to a new "age-appropriate one" after consultation with parents, the speech said. It will also scrap the 'Discovery Math' curricula.

The speech said government will bring in 15,000 new long-term care beds over the next five years, and $3.8 billion in spending on mental health and addictions, including supportive housing.

It also noted the government will work with the federal government to fight tariffs and stick up for Ontario in NAFTA negotiations.

The speech promised the government will reduce taxes for parents, small businesses and the working poor. During the election, Ford promised to cut the middle class tax rate from 9.15 per cent to 7.32 per cent, but the plan would not be implemented until 2020-2021.

Speech 'very concerning,' says NDP

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said the "very concerning" speech shows the government is determined to "take us into a race to the bottom and pull us into the last century." The throne speech talks about the realities of life in 2018 "as if we were back in the '90s," she said.

While it will benefit a select few, Horwath says the government's plan will not help everyday people.

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