The Manitoba government has committed to making our province the most improved in Canada by attempting to fix finances, improve services and rebuild the economy.

That was the message delivered Tuesday afternoon in the throne speech read by Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon. The throne speech opens the third session of the 41st sitting of the legislature.

"We have made significant progress, but there is much more to do as we continue with our plan to improve life in Manitoba for all its citizens," says Premier Brian Pallister. "We are again unveiling an ambitious agenda that will help create jobs for Manitobans and improve services for vulnerable citizens. We are in this together. We will continue to consult Manitobans, both inside and outside of the civil service, for their ideas on improving our province. This is a government that listens and we will continue to listen."

(Manitoba Lieutenant Governor Janice Filmon)Pallister says this government has made progress on fixing the finances with better than expected results in reducing the deficit. Tuesday's throne speech indicated that work would continue, including planning for a public service transformation strategy to deliver better outcomes for Manitobans, implementing mechanisms to ensure government spends smarter and reducing overlap and duplication in government services.

The speech highlighted services will be improved through initiatives such as the recently unveiled reform of the province's children in care program including proposed legislation to remove barriers to guardianship to move children from government care to loving homes and improve outcomes for those children.

Improvement in the delivery of health services continues with governance reforms designed to reduce senior management and by trimming at the top to ensure maximum resources dedicated to front-line care. The speech notes government will improve self and family-managed home care and highlighted the new Priority Home program that will shorten hospital stays. The province also promises to work to develop a comprehensive approach to chronic disease prevention.

Other throne speech highlights include developing a new Early Learning and Child Care strategy and introducing a new provincial housing strategy for affordable and social housing. The province has also committed to reforming the family law system to better protect parents and children, and positioning the Family Violence Prevention Program with Manitoba Status of Women and having Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires, minister responsible for the status of women, chair the Ending Gender-Based Violence cabinet committee.

The speech outlined work on rebuilding the economy continues with a move to restructure economic development efforts to better attract new investments, continuing work to unlock the economic potential of northern Manitoba by building on the Look North Economic Task Force's recommendations, re-introducing legislation this session to fully implement the new Canadian Free Trade Agreement, continuing work on reducing red tape, significant investments in agriculture and leveraging the province's attractiveness as a destination for investments in protein processing.

The speech also highlighted the proposed introduction of legislation and the appointment an advisory commission to begin implementing the Made-in-Manitoba Climate and Green Plan and continuation of work on advancing relationships with Indigenous peoples through the development of a reconciliation strategy.