Presumably, the public is meant to assume that the throne speech is a map, an overview of the government's plans to do the business of the people. But to the jaded - which, these days, is a good many in this province - a throne speech is little more than fanfare and fluff: lots of distraction without much substance.
Oddly, Monday's throne speech touched on issues of genuine concern here in B.C. - the backlogged court system, funding for special needs education, changes to family law and more.
But the promises on those were, at best, unclear and, at worst, potentially untenable.
And what was left out - specifics on the economy and job creation, plans to tackle the teachers' labour dispute - are as telling as what was included.
But we really shouldn't worry our little heads about all that - really, who wants to debate the state of education or health care or anything else when there's some really exciting news to talk about? In the wake of the throne speech, the water-cooler talk this week isn't about pulling retired judges back to the bench, and it isn't about plans for the Evergreen Line, or about increasing our "trade presence" in Asia, or funding for additional health care infrastructure.
It's all about Family Day.
Following in the footsteps of several other provinces, B.C. will get an additional mid-winter statutory holiday.
Concerns about the impact of the move on small business are already being expressed, but overall, the mood on this one seems to be an all-round big thumbs up.
The announcement has done exactly what it was intended to, we suspect: get everyone looking at one hand, while ignoring the big issues in the other hand.
But maybe that's just us being jaded and unfair. After all, it's surely a happily timed coincidence that our first - and no doubt loudly feted - Family Day falls in February 2013, just months before we all head to the polls.
