Tuesday’s throne speech did not mention possible changes to social-services payments suggested last week by Finance Minister Mike de Jong who said a larger-than-forecast budget surplus gives the government room to move on targeted initiatives.

De Jong is set to deliver the budget next Tuesday.

Plans afoot to establish a Medal of Good Citizenship to recognize British Columbians who make extraordinary contributions by volunteering their time, money and talents.

The Opposition slammed the latest speech from the throne for being a waste of time, calling it – “30 minutes we won’t get back.”

NDP opposition leader John Horgan says – “We have a government today that brought forward a half an hour of emptiness. In fact, the only thing they brought forward this year was to reduce taxation by $230 million, the taxation for the highest two per cent of wage earners in B.C.”