You can read the first Stephen Harper majority government throne speech here. But you probably don’t need to.

After all, there are few surprises in it, which is in line with Harper’s “stability” message repeated every day during the election campaign. The throne speech’s proposals for Senate reform, new House of Commons seats, and crime bills were already known. I’m not happy about Harper’s pledge to scrap the gun registry and the wheat board, but we all knew that was coming.

And in honour of the new era of civility, let me give Harper credit for his pledge to sign free trade deals with the EU by 2012 and India by 2013. And for his push for a national securities regular. Again, not new and not sexy, but things that will benefit Canada.

Monday is budget day. Once again, don’t expect the earth to move – all indications are it will be a rehash of Flaherty’s March budget, with a few trinkets like the axing of the political party public subsidy thrown in.