Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called a federal election for 21 October. The federal election campaign is underway, as you get ready to vote, stay up-to-date on what the Liberals, Conservatives, New Democrats and Greens have promised Canadians.
There are six main party leaders running for the federal election.
Justin Trudeau
Andrew Scheer
Jagmeet Singh
Elizabeth May
Yves-Francois Blanchet
Maxime Bernier
PLATFORMS
FISCAL PLAN
Liberals
Reduce deficits over the next five years to $9.8 billion by 2023-24 from $19.8 billion in 2019-20
Conservatives
Balance the budget in five years by taking a “measured approach to spending growth”
Greens
No specific proposals to date
NDP
Lower Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio over the next 10 years
JOBS AND ECONOMY
Liberals
No specific proposals to date
Conservatives
Appoint a Quebec Minister of Canada Economic Development and a political minister from Quebec
Greens
Develop a Sustainable Generations Fund to invest in green trades and apprenticeships training, as well as education facilities Invest in national infrastructure in renewable and efficient energy production, digital upgrades, clean-tech manufacturing and ecotourism. Fund community-supported agriculture, farmers’ markets, small-scale farms and producers, wineries and microbreweries.
Establish Green Worker Training Programs that teach fossil fuel workers about renewable energy industries .
NDP
Establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour
Ban unpaid internships outside of education programs.
Replace the troubled Phoenix pay system for federal government employees
Create a National Automotive Strategy with all levels of government and industry leaders to help retain jobs and attract investment
Restore the Automotive Innovation Fund and prioritize made-in-Canada vehicles.
Give Export Development Canada a stronger mandate.
HOUSING
Liberals
Earmarked $1.25 billion over the next three years for First-Time Homebuyers’ Incentive (which launched Sept. 2, 2019). Increased the amount first-time buyers can withdraw from their RRSPs to $35,000 from $25,000 in budget 2019.
Conservatives
“Rework” mortgage qualification rules that have been tightened in recent yearsReview the re-introduction of 30-year amortizations on insured mortgages
Greens
Implement a National Housing Strategy with the aim of eliminating homelessness.
Invest in the co-operative housing sector to boost the affordable housing market.
Set up a vetted screening system to match younger Canadians who can’t find housing with seniors who could share their home
NDP
Create 500,000 affordable housing units.
Re-introduce 30-year terms for insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers.
Double the first-time homebuyers’ tax credit to $1,5000 Implement a 15 per cent foreign buyers' tax on purchases of residential property by foreign corporations or people who are not citizens or permanent residents.
Remove GST/HST on the construction of new rental units.
Work with provinces to create a public beneficial ownership registry to increase transparency about who owns properties in an effort to stop money laundering.
PERSONAL TAXES
Conservatives
Remove federal income tax from Employment Insurance maternity and paternity benefits by providing a 15-per-cent tax credit for any income under the two programs
Eliminate GST from home heating and energy bills
Establish a single tax return for Quebec residents
Greens
Expand home renovation tax credit to include incentive for homeowners to upgrade to energy-efficient appliances
NDP
Implement a "super-wealth tax" that applies a one-per-cent tax on fortunes above $20 million.
Increase the amount of investment profits subject to capital gains taxation to 75 per cent, the rate that was in place in 2000, from 50 per cent
For Canadians making over $210,000, will increase the top marginal tax rate by two points to 35 per cent, raising over half a billion dollars annually.
CORPORATE TAXES
Liberals
No specific proposals to date
Conservatives
No specific proposals to date
Greens
Limit small business taxes to no more than 9 per cent
Eliminate duplicative tax filings for small businesses
NDP
Will roll corporate tax cuts back to 18 per cent (2010 levels) while maintaining the small business tax rate at its current level
Close stock option loopholes and crack down on shell companies operating in tax havens
Tax companies such as Netflix and Google on profits made in Canada and crack down on tax loopholes that favour web giants on advertising purchases
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Liberals
Ban single-use plastics by 2021 Offer new incentives to buy electric cars, including up to $5,000 on new vehicles under $45,000
Conservatives
Repeal Bill C-69, which overhauls the review process for resource projects in Canada
End the shipping ban in northern British ColumbiaEnact legislation to clarify roles of proponents and governments in consultationsEnd foreign-funded interference in regulatory hearings
Provide certainty on approval timelines and schedulesEliminate the Trudeau government’s carbon tax
Greens
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050
End all fossil fuel industry subsidies
Introduce a revenue-neutral price on carbon pollution through a fee and dividend system
Phase out coal-fired electricity
Launch a tree-planting initiative in Canada’s hinterlands and urban centres
Offer rebates for purchasing energy efficient vehicles, and ban the purchase of new internal combustion engine vehicles within 10 years
Mandate energy retrofits for all buildings by 2030
NDP
Introduce federal incentives for zero-emissions automobiles
Electrify transit and other municipal fleets by 2030.
Power Canada with net carbon-free electricity by 2030 and move to 100% non-emitting electricity by 2050 by creating a Canadian Climate Bank to increase clean energy investments Ban single-use plastics.
Continue carbon pricing, including rebates to households that fall under the federal backstop plan; roll back the breaks to big polluters
EDUCATION
Liberals
No specific proposals yet
Conservatives
No specific proposals yet
Greens
Abolish tuition and adopt student debt cancellation programs for debt exceeding $10,000
NDP
Cancel interest on all existing and future student loans
CHILD CARE
Liberals
No specific proposals to date
Conservatives
No specific proposals to date
Greens
No specific proposals to date
NDP
Invest $1 billion in affordable childcare in 2020 with plans to grow that investment annually
RETIREMENT & SENIORS
Liberals
Spend $1.8 billion over five years to enhance guaranteed income payments to old-age pensioners
Conservatives
Offer incentives to Quebec retirees who want to go back to work
Greens
Create a pension bridging program for workers who will retire earlier than planned due to the proposed coal phase-out
NDP
Protect the pensions of workers/ retirees by cracking down on pension theft
PHARMACARE
Liberals
The government introduced steps toward a national pharmacare program, including the creation of a new Canadian Drug Agency to coordinate purchases of prescription drugs and make high-cost drugs for rare diseases more affordable
Conservatives
No specific proposals to date
Greens
Expand public health care to include pharmacare, establish a Crown corporation to bulk purchase and dispense prescription drugs.
Include basic dental care in national coverage and extend dental care to low-income children
Create a national drug reduction strategy and develop more safe injection sites
Regulate the distribution of pharmaceuticals prescribed by doctors, with the aim of preventing dangerous levels of over-medication and opioid addictions
NDP
Create a national pharmacare program that provides comprehensive coverage to everyone in Canada by 2020
IMMIGRATION
Liberals
No specific proposals to date
Conservatives
Renegotiate the Safe-Third Country Agreement with the United States and put an end to illegal border crossings at unofficial points of entry
Improve language training, credential recognition and make it easier for new Canadians who have existing skills that meet the country’s standards to apply their trades
Will prioritize people facing true persecution
Greens
No specific proposals to date
NDP
Work with the provinces to address gaps in settlement services and improve foreign credentials recognition.
End cap on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents; take on the backlogs that delay reunification
TECHNOLOGY
Liberals
No specific proposals yet
Conservatives
Establish a cabinet committee on cyber security and data privacy
Create a “Canada Cyber Safe” brand to ensure consumers know when products have met certain security standards
Ensure companies collecting electronic data receive informed consent from Canadians
Greens
No specific proposals yet
NDP
Work with international allies to deal with threats to national security, including cyber crime
Enforce a price cap to make sure that Canadians aren’t paying more than the global average for their cell phone and internet bills
Expand internet coverage to remote communities
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Trudeau won a majority government in 2015 with 184 of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.
The Conservatives held 99 while the New Democrats had 44.
The Bloc Quebecois had 10 while the Greens got one — their leader, Elizabeth May.
A majority government — one in which a party does not need to rely on support from other parties to pass its bills — requires a single party to win at least 170 seats
The official debates with the major party leaders are set to take place on Oct. 7 in English and Oct. 10 in French.