Liberal Party
Justin Trudeau’s Liberals started their campaign by promising help for businesses recovering from the pandemic-hit economy.
The party is hinging its campaign on increasing vaccinations and fighting against COVID-19, providing affordable housing and a $10-a-day child-care program, cutting pollution and taking “bold climate action,” creating a “fairer and more equal Canada for everyone” and walking a “shared path of reconciliation” with indigenous peoples, and building a “green recovery from the pandemic.”
The Liberals are promising to extend to March 31, 2022, a hiring credit for businesses introduced as part of pandemic support, and foot the bill for up to 75 percent of wage and rent expenses for the hard-hit tourism industry. They also pledge support for the arts and entertainment sector in the form of matching ticket sales for shows and performances to compensate for reduced capacity, and extending COVID-related insurance coverage for media productions that have been stalled.
On Aug. 18, Trudeau made a campaign stop in Vancouver, as B.C. continues to grapple with devastating wildfires, and pledged $500 million to train 1,000 new firefighters and invest in firefighting equipment for the provinces and territories, while characterizing the situation as “a climate emergency.”
As the incumbent, the Liberals are campaigning on their record in office, touting enacted policies such as implementing the new Canada Child Benefit program, reducing the Old Age Security age from 67 to 65, launching initiatives under the “net-zero emissions by 2050” target, banning assault-style weapons, investing in LGBTQ2 service organizations, taking steps toward a national pharmacare system, lowering the small business tax rate from 11 percent to 9 percent, providing COVID-19 economic benefits such as CERB, and negotiating free-trade deals with other G7 countries.
Conservative Party
The Conservatives released their full platform very early in the campaign, promising expenditures to bring about economic recovery.
If it forms the government, the party promises to subsidize hiring by paying up to 50 percent of the salary of new hires for six months, provide tax credits for capital investments and small businesses, and make loans available to small and medium-sized businesses.
The Conservatives would scrap the Liberal government’s national child-care program and instead introduce a tax credit to cover up to 75 percent of child-care costs for lower income families. As well, the party would increase the annual growth rate of health transfers to provinces. It is also touting its previously announced “carbon price” to meet Paris Agreement emission targets.
The party is promising a GST-free month to help retail stores recover, a 50 percent rebate on dine-in purchases for one month to help the restaurant sector, and a 15 percent tax credit for Canadians vacationing in-country to boost the tourism sector.
The Conservatives’ platform includes detailed foreign policy and defence sections, such as addressing Arctic sovereignty and cyberattacks and increasing defence spending. It also includes a detailed plan to stand up to “China’s aggression,” listing items such as working to decouple from China, supporting the Hong Kong freedom movement and persecuted groups in China, banning Huawei equipment to protect national security, and creating a foreign agents registry to combat Beijing’s influence operations.
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc is continuing its Quebec-first pledge in this campaign, claiming that it’s the only party that pushes for the interests of Quebec at every opportunity.
The party is promising to pursue increased powers for Quebec on setting immigration policy; prevent any possible federal government interference with Quebec’s secularism law known as Bill 21; “protect and promote” French and ensure implementation of Bill 101; pursue legislation that would allow a single tax filing process for Quebec; create an automatic right of withdrawal from federal programs, with Ottawa providing full compensation instead, in areas under the jurisdiction of provinces; increase health transfers to cover 35 percent of health-care costs; and protect “Quebec’s environmental sovereignty.”
On the first day of the campaign, party leader Yves-François Blanchet called for having vaccine production capability in Quebec, and said Alberta needs to decouple from the oil and gas sector with help from Ottawa.
New Democratic Party
The NDP launched its campaign by pledging to get money back from company executives who bolstered their bonuses while their companies received federal aid as part of the pandemic relief programs.
To help deliver its affordable housing pledge, the NDP proposes a 20 percent foreign buyers tax for residential real estate purchases. It also promises to build 500,000 units of affordable housing in collaboration with provinces and municipalities, and provide “fast-start funds” to help communities launch the building projects.
The party says it would create domestic vaccine and personal protective equipment manufacturing facilities and reform the long-term care system. It would also enhance mental health coverage including for the uninsured; enable national child care, pharmacare, and dental care programs; provide paid sick leave for workers and continue pandemic aid programs; forgive student debts; and increase the federal minimum wage.
Party leader Jagmeet Singh says the NDP is the only party proposing a tax on the super-rich to deliver the programs it promises.
The party also plans on working with indigenous peoples to create a “National Action Plan for Reconciliation” and implement the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action; set up a “climate emergency” cabinet committee to cut emissions; provide more support for LGBTQI2S+ communities; and “confront systemic racism.”
Green Party
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul started her campaign by calling for an end to oil and gas projects and a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, saying her party’s campaign will be focused on a “green future and the climate.”
Paul wants to pursue a “green recovery plan” for Canada by transitioning workers to “the clean economy of the future while forging a just society in which all Canadians can live with dignity.”
The Green Party hasn’t yet announced an election platform, but its vision includes changing the current first-past-the-post electoral system, ending “colonialism and oppression of Indigenous Peoples,” expanding health care, taking action to “avoid climate catastrophe,” providing a guaranteed livable income, investing in a green economy, bolstering the public transport system, helping small businesses with “green venture capital funds” and maintaining taxation at 9 percent, abolishing tuition fees, and taking action to protect freshwater resources.
During a campaign stop in Toronto on Aug. 18, Paul said there is a need for “radical reform” in long-term care. She also called for affordable housing and a guaranteed livable income, and said the social safety net needs to be bolstered with “universal programs,” including pharmacare, child care, dental care, and free post-secondary tuition.
True North Party*
Independent MP Derek Sloan announced the creation of his True North party just ahead of the election call, but since his proposed party wasn’t approved by Elections Canada by the time the writ was dropped, he can’t formally run candidates for this election.
However, the former Conservative MP says he and his supporters will organize for some candidates to run as independents, who will then join his party if they are elected once True North is formally approved.
Sloan says since his party isn’t officially approved he doesn’t yet have a formal platform, but issues of importance will include opposing carbon taxes, getting out of the Paris Agreement, opposing lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations, and promoting “faith, family, and freedom.”
At a rally in Alberta in late July, he said his party is going to be the “greatest patriotic movement Canada has ever seen.”
People’s Party
