Liberals to Release Costed Platform April 19, Conservatives Commit to Stopping New Packaging Regulations

(Left to right) NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, Liberal Leader Mark Carney, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang, Adrian Wyld

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said his party would be releasing its costed platform on April 19, while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his government would scrap new restrictions on food packaging, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he would provide more support for farmers.

Carney made his remarks during a news conference in Niagara Falls on April 18, saying that his party’s costed platform would be released the next day.

He said his plan will build more homes, build “clean and conventional energy,” and add jobs in the trades.

Carney also repeated his previous comments that U.S. policies are disrupting the global order, adding that he has the experience to guide Canada through it.

He said he has learned that to get through a crisis, one needs a plan and to act with “overwhelming force” to overcome the fear.

“I think I know not just what it takes to survive a crisis, to get through a crisis, but what it takes to emerge stronger than before,” the Liberal leader said.

He was asked about a comment he made during the English leaders debate on April 17, where he said that China was the biggest security threat to Canada.

“It is a threat within broader Asia and to Taiwan, and so we both have to engage with China [and] take steps to protect ourselves here,” Carney said during the news conference.

He said China was “one of the largest threats with respect to foreign interference.”

Conservatives Seek to Scrap New Packaging Regulations

During a campaign stop in Montreal, Poilievre said if elected, his government would put a stop to new regulations proposed for packaging that would see fruits and vegetables sold in bulk with no packaging or “plastic-free” packaging.

Ottawa’s goals are to have 75 percent of produce sold in bulk or non-plastic packaging by 2026, and 95 percent by 2028, according to a federal government document.

Poilievre said the new regulations would increase the cost of food for Canadians.

“There'll be more waste in our foods, more food that goes into the garbage, and therefore more costs that Canadians pay for food they don’t even get to eat,” he said.

He said his party’s plan would bring down consumers costs.

“We will protect restaurants, grocers, and low-income Canadians from costly one-size-fits-all packaging rules that hit the people who can least afford it ... causing them to pay the most,” Poilievre said.

Poilievre repeated that his government would also remove the federal government ban on single-use plastics, like straws and plastic shopping bags.

In 2022, Ottawa introduced regulations that prohibited plastics from being made or used in Canada.

However, in 2023, a federal court judge said the regulations were invalid and unlawful. The court said the Liberal government’s claim that all plastic-manufactured items are toxic was “unreasonable and unconstitutional.”

The federal government appealed the decision and was awarded a stay, which prevents the regulations from being blocked until the court makes a decision.

The Conservatives also noted the government had estimated the plastics ban would cost $1.3 billion between 2023 and 2032.

NDP Says It Will Fight for Quebec, Farmers

Singh made a stop in Quebec, saying his party would support farmers, food production, and an east-west power grid.

Singh said his government would support farmers to strengthen the food production industry, introducing legislation that protects supply management and farmers.

“We’ve got to be able to feed ourselves as a country. We can’t be reliant on other countries to feed ourselves, and the way we do that is by supporting farmers,” Singh said.

He also said that he would want to see an east-west power grid.

“It would allow for Canada to have access to low-cost hydroelectric energy,” Singh said.