Federal Election 2019
Promises that will improve the lives of the economically vulnerable
Liberal Platform (https://2019.liberal.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2019/09/Forward-A-real-plan-for-the-middle-class.pdf )
1. Increase the Canada Child Benefit
2. Increase Old Age Security payments by 10% at age 75.
3. Federal $15 per hour minimum wage starting 2020
4. Seasonal workers: Complete a pilot then introduce a permanent program to give seasonal workers more consistent and reliable benefits than EI affords.
5. Workers who worked continuously for the same employer for five or more years and are laid off when the business closes: Career Insurance Benefit will kick in after Employment Insurance ends, providing an additional 20 per cent of insured earnings in the first year following the layoff, and an extra 10 per cent in the second year.
6. Pharmacare: take next steps to implement.
7. Develop a national mental health strategy.
8. Double the Child Disability Benefit.
NDP Commitments (https://www.ndp.ca/commitments )
1. Expand Medicare: to include pharmacare, dental care, vision care and mental health care.
2. Housing: will create 500,000 units of quality, affordable housing in the next ten years.
3. Child-care: $1 billion in 2020 and growing that investment annually
4. Nonrepayable student grants rather than loans.
5. EI: 360 hours to qualify, low income supplement so that no one receives less that $1200/month.
6. Tax: Roll back corporate income tax cuts, increase taxes for the wealthiest, implement a wealth tax.
7. Launch a national basic income pilot project in addition to continuing Ontario’s program.
Green Party Platform (https://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform)
1. Enact pharmacare by 2020.
2. Establish a national mental health strategy.
3. Establish a universal Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) program to replace the current array of income supports, such as disability payments, social assistance and income supplements for seniors.
4. Federal minimum wage $15/hour. Set municipal minimum wages in accordance with the differential costs of living across the country.
5. Housing: Legislate housing as a human right, develop a federal coop housing strategy, $750 million new builds, rent assistance.
6. Free college and university tuition.
7. “Ramp-up” federal child-care funding.
Conservative Policy Declaration (https://cpcassets.conservative.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/03154936/00477c06063465c.pdf )
1. Housing: Address homelessness by assisting in the provision of shelters and by recognizing, addressing and seeking solutions to contributing factors of homelessness.
2. Tax: Reduce taxes to businesses and families. Close off-shore tax loopholes. Tax relief for families who provide home care. Work with the provinces and municipalities to develop framework agreements that help low-income city dwellers access affordable housing, through the use of tax incentives for private sector builders.
3. Child-care: Strongly support a program such as the Universal Child Care Benefit.