As all of you Canadians know, tomorrow is the big election day. I have decided in this blog post to take a look at each party’s political platform so that you and I can both see the promises each leader is making and no matter how the election turns out tomorrow, we will be able to keep track as to whether or not the elected party is keeping their promises.
We’ll start off with the party in power over the last term
Party: The Conservative Party of Canada
Leader: (Current Prime Minister) Stephen Harper
Information Source: http://www.conservative.ca/policy/platform_2011/
Platform
Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled his “Here for Canada” Conservative policy platform. The platform provides Canadians with a prudent low-tax plan to protect and create jobs by completing our recovery from the global economic recession. “Here for Canada” commits to eliminating the deficit by the 2014-2015 fiscal year without cutting transfer payments to individuals or to the provinces. And it contains concrete measures to secure Canada’s borders and keep our streets and neighbourhoods safe.
“Our Conservative Government has been consistent — we’re ‘Here for Canada,’” said Prime Minister Harper. “We’re taking action on the priorities of Canadians who work hard and play by the rules, and we’ve steered our country through the worst global economic recession since the 1930s. The next phase of our Economic Action Plan will guide us through the recovery. During this campaign, we have told Canadians about the low-tax plan that we will deliver when the budget is balanced, and we remain true to those commitments in this platform.”
The “Here for Canada” plan focuses on five key priorities:
- Creating jobs through training, trade and low taxes.
- Supporting families through our Family Tax Cut and more support for seniors and caregivers.
- Eliminating the deficit by 2014-2015 by controlling spending and cutting waste.
- Making our streets safe through new laws to protect children and the elderly.
- Standing on guard for Canada by investing in the development of Canada’s North, cracking down on human smuggling and strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces.
Canada is emerging from the global recession as one of the world’s top-performing advanced economies. Throughout the global crisis of the past two years, the world has looked to Canada as a model and an inspiration. Through the Economic Action Plan, Stephen Harper’s Government is making the necessary investments to protect Canadians and create jobs now, while laying a strong foundation for long-term economic growth. Our low-tax plan is helping businesses create jobs. And we’re reducing taxes on hard-working Canadian families, because we understand that household budgets are tight.
But there is more to be done. Now is not the time for instability, or for reckless, opportunistic experiments. The global economy remains fragile, and Canadians remain concerned about their jobs and their children’s future. Stephen Harper has a plan to meet these challenges — a plan that is working — and we need to stay the course.
On March 22, the Stephen Harper Government presented the 2011 Budget, the Next Phase of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, to Canadians. Stephen Harper’s low-tax plan for jobs and growth includes practical measures to complete our recovery and strengthen the financial security of Canadian workers, seniors and families. It also contains a plan to balance the federal budget. We make a solid commitment in our platform to eliminate the deficit a full year earlier than forecasted by reducing waste and overhead in government.
“Canadians face a clear choice in this election: between, on one hand, the opportunistic and reckless Michael Ignatieff-led Coalition, with its high-tax agenda that would stall our recovery, kill jobs and set hard-working families back; and, on the other hand, principled leadership and stable national government with our low-tax plan for jobs and growth,” said Harper. “Conservatives are Here for Canada — a Canada strong and free, a country of opportunity for all, proud of its history and confident of its future. We ask Canadians to support and join us in taking the next steps forward in building this great country for our children and grandchildren.
For More Information Check out http://www.conservative.ca/media/ConservativePlatform2011_ENs.pdf
Party: Liberal Party Of Canada
Leader: Michael Ignatieff
Information Source: http://www.liberal.ca/platform/
Platform
Our country has so much going for it: great people, free institutions, amazing natural resources. But what has really made Canada successful has been equal opportunity. We believe every family ought to be able to prosper; every child should get a good start in life; every new immigrant deserves a fair chance to get ahead.
Equal opportunity is what makes Canada great.
Liberal governments have built up the foundations of equality – establishing universal medicare, a good public pension system and a Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing equality of rights and responsibilities for all Canadians. Now, we’re looking to the future.
We will invest in quality, affordable child care for every young family that needs it. We will help every family with the costs of college or university, so your kids can be ready for the jobs of tomorrow. We will help families take time off from work to look after sick loved ones at home. We’ll strengthen universally accessible health care for all, and build on the Canada Pension Plan so everyone can retire in security and dignity. We’ll also have a new tax credit to help with the up-front costs of renovations to make your home more energy-efficient.Our platform in this election has one overriding objective: to make equal opportunity a reality for every Canadian, whether you live in a big city, a small town, a remote community, a farm or a fishing village.
Finally, since opportunities for Canadians are now global, we will promote Canadian success overseas and stand up for the proud ideal that a citizen of Canada is truly a citizen of the world.
We can afford to do this while reducing the Conservative deficit responsibly, without raising your taxes, by making better choices. We will cancel unnecessary and unaffordable tax cuts for the largest corporations, reverse wasteful spending habits and focus on what really matters – giving every Canadian the tools to succeed in the years ahead.
Advancing equal opportunity is the work of a healthy democracy. But in the last five years, our democratic institutions have been weakened by an autocratic and secretive regime that evades the rules and shuts down debate. We will begin the hard work of restoring the credibility of Parliament and reconnecting government to the people it serves.
That’s our election pledge to you: a government that respects our democracy and strengthens equal opportunity for every man, woman and child in this incredible country. When each of us gets a chance to succeed, we all succeed together.
Party: New Democratic Party Of Canada
Leader: Jack Layton
Information Source: www.ndp.ca/platform
Platform
For too long Ottawa has focused on the priorities of the well-connected, not the priorities of your family. Together we’re going to fix that.
Today I’m releasing my affordable plan to get Ottawa working for your family – one practical step at a time.
The New Democrat plan is focused on improving your health services, rewarding the job creators, strengthening your pension, and making your life a little more affordable.
These are the priorities I’ve been fighting for my whole life. And these are my commitments to you in this election.
These commitments are fully costed – right from the first year. We won’t wait to lift all seniors out of poverty. We won’t wait to start hiring more doctors and nurses. We will act starting now.
I promise you this: the morning after the election, I will get down to work on your practical key priorities. As Prime Minister, I will work with others to get Ottawa working for you. And I will deliver results in the first 100 days. You can hold me to it.
You know where I stand. After May 2, I will deliver for you. And I won’t stop until the job’s done.
There you have it, the platforms of the three main political parties who want your vote tomorrow, so you can make an informed decision.
