With the election coming up, you may still be asking yourself where your vote should go. To help break down the differences, let’s take a look at the bare bones of each party’s platform and see what changes they want to make when elected.
Conservative Party:
Stephen Harper, as it states on his webpage, is interested in increasing grants for students and wants to have interest-free loans for part-time student workers. Other than his plan for students, Harper’s plans for the Conservative Party include:
- Fighting global terrorism
- Protecting/supporting Canada’s lobster industry
- Cutting payroll taxes by over 20 percent
- Supporting individuals and families who have disabilities
New Democratic Party (NDP):
Tom Mulcair is primarily focusing his energy on helping middle class families: On ndp.ca, it reads: “Creating stable and full-time jobs is the best way to strengthen the middle class and help families get ahead. That will be my focus as your prime minister.” Mulcair’s platform includes the following:
- Creating employment for the middle class
- Creating affordable healthcare for families and increasing the amount of family doctors so they are more accessible.
- Protecting and saving the environment for future generations by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and to make strict laws on Canada’s lakes.
Liberal:
On Liberal.ca, it says that Justin Trudeau’s plan “will build a better country, a sustainable economy, and give hard-working Canadians a fair shot at success.” Trudeau’s platform includes:
- Creating 40,000 jobs for youths in the next few years –5,000 of which would be green-based jobs.
- Helping the middle class by making housing more affordable, creating employment opportunities and providing opportunities for worker training
- Protecting the environment
Green:
Elizabeth May is keeping her eyes mostly on four main issues: economy, communities, government and climate. On greenparty.ca, she wrote: “As Canadians, we will rise to this challenge and in doing so, creating a strong, stable, and prosperous economy today, and for our children and grandchildren tomorrow.”
May’s plan includes the following:
- Investing in creating good jobs to grow a stronger economy
- Maintaining a sustainable economy
- Creating strong communities by making housing and cities affordable for families