Election 2015: Platform need-to-knows
A brief summary of the four main parties’ key points
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
