The Role and Development of the Family

The party has released no official statement on its policies concerning the role of the family in society.

The party advocates:

– a reform of employment insurance so that women who lose their jobs towards the end or upon returning from their maternity and parental leave can be protected by benefits
– modifying the assistance program for first-time buyers to make it easier to buy an already-built house like a new one, in particular to avoid urban sprawl

Healthcare

The party states that health is the top priority of Quebeckers.

The party advocates:

– resuming the fight against fiscal imbalance, starting by demanding an increase in health transfers of 6% per year so that they reach a level equivalent to at least 25% of Quebec spending in this area
– demanding that the aging of the population be taken into account in the calculation of health transfers
– changing the process for setting drug prices by shifting from comparison of prices with the current set of seven countries, in among which the party believes have drug prices that are among the most expensive on the planet

Support for the Elderly

The party states that our seniors deserve to enjoy their well-deserved retirement in peace.

The party advocates:

– reforming old age pensions to protect household income, thereby ensuring that seniors’ purchasing power is maintained in the long term
– continued work to improve the Guaranteed Income Supplement
– continued work to make pension funds priority creditors in the event of a business failure such as bankruptcy
– to promote in-home care, particularly by family members, proposing that the tax credit for caregivers become a refundable tax credit
– revising the home care costs tax credit to eliminate the requirement for filing of receipts, as semi-autonomous seniors who live in residences often do not have these receipts, as the costs are included in the rent

Education & Young Workers

The party states that it will be an ally of young people during their studies and when buying a first home.

The party advocates:

– increasing the Canada Social Transfer to correct decades of federal underfunding in education; • modifying the assistance program for first-time buyers to make it easier to buy an already-built house like a new one, in particular to avoid urban sprawl
– calling for increased funding for university research

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party states that Internet giants such as Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Spotify, Netflix and others benefit from the work of Quebec creators and journalists, but pay no tax in Canada.

The party advocates:

– that Canada be inspired by France and impose the giants of the Web up to 3% of their activity on Canadian territory
– creation of a think tank bringing together the entire Francophonie on the promotion and protection of Francophone cultures on online platforms
– to end unfair competition and closure of print newspapers and other media outlets, imposing at the federal level GST on online advertising, regardless of the platform
– creation of a written media fund, from the revenue from taxes collected on advertising
– establishment of a general commission to study the future of print media with all the actors affected by the current written media crisis, the governments of Quebec and the provinces, and experts in order to find long-term solutions to ensure the survival of our press and of all broadcasters (general interest and specialized television and radio)
– transfer from the federal government to Quebec the regulation of all telecommunications and broadcasting within Quebec, so that the development of Quebecois communications corresponds to the province’s needs and ways of doing things
– to support online culture, a review by the provincial cultural community of the copyright rules of the Copyright Commission for access to online music in order to find ways to ensure fair remuneration for artists
– introduction of a bill causing the Canadian government to recognize the existence of a Quebec culture and promote it on platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify or Netflix in order to give more space to Quebecois creators in their algorithms
– in response to increasing film production costs, an increase for Telefilm Canada’s budget to support enhancement of Quebec cultural productions, and authority for the Conseil des arts to have the means to better support Quebec creators
– an increase in Telefilm Canada’s budget to $300 million per year, to allow the creation of heavy online series comparable to what is done in many countries, and advocates
– exemption of book purchases from federal GST, to match Quebec provincial practice, and reduced postal rates for book delivery through Canada Post, as is currently provided for periodicals
– support for any initiative aimed at creating Quebec national sports teams, so that Quebec and its athletes participate in international sports competitions under the colors of Quebec
– to protect the rights of Acadians and francophones outside Quebec, supporting the creation of a French-speaking university in Ontario

Role and development of the family

The party states that:

– parents are the best and primary caregivers for their own children, and that taxpayer-funded childcare is no substitute
– marriage means exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and is the most basic of human relationships and the foundational building block of society
– the marriage commitment between a husband and a wife provides the most stable environment for the raising of children
– children do best in homes having both a mother and a father
– public education should not include harmful ideologies such as gender fluidity, links between CO2 and climate change, economic socialism, etc.

The party advocates:

– restoring the legal definition of marriage as between one man and one woman and rescinding government support for “same-sex marriage”
– focusing public education on essential career skills such as math, science, literature and history
– strengthening the family unit, reducing divorce and the necessity of one couple maintaining two homes
– restraining state interference in family matters except in cases of obvious and provable child abuse
– restraint of state interference in religious, medical, and moral issues, which are matters of parental jurisdiction
– making stay-at-home parenting more affordable

Healthcare

The party states that:

– Canada’s healthcare system is good but can be improved
– more emphasis should be placed on preventive care and alternative medicine
– Big Pharma must not maintain its monopoly on treatment protocols and access to drugs

The party advocates:

– shortening waiting lists for urgent treatments by credentialing more qualified doctors and defunding elective procedures such as abortion, euthanasia, and “gender reassignment” surgery
– improving design of new hospitals to incorporate modern design features to limit the spread of infectious disease

Support for the Elderly

The party states that the Canada Pension Plan is inadequate for meeting the needs of Canada’s seniors, even when combined with the Old Age pension.

The party advocates introduction of a new Personal Income Security Account, in addition to OAS, to give Canadians control over their own employment pension funds, with contributions to be made by both the employer and employee to each employee’s individual account as is now done for the CPP.

Education & Young Workers

The party acknowledges  that public education is a provincial responsibility, but calls for federal protection of children from harmful ideologies such as gender fluidity, links between CO2 and climate change, economic socialism, etc.

The party advocates:

– focusing public education on essential career skills such as math, science, literature and history
– parental rights to know what children are being taught in school
– restraining state teaching of things that are contrary to the beliefs of their parents

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on culture, arts, or tourism.

Role and development of the family

The party believes that the family unit is essential to the well-being of individuals and society, because that is where a child learns values and develops a sense of responsibility.

The party confirms:

– the right and duty of parents to raise their own children responsibly according to their own conscience and beliefs
– that no person, government or agency has the right to interfere with the duty of parents to raise children except through due process of law
– the need to address declining Canadian birth rates by reducing barriers to growth of families

The party advocates:

– in case of marital breakdown, the Divorce Act should grant joint custody and/or shared parenting, unless clearly not in the best interests of the child
– all parents and grandparents should be allowed to maintain relationships with children unless not in the best interests of the child
– providing a tax credit to ensure that EI maternity and parental benefits, and Quebec Parental Insurance benefits, are tax-free
– a universal child care tax benefit which provides an equal level of assistance regardless of residence, work schedule, or choice of child care format
– to encourage adoptions, a 15-week EI adoption leave modeled on maternity leave, and increasing the Adoption Expense Tax Credit to $20,000
– a $1000 Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, to help cover expenses for children’s sports and fitness programs
– a $500 Children’s Arts & Learning Tax Credit
– increasing penalties for sexual crimes against children
– to support parents grieving loss of a child, extend EI parental leave to eight weeks following loss of an infant

Healthcare

The party states that:

– all Canadians should have reasonable access to timely, quality health care services, regardless of ability to pay
– provinces and territories should be able to include balanced public and private health care options
– the party promotes wellness and disease-prevention programs as a part of health care
– the 20-year patent term achieves a workable balance between encouraging development of new drugs and assuring they are available at affordable prices

The party advocates:

– government support for research that reduces waiting times for care, improves the quality of care, and ensures better sharing of information in the delivery of health care services
– investing $1.5 billion in MRI and CT scanners, to reduce imaging wait times
– to guarantee quality health and social programs, maintain and increase funding to the Canada Health and Social Transfers according to current formulas
– working closely with provinces, territories and others to implement a strategy to encourage more orphan drugs to be developed and brought to Canada, to improve early detection of and care for rare diseases, and promote research
– developing a national autism strategy, starting with a $50 million investment over 5 years
– requiring tobacco companies to pay for anti-tobacco campaigns

Support for the Elderly

The party advocates:

– opposition to mandatory retirement at 65
– to put more money in the pockets of seniors, expanding the Age Credit by $1000
– mandating that all federally-regulated companies report on the solvency of their pension funds
– in order to improve fund solvency, allow underfunded pension funds to be transferred to other plans
– restriction of bonuses for executives of companies in bankruptcy
– enabling seniors to remain in home, with appropriate care, through tax incentives for care-givers who look after the elderly or disabled in the home
– tough measures to deter elder abuse
– working with provinces to identify seniors who qualify for but have not received benefits, and retroactive entitlement

Education & Young Workers

The party states that it believes in greater accessibility to education by eliminating as many barriers to post-secondary education as possible.

The party advocates:

– educational transfer payments to provinces based on numbers of enrolled students
– increasing the government’s contribution for the Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) from 20 to 30 percent, up to $2500 per year
– providing tax incentives and relief for student loans

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party believes that:

– our culture is what binds Canadians together; that our shared identity stems from the stories we tell through music, television, art, and other media
– cultural industries are a huge economic driver, creating over 765,000 jobs in our economy
– Canada’s multicultural society is a valued reality, while all Canadians should adopt common Canadian values such as equality, democracy, and the rule of law

The party advocates:

– to ensure that government programs support the culture sector, working in a consultative way with the arts, music, film, and other industries to understand how the government can adapt, including programs for talented but struggling artists in a digitized economy
– maintaining light stations, their personnel and aids to navigation as important contributions to Canadian sovereignty and culture, and for public safety, including particularly kayakers and recreational boaters
– to encourage Canadians to celebrate our shared heritage, removing admissions fees from national museums
– designating the RCMP Heritage Centre in Saskatchewan as a national museum
– extending the Communities through Arts and Heritage Program for three years, to celebrate local talent and community histories
– prioritizing the commemoration of nation builders, from Thayendanegea, Brock, Secord, McDonald, Cartier, and Riel
– designating the gravesites of former Prime Ministers and Governors General as national historic sites
– supporting and increasing participation in local and top-tier international sporting events.

  Official languages

The party advocates:

– promoting official bilingualism by partnering with official language minority communities and groups
– requiring all federal departments to establish plans and targets to improve their services in both official languages & requiring continual five-year action plans for official languages
– establishing an Official Languages tribunal to resolve violations of official language rights
– support establishment of a francophone university in Toronto by honoring the understanding signed by the Ontario and federal governments and looking at federal real estate in Toronto for use by the university

CBC & Film

The party advocates:

– emphasizing the role of CBC as public broadcaster
– balanced content
– disciplined budgets
– strengthening of the film production industry, to make it thriving and self-sustaining

Role and development of the family

The party is committed to nurturing families and communities through integrated policies that focus on the welfare of the child, starting with prenatal nutrition all the way to affordable housing and accessible post-secondary education.

It believes Canada must stop designing communities around the car and start designing them around families and children.

Early Learning & Childcare

The party believes that early learning and child care are fundamental to meeting broader equity and social justice goals, for fighting poverty, and for establishing a green economy.

The party advocates:

– as a key to establishing equality in the workplace for women, providing universal child care
– collaborating with provinces/territories, local communities, Indigenous communities and the child-care sector to ensure that a comprehensive short-, medium- and long-term plan for child care is available, based on the principles of universality, affordability, quality, inclusivity and equity
– dedicating additional resources to make universal, affordable, early learning and child-care (ELCC) a reality.

Healthcare

The party notes that although the provinces have jurisdiction over health care delivery, the Canada Health Act sets the terms by which this happens. It provides universal primary health care to all Canadians, and ensures that this care is comparable across the country.

The party advocates:

– in accordance with the principles of the Canada Health Act, extending care to further aspects of health care
– addressing challenges faced by defined populations like First Nations people on reserve and Inuit, members of the Canadian Forces, veterans, incarcerated persons and certain refugee claimants
– implementing recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Health to include prescription drugs
– to address health issue arising from climate change, restoring the federal/provincial Health Accord, basing health transfers on demographics and real health care needs in each province, replacing the current formula based on GDP growth
– implementing free pharmacare and dental care for all Canadians
– improving health care for Indigenous People by implementing recommendations 18-24 of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission
– enabling Indigenous organizations to rebuild traditional knowledge systems for healing and wellness

Support for the Elderly

The party notes that seniors make up a growing proportion of Canada’s total population, and believes that it is an essential term of the social contract between government and citizens is to make sure people can live fulfilling and dignified lives in their senior years

The party advocates:

• to help seniors lead fulfilling and dignified lives, commitments to a Guaranteed Livable Income, Pharmacare, public transportation, home retrofits and affordable housing
• increasing the target rate of the Canada Pension Plan’s income replacement rate from 25 to 50 percent of income received during working years.
• requiring disinvestment by the CPP investment board from coal, oil, and gas share, and investment in ethical and sustainable enterprises
• promoting home-sharing plans to allow seniors to stay in their homes longer
• protecting private pensions by giving pensions priority in bankruptcy proceedings
• developing and funding a national dementia strategy
• amending the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAD) legislation to ensure that everyone has the choice of dying with dignity, including allowing advance directives and guaranteeing the right to draw up a “living will” that gives individuals the power to limit or refuse medical intervention and treatment

 Education & Young Workers

The party advocates:

• to facilitate the shift to new jobs, leveraging public procurement to maximize opportunities for social hiring and procurement, including Indigenous, youth, and demand-driven skills development programs
• enhancing the federal Youth Employment and Skills Strategy by creating a Community and Environment Service Corps, by providing $1 billion annually to municipalities to hire Canadian youth
• eliminating post-secondary education tuition to help workers train for new employment
• federal investment of $10 billion in post-secondary and trade-school supports, to combat rising tuition costs and declining quality of education
• making university and college tuition free for all Canadians, by redirecting current bursaries, tax credits, and administration costs for student loans and defaults
• tying federal-provincial transfers to universities, using metrics indicating access of students to professors, mentorship, inclusion, and tenure-track hiring

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party states that a vibrant, diverse media sector is a prerequisite for a healthy democracy, and that corporate ownership is stifling creativity.

The party advocates:

• Increasing funding to all of Canada’s arts and culture organizations
• Reviewing tax incentives for film production to ensure all parts of Canada are competitive and attractive to the industry, with incentives for employing Canadian artistic and technical talent
• a federal income tax credit for private involvement in preserving Canada’s heritage
• reforming anti-trust laws to break up media conglomerates
• closing loopholes that exempt social media platforms from collecting taxes on advertising
• increasing funding to CBC and Radio Canada by $315 million per year
• reforming the governance structure of CBC/Radio Canada to remove the potential for political interference in board appointments

  Official languages

The party advocates:

• in the first year of the next parliament, promoting and implementing a modernized Official Languages Act to protect both national languages.
• ensuring funding for the protection of Indigenous languages at risk of disappearing, across Canada.

Role and development of the family

The party states that:

– increased maternal workforce participation is good for economic growth and increases domestic product per capita, as well as individual family income
– accessible and affordable child care helps create jobs and spurs economic growth

The party advocates:

– $10 a day child care to make life affordable for families
– laying the foundation for a Canada-wide early learning and childcare system, in order to correct economic losses to women caused by the COVID recession
– allocating $625 million to ensure that a safe and sufficient level of child care is available to support the gradual return to work of parents
– allocating a further $20 million to establish a Federal Secretariat on Early Learning and Child Care
– allocating a further $70 million to sustain the existing federal Indigenous Early Learning and Child Care Secretariat, to support Indigenous participation in development of a Canada-wide child care system
– providing a further $870 million per year for enhance fee subsidies for child care
– providing a further $420 billion in one year to train early childhood educators
– investing a further $75 million to improve quality of Indigenous child care programs through delivery of quality, culturally-relevant care
– providing $1200 per year for each child under the age of six for families with incomes under $120000 per year families receiving Canada Child Benefits an additional $300 per child

Healthcare

COVID Recovery

The party advocates:

– mandatory vaccines on planes, trains, and in the federal public service
– support for proof-of-vaccination credentials
– safer indoor spaces, like schools and businesses, with better ventilation
– free vaccine boosters, for everyone

The party reports that:

– of the $322 billion spent by the federal government to fight the pandemic by December 2020, $59 billion was used to support critical health care systems, purchase personal protective equipment, and support critical research and vaccine development
– as of December 2020, it has secured the largest number and greatest variety of vaccine doses, per capita, of any country

Of the $322 billion spent by December 2020:

– $284.2 million was spent to improve capacity for shipping, storing, and distributing vaccines
– $4.3 billion was spent for testing and contact tracing
– $1.2 billion was spent for helping provinces and territories prepare health care system & supporting those with mental health and addition challenges
– $4.5 billion was spent for personal protection equipment for the federal government
– $3 billion was spent to provide income for workers unable to work due to COVID -19
– $2 billion was spent to support municipalities
– $4.5 billion was made available for optional fund-matching for critical transit support
– it required all incoming international travellers to quarantine upon arrival, and provided $322 million in 2020-21 to provide quarantine facilities at Canada’s four largest airports
– it provided a further $100 million in 2020-21 to support safe voluntary isolation in municipalities across Canada, for those who cannot safely isolate at home

Health Care

The party advocates:

– support to hire 7,500 doctors and nurses
– better long-term care
– working to hire 50,000 personal support workers (PSWs) and raising their wages to $25 an hour
– publicly accessible mental health care
– action to address the opioid crisis and make it easier for people with problematic substance use to access treatment
– 10 days of paid sick leave for federally regulated workers
– protecting your sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Pharmacare

The party advocates:

– investing at least $170 million in governmental capacity to manufacture vaccines, by establishing a new bio-manufacturing facility at the National Research Council Therapeutics Centre in Montreal
– investing up to $792 million in private bio-manufacturing capacity through the Strategic Innovation Fund
– exploring ways to promote long-term sustainable growth in the bio-manufacturing sector, through the National Research Council and Strategic Innovation fund
– establishing new Canadian Drug Agency to negotiate drug prices on behalf of all Canadians
– developing a national strategy for high-cost drugs for rare diseases, with funding of $500 million per year, beginning in 2022-23

Support for the Elderly

The party reports that:

– from April to July 2020 it deployed members of the Canadian Armed Forces to support 54 long-term care facilities affected by the pandemic in Ontario and Quebec
– has committed to providing more than $50 million for support of long-term care facilities, including pay raises for home workers and training for additional workers
– it provided Old Age Security top-ups of $300 to seniors, as support during the pandemic
– it provided top-ups of $200 to recipients of Old Age Security payments, to defray costs of staying home and staying safe

The party advocates:

– working with provinces and territories to establish national long-term care standards, including improved conditions for support workers and improve retention

Students & Young Workers

The party reports that:

– under its leadership the federal government has provided as much as $2 billion to provinces and territories to support a safe return to class and to protect students and staff
– younger workers were the hardest-hit age group as a result of the pandemic, with a drop to historic lows in youth employment
– to support post-secondary students who were unable to obtain summer employment during the summer of 2020, the government provided $2.94 billion in income support
– in addition, the government provided $228 million to graduate and post-doctoral students to support extended research scholarships

The party advocates:

– to prevent the pandemic from derailing future opportunities for young workers, doubling student summer grant programs and providing funding for new opportunities
– increasing federal summer jobs placements by 40,000 to 120,000 by providing $447.5 million in new investments for 2020-21
– investing an additional $575 million over two years in youth employment and skills training, to providing approximately 45,300 job placements
– eliminating $329.4 million in federal interest on student and apprentice loans for 2021-22

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party reports that:

– for some businesses, such as tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the pandemic, it is working with private lenders to offer loans on reduced terms
– it has allocated $181.5 million in 2021-2033 to the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, for their funding programs
– to support local radio and television broadcasters, it advocates waiving of $50 million in 2020-21 licensing fees

Role and development of the family

The party hopes to build a future where families feel more secure and more hopeful in their lives.

The party advocates:

– legislation to allow 30-year mortgages to reduce monthly payments and allow more families to buy homes
– doubling the home-buyer’s tax credit to $1500

Child Care

The party believes that every parent should be able to access quality child care when needed, with a licensed provider who earns a fair wage.

The patty advocates:

– working with other levels of government, Indigenous communities, families, and child care workers to ensure that care is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all Canada’s children
– investing $1 billion dollars in the first year, and more than that annually, along with provinces and territories

Healthcare

The party states that:

– in many parts of Canada services vital to the safety and health of families are under threat due to funding cutes and privatization
– millions of families cannot afford to take the medications they need because they have no employer-provided drug coverage, and that the number of such cases is growing.
– Canadians pay the third-highest prices for prescription drugs in the world.

The party advocates:

– investing $10 billion per year to include quality prescription drug coverage for everyone as a part of universal public health care
– fighting for public healthcare and standing up to privatization that costs Canadians money and undermines the public healthcare system

Support for the Elderly

The party states that:

– every senior must have access to the care they need, and support for remaining in their own homes
– family caregivers deserve more support for their loved ones
– there are differing levels of care across the provinces and territories
-ongoing staffing shortages reduce the quality of care and expose care workers to workplace violence

The party advocates:

– establishing a national seniors strategy to work with local and provincial governments to prioritize seniors health care, reduce isolation, and address poverty in seniors
– including in the national seniors strategy a funded national dementia strategy and an abuse prevention plan
– ensuring that additional units of accessible and affordable housing are created, and supporting innovative housing solutions including inter-generational co-housing
– national standards for home care and long-term care, incorporated in the Canada Health Act
-as a part of a national home care and long-term care standards, a legally-protected right to access a consistent quality of care, including a “basket” of home care services to be covered by provincial insurance plans

Education & Young Workers

The party believes that:

– education is the greatest gift we can give our children, and can create many opportunities; and that access to it should depend academic ability and drive, and not on how much money one has
– that sky-rocketing tuition is denying too many people access to post-secondary education
– the rampant use of unpaid internships exposes young workers to abuse

The party advocates:

– working with provinces and territories to cap and reduce tuition fees
– making post-secondary education a part of the public education system, so that kids can go from kindergarten to a career without the barrier of cost
– moving away from loans and significantly increasing non-repayable Canada student grants
– immediately banning unpaid internships outside of education programs

Culture, Arts & Tourism

The party believes that arts and culture are at the heart of the Canadian identity, and importance in our understanding of one another.

The party reports that the film and television industry employs almost 180,000 people and provides $9 billion to the Canadian economy.

The party advocates:

– taxing internet media companies, in order to provide a level playing field for Canadian content providers
– supporting use of Canadian content and both official languages on the internet
– increased funding for CBC and Radio-Canada
– stable, long-term funding for arts and cultural institutions, to grow and promote Canada’s diverse cultures and histories
– support for Canadian media to assist them in making the digital transition
– financial support for Indigenous theatre at the National Arts Centre
– implementing income averaging in taxation of artists and cultural workers
– enhancing the Action Plan for Official Languages to improve access to services in the language of choice
– working with provinces to improve minority language education and to attract more French-speaking immigrants to communities across the country
– modernizing the Official Languages Act to strengthen oversight and accountability, expand the scope of language rights, and ensure that minority language communities are consulted regarding decisions that impact them

The party has published no stated positions on:

– The Role of the Family
– Education & Young Workers

Health Care

COVID pandemic

The party notes that:

– Section 1 of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that reasonable limits to our rights and freedoms can only be imposed f it has been demonstrated that they are justified in a free and democratic society
– no such demonstration has not been made for COVID restrictions, most of which are arguably unconstitutional
– no such demonstration has been made for COVID restrictions, including mask and vaccination requirements, most of which are arguably unconstitutional
– although most of the measures in response to the COVID pandemic have been implemented by provincial governments, Ottawa has an important coordinating role to play at the national level and can influence provincial policies.  Ottawa encouraged and supported lockdown policies through the transfer of tens of billions of dollars in financial aid to provinces and territories

The party advocates:

– promoting a rational and scientifically based approach to the pandemic that focuses on the protection of the most vulnerable, guarantees the freedom of Canadians to make decisions based on informed consent, and rejects coercion and discrimination
– replacement of Chief Public Health Officer of Canada Theresa Tam  with someone who will work with provincial agencies to implement a rational approach to the pandemic, instead of following the recommendations of the World Health Organization
– repealing vaccine mandates and regular testing for federal civil servants and workers in federally regulated industries
– repealing vaccine passports for travellers
– oppose vaccine mandates, vaccine passports, and other authoritarian measures imposed by provincial governments, and supporting individuals and groups that challenge such measures in court
– supporting emergency provincial measures to protect the most vulnerable, but stopping bail-out of provinces that impose economically destructive lockdowns
– supporting medical research and development of therapies to treat COVID-19 and other viral diseases

General Health Care

The party states that:

– Canada’s public health care system has the worst wait times of any developed country
– Health care costs have been increasing at an unsustainable rate, increasing financial pressures on the budgets of provincial governments
– the situation is likely to get worse with Canada’s aging population
– as seen during the COVID pandemic, the Canadian health care system is too rigid and bureaucratized to quickly adapt to a crisis situation
– although health care is an exclusive provincial jurisdiction, the federal government has insisted that the provinces satisfy a series of conditions set in the Canada Health Act in exchange for transfer payments, which are not tied to health care expenses but simply added to the provinces’ general funds
– these conditions discourage innovation and cause bickering between the federal and provincial governments
– federal health care transfers to the provinces have more than doubled since 2006, from $20 billion to $43 billion in 2021-22
– Canada is the only developed country where the government has a monopoly on medically required care. All other OECD countries have mixed private-public systems and (with the exception of the United States) universal systems that guarantee citizens equal access totreatment
– wait times are shorter in mixed-care systems, and nobody is denied care because of low income

The party advocates:

– replacing the Canada Health Transfer cash payments with a permanent transfer of tax points of equivalent value to the provinces and territories, to give them a stable source of revenue
– establishing a temporary program to compensate poorer provinces whose revenues from the tax will be lower than the transfer payments they used to receive
– creating conditions for provincial and territorial governments to innovate, and making them fully responsible for health care funding and management

Culture, Arts, & Tourism

The party states that:

– a nation must be based on a sense of belonging, of participating in a common national project, and sharing the same values, and that only when such sentiments are widely shared can the trust and common understanding necessary for a society and institutions to function
– a type of multiculturalism encouraged in the past, in which immigrants who came to Canada were gradually integrated into society, keeping some aspects of the culture of their country of origin – becoming Canadian, but with a distinct flavour. This type of multiculturalism enriches our society
– the current stated policy of official multiculturalism encourages immigrants to keep the values and culture they left behind instead of integrating into Canadian society and adopting Canadian values and culture
– the current prime minister has described Canada as the first post-national state, with no core identity
– in a free society, immigrants have the right to cherish and maintain their cultural heritage; however, that does not impose an obligation on the new country to help them preserve it, with government programs and taxpayers’ money
– with two official languages, a multiethnic population including many Indigenous peoples and very different regional cultures, Canada is already diverse
– distinct Canadian values are those of a contemporary Western civilization, including democracy; individual rights and freedoms, including freedom of religious belief and freedom to criticize religion; equality between men and women; the equal treatment of all citizens regardless of ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation; the rule of law; separation of state and religion; tolerance and pluralism; and loyalty to the wider society instead of to one’s clan or tribe

The party advocates:

– in order to keep our country united and ensure social cohesion, focusing on what unites us as Canadians, not what divides us
– repealing the Multiculturalism Act and eliminating all funding to promote multiculturalism, emphasizing instead the integration of immigrants into Canadian society
– substantially lowering the total number of immigrants and refugees Canada accepts every year, from 350,000 to between 100,000and 150,000 (see Immigration policy)
– ensuring that every candidate for immigration undergoes a face-to-face interview and answers a series of specific questions to assess the extent to which they align with Canadian values and societal norms (see Immigration policy)

The Dignity of Work

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the dignity of work or the reduction of poverty.

An Economy to Serve People

The Bloc states that:

– the future of Quebec depends on green economic development that creates wealth throughout Quebec. The race for innovation implied by the Bloc Québécois’s green equalization program necessarily implies positive spin-offs for research in all sectors in Quebec, including sectors more associated with regions such as forestry and oceanography,
– it is determined to make real and substantial gains for our families, for our seniors, for our economy, for sustainable development and for our regions.

The Bloc advocates:

– tax justice, the development of innovative industries and a green shift that creates wealth throughout Quebec.
– economic Québécois nationalism, protecting and promoting what enriches and sets Quebec apart
– an economy on a human scale serving the people of Quebec
– the role of Quebec as a bridge between Europe and America in terms of trade and economic development
– a fair distribution for Quebec of federal government research activities.

Jobs & dignity in employment

The Bloc states that Quebec is grappling with a labor shortage. The Bloc will tackle this brake on economic development on a number of fronts.  The party advocates:

– regional-specific immigration policies and controls, and facilitating integration of newcomers into local culture
– a tax credit for recent graduates and immigrants who accept employment in Quebec
– a tax credit to employers for training and keeping people 65 years of age and over who so desire, in addition to an increase in wage income that can be earned by seniors without a guaranteed income supplement penalty;
– facilitating incentives for hiring and employment of Aboriginals
– supporting the efforts of the Quebec government to make permanent residence conditional on accepting employment in Quebec
– streamlining the process and hiring staff to eliminate long delays in processing files in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
– decentralization of the civil service apparatus, while the city of Ottawa has 50% more civil servants than Quebec as a whole.

Industries

The Bloc advocates supporting flagship Quebecois industries and its economy by:

– working on the implementation of an aeronautics strategy;
– demanding from Ottawa a more active use of the Investment Canada Act to more strictly assess transactions involving the sale of Quebec flagships, avoid takeovers and, in the worst case, impose conditions to maintain expertise and jobs in Quebec;
– entering into negotiations with Quebec to amend the Business Corporations Act to better protect businesses against takeovers;
– termination of the pan-Canadian securities commission project
– encouraging succession in small & medium enterprises by putting an end to tax rules that prevent the transfer of businesses to the next generation
– negotiating an agreement with SNC-Lavalin, in order to protect 3,500 jobs in Quebec and world-renowned expertise.

Innovation

The Bloc advocates:

– support measures for technology start-ups, including investments in risk-sharing research and development; setting up a patent capital fund to allow entrepreneurs to develop their business with us rather than selling their patent
– the creation of an investment fund for high-tech sectors such as multimedia and video games, green technologies, advanced transport, new materials, aerospace and pharmaceuticals
– transfer of the management of sums for university research to Quebec research funding organizations
– review of the ocean economy supercluster project, 100% concentrated in the Maritime provinces, while it should benefit Eastern Quebec, the Gaspé and the Côte-Nord.
– a tax credit similar to the tax credit for investment in the Atlantic region of the North Shore.

Agriculture

The Bloc states that it is committed to the full protection of supply management, as supply management system is the basis for tens of thousands of jobs in Quebec and the prosperity of its farms and rural regions, avoids public subsidies.

The party advocates:

– particularly in view of the state of trade agreements with Europe, introducing a bill to prevent any new breach in supply management in trade agreements
– compensation for milk, egg, cheese, and poultry producers, in view of free trade agreements with Europe and the Pacific zone
– a support program for pork producers undermined by the diplomatic conflict between the Canadian government and China
– legislation to facilitate agricultural succession, among other things by modifying the rules governing the exemption of capital gains so that they no longer disadvantage the transfer of an agricultural business to family succession for the benefit of third parties
– promoting local food and quality products from Quebec, in order to support local agricultural producers.

Unions and workers’ rights

The Bloc states that it is concerned about the practice of redirecting funds set aside for employment insurance for other purposes, particularly as EI now covers only 40% of the unemployed, and the conditions for qualifying for benefits particularly disadvantage women, young people and seasonal workers in our regions.

The party advocates:

– enactment of anti-scab legislation
– a complete review of the EI system, with a view to establishing better accessibility, an increase in the income benefit rate , abolition of the waiting period, a longer benefit period and the abolition of the Social Security Tribunal

Transportation & infrastructure

The Bloc states that Quebecers deserve to have the last word when it comes to projects that affect our environment and land use planning. It undertakes to refuse to allow Ottawa to impose pipelines, airports, cell towers, or other infrastructure without Quebec’s consent.

The Bloc advocates:

– re-introduction of a bill giving the government of Quebec the power to accept or decline any projects under federal jurisdiction which concern land use planning and Environmental protection
– support for regional airports by enhancing the airport capital assistance program, lowering flight costs, establishing federal funding for aviation safety and ending what has become a tradition of divestment in services
– to reduce inefficiencies introduced by federal control of infrastructure projects, transferring all infrastructure projects located in Quebec unconditionally and en bloc to the government of Quebec
– prior to such transfer, requiring the federal government to rehabilitate all federal docks and small ports under its control, at its expense.

Shipbuilding

The Bloc states that

– the deliberate exclusion of Quebec’s Davie shipyard in the Canadian shipbuilding strategy cost Quebec taxpayers tens of billions of dollar a thousand jobs
– the recent contracts offered at the Lévis shipyard do not correct the past.

The Bloc advocates demanding Quebec’s fair share, both for any contracts and for those already awarded, and for which the ships have not been delivered, including listing of the Davies worksite as the 3rd official partner in the National Shipbuilding Strategy.

 Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party advocates:

– a federal tax on profits repatriated by companies, especially banks, tax havens
– a review of all tax agreements Canada has entered into with tax havens
– a review of the means available to the Canada Revenue Agency to investigate the phenomenon of sheltering money in tax havens, as well as the legislative means to oblige large companies doing business in Canada to pay their fair share of taxes and tax
– a review of the Canada Revenue Agency, which is investing huge sums of money to tighten the screws on servers that don’t report enough tips, but do absolutely nothing to prevent big companies from putting their money into any of the 25 tax havens authorized by the Canadian government

The Dignity of Work

The party states that work is a good thing; people are happiest when they are working and contributing to society.

The party advocates:

– equal pay for equal work
– no mandated affirmative action; ie. no hiring quotas
– protecting essential services from risk due to strikes or lockouts

Poverty Reduction

The party states:

– Canadians must always be ready to care for the “deserving poor”—those in poverty through no fault of their own.
– all those capable of working should be encouraged to do so; taxpayers ought not to be forced to carry the unnecessary burden of supporting those unwilling to work.

An Economy to Serve People

Industries, innovation & agriculture

The party states that a nation that cannot feed itself cannot survive.

The party advocates:

– development of a national food strategy
– making food production a high national priority
– support of and encouragement for the institution of the Family Farm
–  use of the Supply Management system for Canadian dairy, egg and poultry producers and the marketing boards which regulate the system
– review of agricultural marketing boards on a case-by-case basis to ensure they are still meeting the needs of the producers they represent as well as Canadian consumers
– where possible, provision for small, independent producers to serve niche markets without undermining the quota system.

Unions and workers’ rights

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on unions and worker’s rights.

Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party strongly opposes corporate welfare: the granting of federal funds to corporations, financial institutions and global cabals.

An Economy for All

The party states that every Canadian deserves the security and dignity that comes with a secure, stable, well-paid job.

The party advocates:

– enacting a comprehensive jobs plan to get Canadians back to work across the country.
– taking immediate action to help the hardest hit sectors, helping those – including women and young Canadians – who have suffered most.
– Rebuilding “Main Street” by assisting small businesses and providing incentives to invest in, rebuild, and start new businesses
– creating opportunity in all sectors of the economy and all parts of the country.

The Dignity of Work

The party believes that:

– it is the responsibility of government to create an economic climate in which the people can thrive and prosper
– if you work hard you should be able to buy a home, save for retirement, and care for your children and your parents.

Living wage & Wealth Inequality

The party advocates:

– over two tax years, reducing income tax rates for all Canadians, including a drop from 15% to 13.75% in the lowest bracket
– to reduce costs for home heating, gas, groceries, and essentials, scrapping the carbon tax
– eliminating GST for all home energy, including electricity, natural gas, heating oil, propane, wood pellets, and other sources for primary residences
– re-introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes
– to promote home ownership, working with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to make it easier to switch service providers when renewing home mortgages
– extending the maximum amortization for home mortgages for first-time home buyers to 30 years
– re-introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes
– rooting out money laundering and other corrupt activities that drive up real estate costs
– making surplus federal real estate available, including a review of the 38000 buildings owned by the government
– promoting a competition among municipalities to reduce red tape barring home construction
– appointment of a minister for consulting Indigenous rights holders
– to protect jobs and ensure projects are finished, use of Art. 92(10) of the constitution to assert federal jurisdiction as ‘for the general advantage of Canada”

 An Economy to Serve People

The party advocates:

– to generate opportunities and unite the country, creation of a coast-to-coast National Energy Corridor, including resumption of pipeline construction
– barring foreign-funded groups use of approvals processes to block energy projects that are in the national interest

Jobs & dignity in employment

The party advocates:

– to ensure Canadians the best advice, skills training, and employment assistance possible, establishing means to measure the success of federal expenditures spent by the government on training workers
– Matching employment backgrounds of temporary foreign workers to needs of companies
– use of employment insurance (EI) contributions of companies and workers to provide recipient benefits only, and not for other government programs

Small businesses, trades & crafts

The party advocates:

– a comprehensive review of the tax system, including SRED and other programs intended to encourage innovation, to ensure that the system promotes healthy and competitive industry within Canada
– repealing recent tax increases applicable to small businesses
– repeal new rules imposing significant tax burdens no dividends for partners of business owners, since contributions of spouses cannot be measured in terms of time and money
– create an information package for business owners on the CRA website
– reducing regulatory burden for businesses by 25 percent over four years, with targets for each minister and department, using a rule that for each new regulation two previous ones must be rescinded

Industries & innovation

The party advocates:

– reviewing the tax code, reducing regulation, and improving immigration programs for skilled newcomers to ensure that innovation and manufacturing companies stay competitive and remain in Canada
– reducing the regulatory burden on manufacturers by 25 percent
– signing free trade agreements with Mercosur, ASEAN, and the UK
– reviewing the Temporary Foreign Workers program to better align it with domestic needs
– ensuring that intellectual property and free trade protections are at the heart of new trade agreements
– seeking new markets to diversify foreign trade and reduce dependence on the US

Agriculture

The party states that:

– agriculture is a key strategic economic sector for Canada
– various regions of Canada and sectors of the industry hold competitive advantages.  Support of one size does not fit all
– agriculture policy must be developed only in consultation with the agricultural producers
– financial responsibility must be balanced with support programs that actually work

The party advocates:

– reviewing the Canada Grain Act and practices of the Grain Commission to ensure they are aligned with best modern practice
– returning $130 million overcharged by the Grain Commission
– adding competitiveness to health and environmental protection as parts of the mandate for the Pest Management Regulatory Agency
– requiring the Minister of Agriculture to develop a strategy for ensuring that agricultural producers have the labor force they need
– working with farm groups to assess damage and respond to the US-China trade war
– delivering promised compensation to farmers who have lost business due to free trade agreements
– protecting supply management practices while opening new markets for farmers dependent on exports
– applying to the World Health Organization for restoration of Canadian beef ratings after mad cow disease issues
– postpone enforcement of new regulations for humane transportation of animals, to ensure they comport with full evidence

Unions and workers’ rights

The party advocates:

– the right of workers to organize democratically, bargain collectively, and withhold services while respecting the law, private property, and rights of others
– control of corporate pension funds by independent trustees, for the benefit of employees

Transportation & infrastructure

The party advocates:

– public-private investment as part of a comprehensive approach to a world-class transportation system
– in order to create jobs, increase wages, and connect industries, prioritizing infrastructure projects that will have maximum benefit to Canada’s economy, and commits to completing all projects previously adopted by the Liberal government
– federal-provincial partnership to achieve a true national highway system, through use of federal fuel excise tax
– to reduce commute times, prioritizing relevant infrastructure projects, such as BC’s Massey Tunnel replacement, Ontario’s Yonge Subway extension, and Quebec’s third cross-St Lawrence link
– in order to provide relief for transit users, introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes.

 Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party advocates:

– appropriate regulation of financial institutions, to foster competition balance stability with opportunities for success
– establishment of a single, national securities regulator with robust enforcement powers
– increased competition in airlines, banking, cell phones and other industries, to improve economic and personal freedoms of Canadians
– over two tax years, reducing income tax rates for all Canadians, including a drop from 15% to 13.75% in the lowest bracket
– in order to reduce costs for home heating, gas, groceries, and essentials, scrapping the carbon tax
– eliminating GST for all home energy, including electricity, natural gas, heating oil, propane, wood pellets, and other sources for primary residences
– re-introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes
– to promote home ownership, working with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to make it easier to switch service providers when renewing home mortgages
– extending the maximum amortization for home mortgages for first-time home buyers to 30 years
– re-introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes
– rooting out money laundering and other corrupt activities that drive up real estate costs
– making surplus federal real estate available, including a review of the 38000 buildings owned by the government
– promoting a competition among municipalities to reduce red tape barring home construction
– appointment of a minister for consulting Indigenous rights holders
– to protect jobs and ensure projects are finished, use of Art. 92(10) of the constitution to assert federal jurisdiction as ‘for the general advantage of Canada”

 Jobs & dignity in employment

The party advocates:

– to ensure Canadians have access to the best advice, skills training, and employment assistance possible, establishing means to measure the success of federal expenditures spent by the government on training workers
– matching employment backgrounds of temporary foreign workers to needs of companies
– use of employment insurance (EI) contributions of companies and workers to provide recipient benefits only, and not for other government programs

Small businesses, trades & crafts

The party advocates:

– a comprehensive review of the tax system, including SRED and other programs intended to encourage innovation, to ensure that the system promotes healthy and competitive industry within Canada
– repealing recent tax increases applicable to small businesses
– repeal new rules imposing significant tax burdens no dividends for partners of business owners, since contributions of spouses cannot be measured in terms of time and money
– create an information package for business owners on the CRA website
– reducing regulatory burden for businesses by 25 percent over four years, with targets for each minister and department, using a rule that for each new regulation two previous ones must be rescinded

Industries & innovation

The party advocates:

– reviewing the tax code, reducing regulation, and improving immigration programs for skilled newcomers to ensure that innovation and manufacturing companies stay competitive and remain in Canada
– reducing the regulatory burden on manufacturers by 25 percent
– signing free trade agreements with Mercosur, ASEAN, and the UK
– reviewing the Temporary Foreign Workers program to better align it with domestic needs
– ensuring that intellectual property and free trade protections are at the heart of new trade agreements
– seeking new markets to diversify foreign trade and reduce dependence on the US

Pharmaceuticals

The party states that we must never again be caught unprepared as we were when COVID hit last year.

The party advocates:

– reducing reliance on foreign countries, and improving Canada’s ability to protect the health of its citizens
– partnering with pharmaceutical companies to increase production of critical medicines and build domestic vaccine production capacity
– strengthening domestic production of PPE through government procurement
– overhauling Canada’s National Emergency Stockpile System to ensure that supplies are ready to face future threats

Agriculture

The party states that:

– agriculture is a key strategic economic sector for Canada
– various regions of Canada and sectors of the industry hold competitive advantages.  Support of one size does not fit all.
– agriculture policy must be developed only in consultation with the agricultural producers
– financial responsibility must be balanced with support programs that actually work

The party advocates:

– adding competitiveness to health and environmental protection as parts of the mandate for the Pest Management Regulatory Agency
– require the Minister of Agriculture to develop a strategy for ensuring that agricultural producers have the labor force they need
– work with farm groups to assess damage and respond to the US-China trade war
– deliver promised compensation to farmers who have lost business due to free trade agreements
– protect supply management practices while opening new markets for farmers dependent on exports
– postponing enforcement of new regulations for humane transportation of animals, to ensure they comport with full evidence

Unions and workers’ rights

The party advocates:

– the right of workers to organize democratically, bargain collectively, and withhold services while respecting the law, private property, and rights of others
– control of corporate pension funds by independent trustees, for the benefit of employees

Transportation & infrastructure

The party advocates:

– public-private investment as part of a comprehensive approach to a world-class transportation system
– in order to create jobs, increase wages, and connect industries, prioritizing infrastructure projects that will have maximum benefit to Canada’s economy, and commits to completing all projects previously adopted by the Liberal government
– federal-provincial partnership to achieve a true national highway system, through use of federal fuel excise tax
– to reduce commute times, prioritizing relevant infrastructure projects, such as BC’s Massey Tunnel replacement, Ontario’s Yonge Subway extension, and Quebec’s third cross-St Lawrence link
– in order to provide relief for transit users, introducing a tax credit for purchase of public transit passes.

 Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party advocates:

– appropriate regulation of financial institutions, to foster competition balance stability with opportunities for success
– establishment of a single, national securities regulator with robust enforcement powers
– increased competition in airlines, banking, cell phones and other industries, to improve economic and personal freedoms of Canadians

The Dignity of Work

The party states that it has three priorities to sustain dignified employment and build an economy to serve people:

– protecting workers whose incomes and work lives are or will be disrupted by artificial intelligence, robotics, and the transition away from fossil fuels
– enabling the creation of new jobs in the green economy
– facilitating transition from shrinking sectors to new green jobs, including income protection, job guarantees, retraining and resettlement, in partnership with workers and unions

Poverty Reduction

The party states that the most recent Canadian Income Survey reveals that 9.5 per cent of Canada’s population − about 3.4 million people – lives below the poverty line, and that poverty rates are even higher within marginalized and vulnerable groups, such as people living with disabilities, single mothers and seniors.

The party defines poverty as a systemic problem arising from low wages and insufficient income assistance, a precarious job market, a shortage of affordable housing and quality child care, and cuts in social programs; and that it is also tied directly to issues of bias and discrimination on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, and citizenship, as well as the ongoing legacy of colonization.

The party advocates:

– as a start toward eliminating child poverty in Canada, recommitting to a vision of Canada as a just society built around a progressive, fair, and compassionate social safety network
– establishing 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. Payment would be set at a “livable” level for different regions of the country
– establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour, to ensure a minimum wage for every Canadian, no matter where they live or work

Living wage & Wealth Inequality

The party advocates:

– to help workers threatened with displacement due to automation, working with provinces, territories, and Indigenous Peoples to establish a guaranteed livable income
– studying implementation of a shorter work week, to distribute paid work among more people

Job training

The party advocates:

– to facilitate the shift to new jobs, redirecting money from oil and gas subsidies to a Canadian Sustainable Generations Fund to support investment in trades, apprenticeships, and education
– leveraging public procurement to maximize opportunities for social hiring and procurement, including Indigenous, youth, and demand-driven skills development programs

An Economy to Serve People

The party believes as a matter of principle that society has a duty to provide social services that give everyone the opportunity to contribute to society and live a dignified, secure life.

The party advocates:

– as a first priority, recommitting to a vision of Canada as a just society built around a progressive, fair and compassionate social safety network
– a transition to a green economy comprising the following key elements:
– Measures well-being, rather than gross domestic product, as a sign of progress
– Embeds “conserver society” values rather than consumer society values
– Powered by renewable energy
– Designed around closed-loop production systems
– Organized for zero waste generation
– Organized for local food security
– Guarantees everyone a livable income
– Provides affordable housing for everyone
– Provides universal comprehensive health care and education
– Protects minorities from discrimination
– Ensures gender equality
– Builds community resilience and self-reliance, and
– Ensures fair taxation and fiscal stewardship.
– seeking improvements in the government’s plan for national wireless / internet connectivity, including alternatives to 5G technology and assurance of net neutrality

Jobs & dignity in employment

The party advocates:

– banning unpaid internships in private sector workplaces, except for work-study or experiential learning placements associated with credit courses at post-secondary schools
– full implementation of federal pay equity rules
– establishing a federal ombudsman to provide impartial and non-departmental help to harassed and demoralized employees, particularly for federal civil service employees

Industries, innovation & agriculture

The party advocates:

– to ensure that advances in artificial intelligence benefit workers and others as well as corporate stockholders, making Canada a global leader in AI development and regulation, to control ethical and safety issues, including establishing a parliamentary committee and establishing a guaranteed livable income
– making Canada a world leader in climate change research
– in order to improve food safety and nutrition, and to improve environmental practices, including land conservation, shifting away from harmful factory and industrial faming techniques, to promoting small-scale local production, and implementing farm apprenticeship programs to help and encourage new farmers
– protectiing rights of farmers to save their own seed and promote heritage seed banks and seed exchanges
– replace one third of Canada’s food imports with domestic production.
– supporting rooftop and community garden projects, and urban food production systems
– re-establish infrastructure for local food production, including canneries and slaughterhouses
-protect the supply management system, with exceptions for local production
– relaxing regulation of the cannabis production industry by lowering federally set price for cannabis to make it competitive with illegal supplies, reducing plastic packaging requirements, removing sales tax on medicinal cannabis preparations, allowing outdoor production and imposing organic production standards, and allowing growers to produce cannabis as a natural health product, rather than a restricted product

Unions and workers’ rights

The party advocates respecting federal unionized employees by rejecting back-to-work legislation as a bargaining tool

Transportation & infrastructure

The party states that the transportation sector produces more than a quarter of Canada’s climate pollution, and that that portion is increasing.

The party advocates:

– developing a national transportation strategy with a goal of reaching zero-carbon public ground transportation everywhere, in Canada, including rural and remote communities, by 2040, with rail as the hub, using light rail and electric bus connections
– as a part of that strategy, banning the sale of internal combustion passenger vehicles by 2030
– exempting new and used and zero-emission vehicles from federal sales tax
– providing more charging stations for electric vehicles, including all parking lots associated with federal facilities
– employing sustainably-produced biofuels, made from waste wood by-products and used vegetable oils, where electric and fuel cells are not viable, e.g, in fishing, mining, and forestry equipment
– implementing a national rail policy, with an investment of $600 – 720 million per year by 2023
– building high-speed rail in the Toronto-Ottawa-Quebec City triangle and the Calgary-Edmonton corridor
– converting all passenger ferries to electric or hybrid systems by 2030
– creating a national cycling and walking infrastructure fund
– developing a Green freight transport program to reduce pollution in partnership with the freight industry
– leading an international effort to include shipping and aviation in the ,Paris framework, and implementing an international tax on aviation and shipping fuels, with proceeds to the Global Climate Fund

 Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party states that economies which rely on constant GDP growth depend on ever-expanding mass consumption, which in turn drives increased extraction of raw materials, manufacture of largely disposable consumer goods and production of massive volumes of waste at every point in the commodity chain. This linear consumption-production-waste system, the driver of global warming, depends on disposability – a throwaway culture. It also depends on easy credit, which in turn enriches the financial sector and undermines individual and family financial stability.

The party advocates building a sustainable economy, in which products are built to last and to be repaired, and which protects citizens  from predatory credit practices, telecom corporations and banks, by:

– setting product and service standards for consumer protection
– enacting Right to Repair legislation that requires producers to provide consumers or repair shops with replacement parts, software and tools for diagnosing, maintaining or repairing their products, for a fair price, and to reset any electronic security that may disable the device during diagnosis, maintenance or repair
– limiting credit card interest rates to a maximum of 10 percentage points above the Bank of Canada prime rate
– limiting ATM fees to $1 per transaction and prohibit financial institutions from charging their own customers ATM fees
– amending CRTC regulations to increase competition in the provision of cellular and internet services to
– consumers and decouple payments for cell phones from cell services
– enacting provisions to protect consumers and investors from fraud and theft in the cryptocurrency spheres, and directing Revenue Canada and law enforcement agencies to develop practical methods for preventing the use of cryptocurrencies for money laundering and funding terrorism.

The Dignity of Work

The party states that:

– it is planning a multi-year program of significant investment to rebuild the economy and restore employment on a greener, more equitable basis.
– to do so, it is focusing on broader quality-of-life indicators rather than just domestic product.
– for that purpose it has undertaken to monitor international plans, consult experts on the determinants of quality of life, and engage with Canadians on what matters to them
– to assist Canadians who find themselves unexpectedly working from home, simplifying rules for the home office tax deduction, including an option to claim up to $400 without tracking detailed expenses

The party advocates:

– a feminist, intersectional recovery that leaves no one behind, to ensure that young people have opportunities to gain skills and experience, and all Canadians have homes, and women participate fully
– an economic recovery that also supports those with disabilities, addresses gender-based violence, and ensures that families have access to affordable childcare, with the context of rigorous economic analysis and bringing diverse voices to decision making.

Poverty Reduction

The party reports that

– as a part of its COVID recovery plan, it provide an average of $400 to single adults and $600 for couples already on assistance programs
– it provided families receiving Canada Child Benefits an additional $300 per child

The party advocates creation of a million jobs, to restore Canadian employment to pre-pandemic levels, within three years.

 Living wage & Wealth Inequality

To build a fairer economy and control extreme examples of wealth inequality, the party advocates:

– the building of 1.4 million new homes
– reforming taxation of employee stock option grants by applying a $200,000 limit on available tax deductions, with the exception of Canadian-controlled private corporations or non-CCPCs with annual gross revenues of less than $500 million, to mitigate the effect on start-up corporations
– to control detrimental effects on housing prices, implementing a national tax on unproductive use of housing by foreign non-resident owners
– continuing increased investment of $350 per year for enhanced enforcement of tax compliance for international taxpayers, GST/HST dodgers, and others

An Economy to Serve People

The party reports that:

– for the first half of 2020, Canada’s GDP dropped 13.4%, the fourth highest drop in the G7
– the International Monetary fund projects global retraction of 4.4% for 2020
– by December 2020, the government provided $407 billion dollars in support to keep Canadians and Canadian businesses afloat, including $270 billion in direct support
– through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program, it supported over 3.9 million workers and 350,000 employers, and dispensed more than $50 billion
– it has extended the CEWS through June 2021
– in view of the possible ferocity of the 2^nd wave of the pandemic, it proposes to raise the CEWS level from 655 to 75% of base salary
– the government has temporarily increased the flexibility, generosity, and simplicity of Employment Insurance access
– the party plans a program of continued investment to rebuild the economy by creating shared prosperity, improving Canadian quality of life, and powering a green transformation

Jobs & dignity in employment

The party reports that:

– lower-income workers were disproportionately affected by the downturn brought on by the pandemic, with a 38 percent decline in employment as compared to 13 percent for all other employees. Women and recent immigrants were particularly affected.
– as of December 2020, full recovery of employment was estimated to require 2 – 4 years, with proposed government investment measures
– it has committed to invest a total of $5.2 billion in Workforce Development Agreements with provinces and territories, for skills training and employment support. This includes $275 million for special programs for Indigenous, Women, and the disabled

Small businesses, trades & crafts

The party reports that:

– it is offering rent subsidies to business tenants, property owners, charities, and non-profits that have suffered revenue loss
– by December 2020 it had provided partially-forgivable loans of up to $60,000 to more than 790,000 small businesses and non-profits
– it provided $54 million in 2020-2021 to help the farming and fishing industries with costs of quarantining temporary foreign workers during the pandemic

The party advocates:

– to ensure fairness in the accommodations industry, and to improve GST/HST compliance, applying GST/HST to all platform-based short-term rental accommodations supplied in Canada

 Industries, innovation & agriculture

The party advocates:

– investing at least $170 million in governmental capacity to manufacture vaccines, by establishing a new bio-manufacturing facility at the National Research Council Therapeutics Centre in Montreal
– investing up to $792 million in private bio-manufacturing capacity through the Strategic Innovation Fund
– exploring ways to promote long-term sustainable growth in the bio-manufacturing sector, through the National Research Council and Strategic Innovation fund
– allocating an additional $250 million over 5 years to the Strategic Innovation Fund, to help companies affected by the pandemic
– to support supply-managed dairy farmers under CUSMA and in recovering from the pandemic, providing a total of $2.0 billion
– paying an additional $691 over ten years to help chicken, egg and turkey farmers improve productivity and marketing activities
– investing $1.5 billon in agricultural irrigation projects

Labour, unions, and workers’ rights

The party advocates:

– a better employment insurance system to support gig workers, self-employed people, and to give workers more financial security

Transportation & infrastructure

In view of the importance of the air transportation industry and its challenges during the pandemic, the party advocates:

– investing $150 in 2020-2021 to improve ventilation in federal, provincial territorial, and local governmental and Indigenous community public buildings and help reduce the spread of COVID 19
– providing $206 million to a new Regional Air Transportation Initiative of the Regional Development Agencies
– providing an additional $500 million over six years, starting in 2020-21 to support transit projects at large airports
– providing an additional $86 million over two years to the Airports Capital Assistance Program to support investment in health and safety infrastructure
– providing a further $229 million in rent relief to the 21 airport authorities that rent from the federal government, and similar support for Ports Toronto Billy Bishop Airport

 Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party has advocates:

– bringing all businesses along the road to recovery and supporting them to hire the help they need

The Dignity of Work

The party believes that:

– life in Canada is becoming harder, that young people struggle to find good jobs, that parents struggle with multiple jobs and enjoy less time with their children; and that the richest are richer than ever, while too many workers earn less than a living wage, and without the benefits and security of unions.
– the federal government has an important role to lay in creating better, fairer, and more secure jobs

The party advocates creating 300,000 good jobs with a new deal for climate action and good jobs.

Poverty Reduction

The party seeks to build a Canada without poverty, where all Canadians can count on quality public services and community supports to help them lead dignified lives.  A core component of its plan is to enshrine the right to housing in law, and to end homelessness in Canada within a decade.

The party advocates:

– as a core component of its plan to end poverty, enshrining the right to housing in law, and to end homelessness in Canada within a decade
– because poor health and poverty are linked, national pharmacare and better access to mental health and additions support

Living wage & Wealth Inequality

The party states that too many Canadians live below the poverty line, while working 40 hours per week.

To ensure a living wage, the party advocates:

– working with provinces to launch a national basic income pilot project
– implementing a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour to cover more than 900,000 workers
– implementing a foreign buyer’s tax on sales of homes to non-residents, in order to end housing speculation which inflates housing prices

Pensions

The party believes that every Canadian should be able to count on a dignified, secure retirement.

The party advocates:
– ensuring that pension holders and employees entitled to severance pay have first priority in bankruptcy proceedings, rather than other investors
– prohibiting payouts and dividends from under-funded pension funds, and participation in a mandatory, industry financed insurance program to ensure that no worker is deprived of pension rights
– creation of a pension advisory commission to develop a long-term plant to protect Canada’s Old-Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplements and improve the amount of payments

An Economy to Serve People

   The party advocates ensuring that public investments are directed to clean energy, sustainable infrastructure and boosting energy efficiency in communities across the country.

Jobs & dignity in employment

The party advocates, as a part of shifting to a new green economy, creating 300,000 new good jobs across Canada

The party states that without benefits like extended health coverage and dental care, temporary workers earn roughly 75 per cent of what permanent employees do, resulting in harm to the most vulnerable workers and giving employers an incentive to prefer part-time to full time workers.

The party advocates implementing rules to require that part-time and contract workers be compensated equally to full time workers.

Small businesses, trades & crafts

The party believes that small businesses need a government that will help them access the services and infrastructure they require to thrive and expand, while investing in a healthy and talented workforce.

The party advocates:

– reduction of small business taxes
– elimination of unfair merchant fees
– implementation of universal pharmacare to save small businesses approximately $600 dollars per employee per year
– enactment of legislation to end the unfair tax treatment of family transfers of small businesses to future generations
– simplification of access to government export services for entry into foreign markets
– increased investment of worker training to boost traditionally underemployed groups

Industries, innovation & agriculture

The party states that with the right choices now, Canadian industry can be a global leader as market needs evolve, with workers at the centre of a robust strategy to drive innovation and boost competitiveness.

The party advocates:

– as a start, updating and strengthening the Investment Canada Act to protect Canadian jobs to curb takeovers of Canadian companies without national security reviews
– replacing the Invest in Canada Agency with a new iCanada, a one-stop federal service bureau to help attract investors while championing Canadian industry

 Automotive

– convening a summit with provincial, municipal, industry, and labour leaders to develop a National Automotive Strategy to attract and retain jobs and investment, including protection of Canadian product lines and manufacturing processes, and workers
– creating a tax-free Automotive innovation fund
– ensuring that federal incentives for zero-emissions vehicles prioritize made-in-Canada vehicles; and buying Canadian-made zero emissions vehicles for government fleets, to lead by example on sustainability while creating good jobs

 Manufacturing

– convening all levels of government, business and labour leaders to develop a national industrial strategy to build an advanced low-carbon manufacturing economy, and grow the domestic market for Canadian manufactured goods
– providing strategic supports to our long-neglected steel and aluminum industries, to attract and retain investment and jobs
– resisting all tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum
– requiring use of Canadian steel and aluminum for infrastructure products across the country

Aerospace

– implementing a comprehensive National Aerospace Strategy to allow Canadian aerospace companies of all sizes commercialize new technologies, strengthen competitiveness, and train workers for good jobs in the sector
– positioning the aerospace sector to transition to a low-carbon economy and lead world clean aviation industry

Technology

– investing in R&D on a sector-specific basis with particular focus on technologies to support a low-carbon future
– stepping up as a partner to foster entrepreneurship and support a Canadian start-up culture, with a focus on helping companies scale up and retain employees

Agriculture

The party recognizes agriculture as the backbone of the economy, a source of community pride, and high-tech industry that requires a talented and skilled workforce.

The party advocates:

– implementing a national food strategy to invest in agricultural communities, support young and new farmers, and help ensure sustainable rural livelihoods
– protecting domestic supply management policies, ensuring reciprocity in all trade negotiations, and supporting supply-managed sectors in growth and innovation
– ensuring high-speed internet and wireless connectivity in farming regions
– to help young people and women establish farming livelihoods, working with provinces to improve training opportunities and provide low-cost start-up loans for new farmers
– ending unfair tax treatment of family farm transfers, to assist inter-generational passing of farms
– increased mental health support for farmers
– increased investment in public agricultural research, to keep canola farmers and others on the cutting edge of knowledge and innovation
– implementing a payment protection plan for food exporters
– working with producers to promote Canadian food products domestically

Unions and workers’ rights

The party states that although almost all workers pay into Employment Insurance, less than 40 per cent qualify for benefits when needed, and only one third of unemployed women can access benefits.

The party advocates:

– implementing a universal qualifying threshold of 360 hours to ensure that all workers can access needed benefits
– restoring the EI appeals system to make decisions fast and fair
– permanently restoring the Extra Five Weeks project, to address challenges faced by seasonal workers
– as an optional alternative to 18 months’ parental leave at 33 percent of salary, implementing shorter leave at a higher right, and allowing self-employed workers to opt in to benefits any time before they go on leave
– doubling parental leave benefits for parents of multiple children
– extending sick leave benefits to 50 weeks, and expanding re-training programs
– implementing a pilot program to allow workers with episodic disabilities to access EI benefits periodically, as needed
– instituting legal protections for the EI Operating account, to protect its funds for use as general revenue
– defending the Rand formula, so that unions can effectively advocate for workers, and continuing to oppose legislation that suspends rights to bargain and to strike
– ensuring that workers and employers work together to improve health and safety, and ensuring protection for whistleblowers
– updating the Labour Code to enhance safeguards for workers and ban use of replacement workers during labor disputes

Transportation and Infrastructure

The party believes that Canadians should be able to rely on the federal government to invest infrastructure projects that will make a real difference in communities across the country.

The party advocates:

– using Community Benefit Agreements to guarantee good jobs, training, apprenticeships, and support for local businesses are part of all infrastructure projects.
– implementing a permanent, direct, and allocation-based funding mechanism for modern public transit across Canada for the long term.
– increasing investment to help cities transition their bus fleets to electric drive, and expand affordable rail and bus options.
– working with communities for which it is a priority to develop fare-free transit
– increased federal funding to respond to disasters and adapt infrastructure to withstand floods, fires, and other extreme weather events
– ensuring that every community in Canada has access to affordable high-speed internet

Corporations, Competition & Consumerism

The party states that Canadians pay some of the highest prices for mobile and broadband internet in the world, while according to the CRTC the profit margins of Canada’s five largest telecom companies are almost 40%, and two million Canadians in rural and remote areas lack reliable internet access.

The party advocates:

– implementing a price cap to ensure that prices in Canada are no more than the global average.
– ensuring that every community in Canada has access to high-speed internet without delay
– requiring providers offer basic wireless and broadband plans that are available in other countries, and require unlimited data rates at affordable prices
– implementing a telecom consumer’s bill of rights
– ensuring that consumers have a right to repair electronic devices and other prices at affordable prices
– requiring financial institutions and advisors to provide advice that is in the best interest of the investor, rather than the bank
– creating a fair gasoline prices watchdog to investigate complaints of price gouging, to ensure gasoline prices are fair
– increasing the competition bureau’s power to proactively investigate anti-competitive activity in the gasoline market
– to protect traveller safety and consumer rights, strengthening the Air Passenger Bill of Rights

The party has published no official statement concerning its policies on:

– The dignity of work
– Poverty Reduction
– Labour, Employment

The party states that:

– there are only two ways to create more wealth and prosperity: we can either work more or work more efficiently through increased productivity
– investments in R&D, innovation, more efficient production processes, machinery and equipment are critical to improvements in productivity and living standards
– improved productivity leads to better, higher-paying jobs
– in a context where there are manpower shortages in many sectors, investment is a way to increase production without necessarily having to employ more workers
– since 2015, business investment has gone down not only in the oil and gas sector, but in many others as well
– Canada is attracting less foreign direct investment
– a 2018 study by the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary found $14 billion worth of direct and indirect federal business subsidies. Most if not all of these create unfair market distortions by favouring some companies or sectors at the expense of others
– Canada’s combined federal-provincial corporate income tax rate is the 12th highest amongst the 36O ECD countries
– abolishing the capital gains tax encourage every Canadian to save and invest more and would give our entrepreneurs access to a larger pool of capital

The party advocates:

– to stop the taking of billions of dollars from the private sector and redistributing them through subsidies, lowering taxes for all businesses and encouraging saving and investment to make our economy more productive
– eliminating all corporate subsidies and other inefficient government interventions (bailouts of failing companies, regional development grants, conditional loans and loan guarantees with an implicit subsidy, tax credits, etc.) that unfairly support some companies or business sectors. This will generate savings of between $5billion and $10billion a year
– gradually reducing over the course of one mandate the corporate income tax rate from its current 15% down to 10%. When completed, this measure will make about $9.5 billion a year available to businesses, allowing them to increase salaries or invest in productivity improvements
– over the course of one mandate, gradually abolish the personal capital gains tax by decreasing the inclusion rate from the current 50% down to 0%. When completed, this measure will put about $7 billion per year back into the pockets of Canadians

Agriculture

The party states that:

– supply management is a government-imposed cartel that keeps the prices of dairy, poultry, and eggs artificially high through the control of production, the banning of imports, price fixing, and the prevention of competition in the market
– supply management limits imports by imposing tariffs that range from150% for eggs to 300% for butter, and results in Canadian farmers being barred from exporting their products, and negatively impacts other sectors of our economy, such as the food processing and food preparation industries
– supply management also supports one of the most influential lobbies in Ottawa, with affects on free trade negotiations
– according to the OECD, supply management caused Canadian consumers to pay $3.6 billion more every year between 2011and 2015
-according to a study done by University of Manitoba economists, supply management imposes a financial burden of $339 annually on the poorest 20% of Canadian households, the equivalent of a2.3% tax on their incomes

The party advocates:

– creating a free, open, and fair system that will save Canadians billions of dollars annually by phasing out the supply management system over a number of years to allow farmers to adapt, and compensate them for the lost value of their quotas
– allowing Canada’s dairy, egg and poultry farmers to thrive and sell their products internationally

Civil Liberties

Conscience & Religion

The Bloc states that the National Assembly passed Law 21 on secularism because the separation of religion and state is a fundamental element of the Quebec identity. Quebec’s choices in matters of living together belong to Quebec.  Ottawa has no right to take Quebecer’s money to directly or indirectly dispute such laws

The Bloc undertakes to oppose any will of the federal government to contest the right of Quebec to make its own choices in matters of secularism and living together.

The Bloc advocates introduction of a bill prohibiting offering or receiving public services with a covered face, including the exercise of the right to vote and during citizenship ceremonies.

Gender equity

The Bloc advocates an improved Strategy for Women in Entrepreneurship, in particular by simplifying tax measures for part-time entrepreneurs (such as the tax return, for example).  It would also ensure that programs provide them with adequate funding.

The Bloc also advocates

– enacting legislation to establish the inclusion of women-owned businesses in supply chains and in public and private bidding processes
– ensuring that Quebec receives the necessary transfers to improve its own initiatives relating to support, training and networking for women entrepreneurs.

Racism, Truth & Speech, Privacy, & Property

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on racism, truth & free speech, privacy, or private property

Housing

The Bloc states that Quebec would be better served by being solely responsible for its own social and affordable housing.

The Bloc advocates:

-increasing the budget allocated to the construction, renovation and transformation of social and affordable housing
– gradually increasing investment in social housing to 1% of annual federal revenues, or $ 3 billion, and seeking unconditional cash transfers from the federal government in order to increase efficiency and continuity in the operation of Quebec programs
– introduction of tax credits for intergenerational housing allowing for energy efficient renovations, the development of multigenerational residences and other renovations allowing people with diminishing autonomy to stay in their homes.
– seeking a fair share for Quebec in homelessness programs, that is, more than 23%.

Clean Water, Food Security

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on clean water or food security.

Participation & Subsidiarity

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the responsibilities of the individual to contribute to or to participate in society.

Social & Civic Institutions

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights of social or civic or institutions.

Provinces, Municipalities & Territories

The Bloc states that it works exclusively for Quebec, that it is not accountable to big western oil companies, Bay Street Banks, or anti-choice lobbies.

The Bloc Québécois undertakes to use its weight in the House of Commons to serve Quebeckers. If we had the balance of power, we would only support projects that are in the interest of the Quebec nation – only to make gains for Quebeckers.

The Bloc advocates:

– repeal of Parliament’s Clarity Act, which states that, in the case of a referendum about the secession of a Canadian province, the House of Commons has the power to determine afterwards whether the question was clear enough and whether the obtained majority was large enough for the result to be accepted, The party advocates replacement of the Act with Quebec’s Bill 99, which stipulates that Quebecers may determine unilaterally how to exercise their right to choose their political regime, including sovereignty, and that the winning option in a referendum is whichever obtains 50% of the votes plus one.
– re-assessment of equalization payments to address inconsistencies in  treatment of Hydro-Québec and Ontario’s Hydro One, specifically on the basis of exclusion of revenues derived from delivery of electricity within the provinces

Civil Rights

The party states that:

– the right to life is the first human right
– freedom of Speech is the second and is essential if we are to defend any human rights
– all Canadians deserve equal treatment under the law

The party advocates ending frivolous “human rights” cases; taxpayers’ money should not be used to promote the agenda of special-interest groups

Conscience & Religion 

The party advocates:

– freedom to practice all religions as long as the are not harmful to others. The freedom of religion does not protect female genital mutilation, honor killings, forced marriages, multiple wives, etc.
– restoring protection from assisted suicide and euthanasia. We want to kill the pain, not the patient
– better access to palliative comfort care, and conscience protection for health care professionals; no Canadian should be forced to violate his or her conscience

Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media

The party states that:

– freedom of speech is the second most important human right, next to the right to life
– without Freedom of Speech, we can’t defend any human rights
– most major media in Canada, including state-funded CBC, are biased against a Christian worldview and policies

The party advocates:

– using our voices and our freedom to defend our freedom – “use it or lose it!”
– de-funding CBC and confronting the issue of media bias

Gender Equity, Privacy, Private Property

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on gender equity, privacy, or the right to hold private property.

Right to Arms

The party states that

– when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns
– violent crime is the problem, not firearms

he party advocates the right of peaceful, law-abiding citizens to own and use rearms for hunting, sport and self-defence

Housing, Clean Water, Nutritious Food

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to housing, clean drinking water, or nutritious food.

Participation & Subsidiarity

Individual Responsibilities

The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.

Provinces, Territories, & Municipalities

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights or responsibilities of provinces, municipalities, or territories.

Civil Rights & Liberties

Racism & Discrimination

The party states that Canada’s multicultural society is a valued reality, and believes that all Canadians should adopt common Canadian values such as equality, democracy, and the rule of law.

The party advocates ensuring that each cultural community is able to enhance and contribute to Canada without discrimination or barriers.

Conscience & Religion 

The party advocates:

– a right of faith-based institutions to refuse use of their facilities to individuals or groups holding views contrary to their beliefs
– exclusion of discrimination based on faith beliefs from forms of discrimination under the Human Rights code
– rights of religious organizations to refuse marriage contrary to their beliefs
– banning values tests for eligibility to participate in government programs, restricting only organizations that spend more than 10% of their resources on political activities

Freedom of speech; Truth, the Press & the Media

The party believes that compelled speech of any form is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The party advocates:

– freedom of speech for all Canadians
– to ensure rights of free expression in post-secondary institutions, adding a commitment to free speech and academic freedom to research support grant applications
– focusing the CBC on its core function of public broadcaster

 Gender equity

The party advocates:

– full participation of women in social, economic, and cultural life
– equal pay for equal work
– condemnation of gender selection abortions

Privacy

The party advocates requiring internet users to get consent to collect data in plain language

Private Property

The party advocates legislation to ensure that full, just, and timely compensation will be paid to those deprived of personal or private property as a result of any federal government action.

Housing

The party states that all Canadians should have a reasonable opportunity to own their own home and have access to safe and affordable housing.

The party advocates:

– broad-based tax relief, income support programs, and tax incentives to encourage home ownership
– action by all governments to solve and address homelessness
– tax incentives for private builders, to provide low-income urban dwellings

Clean Water

The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean drinking water.

Food Security

The party states that food being a basic necessity of life, the government should place high priority on ensuring a safe, secure and sustainable supply.

The party advocates:

– national self-sufficiency in food, and encouragement of diversity in food products
– ensuring that agriculture in Canada is both economically and environmentally sustainable

Participation & Subsidiarity

Individual Responsibilities

The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.

Participation in Civil Society

The party advocates lowering the threshold for qualifications for the Search and Rescue Volunteer tax Credit.

Provinces, Municipalities & Territories

The party advocates:

– restoration of balance between powers of federal, provincial, and territorial governments, including limited federal spending powers in areas of provincial jurisdiction
– reformation of Canadian federalism, to consolidate Quebec’s place within the constitution, alleviate alienation of Western Canadians, improve long term partnerships with aboriginal peoples
– convening a meeting of provincial premiers to establish a comprehensive and effective inter-provincial trade agreement.
– implementation of equalization payments to create enable provinces and territories to provide public services at comparable levels of taxation
– expanding the Red Seal program to recognize common trade credentials across provinces and harmonize apprenticeship requirements
– when the federal budget has been balanced, allowing Territories to keep revenue from sale of natural resources, as the provinces do

Civil Rights & Liberties

Racism & Discrimination

The party believes that consensual sexual freedom is a fundamental human right and that acceptance and celebration of LGBTQI2+ people and identities are essential for genuine social justice and equity. The party affirms that gender identity is each person’s individual experience of gender, that everyone has the right to define and freely express their gender, and that intersex people have the right to live with complete bodily autonomy.

The party advocates:

– repealing all federal laws and policies that are discriminatory on the grounds of sexuality, including Section 159 of the Criminal Code, and that refer to intersex reality as a defect, aberration, or by any other derogatory terms
– establishing a funding program within Health Canada to support community-based organizations offering targeted LGBTQI2+ youth’s mental health and well-being programs, including suicide prevention, peer support, coming out, and counselling
– funding community-driven education and awareness programs that lead to a greater understanding of intersex realities and the diversity of sexualities and gender identities, and referral programs to direct for trans*, non-binary and Two Spirit people to appropriate services
– ending the discriminatory blood ban
– banning and condemning the practice of medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children.
– banning and condemn the practice of conversion therapy, in all its forms
– ensuring access to comprehensive sexual health care and gender affirming health care, including hormone
– treatments and blockers, and gender confirmation surgeries

Conscience & Religion 

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on freedom of conscience or religion.

Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on freedom of speech, truth, or the media.

Gender equity

The party advocates:

– as a key to establishing equality in the workplace for women, providing universal child care
– to combat gender-based violence, in collaboration with women’s and Indigenous organizations, develop a comprehensive Canada-wide plan of action – with a timetable and dedicated funding – to eliminate violence against women, girls and gender-diverse people
– implementation of all the recommendations of the Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
– increasing access to shelters by investing $40 million over four years in the Shelter Enhancement Program, providing more than 2,100 new and renovated spaces in first-stage shelters and hundreds of spaces in transition houses
– ensuring that trans*, non-binary, and Two Spirit people, without undertaking surgeries, are able to alter their sex designation on all federally-issued official documents, consistent with their gender identity
– working with social services, community supports, emergency shelters and other frontline organizations to ensure that all LGBTQI2+ young people are cared for and protected
– ensuring that the national census is designed to reflect the diversity of sex and gender and ask appropriate questions to ensure adequate, safe and effective data collection
– requiring accessible facilities in all federal buildings, including gender-neutral washrooms, changing facilities, etc. while also re-affirming trans, non-binary and Two Spirit people’s right to use whichever facilities with which they identify

Privacy

The party states that according to the Privacy Commissioner Canada’s privacy legislation is falling behind the norm in other countries.

The party advocates:

– enacting requirements that the Communications Security Establishment and CSIS get warrants before intruding on Canadians’ communications
– prohibiting the routine surveillance of Canadians who protest against the government and the sharing of protesters and NGO staff information with the National Energy Board, and others
– significantly increasing the powers of the Privacy Commissioner, in particular to protect identity and personal data, and to enforce privacy laws
– requiring companies to grant access to all information they hold on an individual, and to delete personal information from company databases when requested by that person, to ensure individuals have the “right to be forgotten.”
– establishing a parliamentary inquiry to recommend modernizing privacy laws governing the burgeoning “internet of things”
– creating mandatory data breach reporting for all government departments, companies, banks and political parties
– regulating Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms to ensure that only actual people, with verifiable identities, are able to publish on those platforms.
– prohibiting cyber surveillance and bulk collection of data by intelligence and police agencies.
– requiring internet service providers to release data only when required to do so by warrant, or in verifiable emergency situations.
– require political parties to follow the Privacy Act, without exceptions.

Private Property

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to private property.

Housing

The party advocates:

– appointing a Minister of Housing, to strengthen the National Housing Strategy and oversee its implementation in collaboration with provincial ministers, with a target of 25,000 new and 15,000 rehabilitated units annually for 10 years
– increasing the National Housing Co-Investment Fund by $750 million for new construction, and the Canada Housing Benefit by $750 million for rent assistance for 125,000 households
– enhancing federal contributions toward housing through direct investments, changes to tax policies, and lending and granting programs
– creating a national Co-Op housing strategy to encourage more development of co-operative housing
– eliminating the first-time home buyer grant

Clean Water

The party has released no specific official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean drinking water.

Food Security

The party states that:

– industrialization of food projection has resulted in the ownership by transnational corporations of most of Canadian food supply and agriculture, and causes extreme air and water pollution, with elevated risk of food contamination, with high wastage rates of the food supply, while family farmers increasingly relay on off-farm income to survive
– industrial agriculture contributes nearly ¼ of all climate-changing gasses, and about 8% in Canada, with harmful use of fertilizers, pesticides, and deforestation

The party advocates shifting to mostly local organic production system for both crops and livestock to reduce pollution, help restore the soil, and improve food security and conditions for farm animals.

Participation & Subsidiarity

Individual Responsibilities

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.

Participation in Civil Society

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the obligation to participate in civil society.

Provinces, Municipalities & Territories

The party advocates:

– to support the model of collaborative federalism, working with and ensuring fair treatment for provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous Peoples by establishing a Council of Canadian Governments to set higher order policy priorities, with the goal of policy coherence to optimize public spending
– to support municipal government, building on improvements implemented by the Harper and Trudeau governments by giving municipal governments a seat at the policy-making table through the Council of Canadian Governments
– encouraging the use of City Charters which give greater autonomy to cities
– reducing interest rates charged to municipalities by the Canadian Infrastructure Bank
– institutionalizing federal transfers to municipalities through the creation of a Municipal Fund
– allocating one per cent of GST to housing and other municipal infrastructure on an ongoing basis to provide a consistent baseline of funding

Civil Rights & Liberties

Racism & Discrimination

The party believes that gender equity and diversity are fundamental to a thriving and successful country that reflects Canadian values and achieves its potential, that the country’s economic future depends on all people having equal opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of gender or other identity characteristics.

The party advocates:

-equal opportunities and diversified paths in education and skills development, at home and abroad., and equal and full participation in the economy
– elimination of gender-based violence and harassment, promotion of security of the person and access to justice
– gender equality in leadership roles and at all levels of decision-making
– proactive measures to eliminate discrimination and ensure that all workers are treated equally
– allocating $15.6 million to promote diversity in federal government employment
– allocating $6.6 million for a legislative task force to study modernization of the Employment Equity Act
– allocating up to $221 million for Canada’s first-ever Black Entrepreneurship program, including $53 million for a national ecosystem fund to help Black business owners access funding, capital, and mentorship, and $6.5 million to create and sustain a Black Entrepreneur Knowledge Hub, to be run by Black-led community and business organizations
– launching a pilot program to open government procurement bidding opportunities for black owned/operated businesses
– allocating $33 million over three years to support a 50-30 challenge to promote women, racialized Canadians, LGBTQ2 Canadians, people with disabilities, and Indigenous people in business leadership

Conscience & Religion 

The party states that:

– in 2021, women’s rights should not be up for debate. Yet at least one other party wants to roll back abortion access
– meanwhile, anti-choice organizations are actively working to spread misinformation about abortion, putting the health and safety of young people and vulnerable women at risk
– everyone in Canada should have the information they need to freely make decisions over their own bodies and have access to the medical care and services that are their legal rights,
– and no one should be able to withhold access to care

The party advocates:

– establishing regulations under the Canada Health Act governing accessibility for sexual and reproductive health services so there is no question, that no matter where someone lives, that they have access to publicly available sexual and reproductive health services.  Failure on the part of a province to meet this standard would result in an automatic penalty applied against federal health transfers
– denying charity status to anti-abortion organizations (for example, Crisis Pregnancy Centres) that provide dishonest counseling to women about their rights and about the options available to them at all stages of the pregnancy

The party has:

– required healthcare professionals to act in ways contrary to their beliefs in matters concerning the sanctity of life
– denied federal government grant money to organizations promoting pro-life policies

Freedom of speech; Truth, the press & the media

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on truth, freedom of speech, or the media.

COVID Vaccines

The party advocates:

– mandatory vaccines on planes, trains, and in the federal public service
– support for proof-of-vaccination credentials|
– safer indoor spaces, like schools and businesses, with better ventilation

Gender equity

The party:

– states that gender equity and diversity are fundamental to a thriving and successful country that reflects Canadian values and achieves its potential, that the country’s economic future depends on all people having equal opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of gender or other identity characteristics
– has committed to establishing a task force consisting of diverse experts to create an Action Plan for Women in the Economy, to gather intersectional, diverse advice on advancing gender equality and equity over the medium and long terms
– advocates allocating $50 million over two years to establish a new pilot program for skills training for marginalized women

Privacy

The party advocates investment of $20.5 million in continuing operation of its COVID-19 exposure notification application.

Private Property

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on private property

Housing

The party reports that:

– to minimize the spread of disease, the government has committed to additional funding of approximately $700 million to enable physical distancing, enhanced cleaning, and other health capabilities in homeless shelters
– in accordance with its commitment to reduce chronic homelessness by 50, it has helped more than 1 million people find safe and affordable housing
– it is allocating $1 billion to the Rapid Housing Initiative, for construction of modular housing, acquisition of land, and conversion of existing buildings into affordable housing units
– through the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, it launched in 2017 it has supported construction of more than 10,000 rental units in major cities. To expand the initiative, it plans to allocate a further $12 billion in new lending over seven years, to enable construction of further 28,500 rental units
– to help first-time home buyers, it launched a $1.25 billion fund to assist with purchase costs. The government intends to expand eligibility to those making $150,000 per year.

Clean Water

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the right to clean water.

Food Security

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on food security.

Participation & Subsidiarity

Individual Responsibilities

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on individual responsibilities.

 Participation in Civil Society

The party reports that:

– it provided wage subsidies, rent and mortgage relief, and partially-forgivable loans of up to $60,000 to more than 790,000 small businesses and non-profits adversely affected by the pandemic
– it provided $20 million to organizations that support veterans facing financial hardship due to the pandemic
– it provided $200 in support to nearly 3000 food banks and local food service organizations to address emergency hunger relief
– it provided $100 million for women’s shelters, sexual assault centers, and organizations that provide services to victims of gender-based violence
– for some businesses, such as tourism and hospitality businesses affected by the pandemic, it is working with private lenders to offer loans on reduced terms

Social & Civic Institutions

The party reports that it provided up to $100 million in funding to help the Canadian Red Cross meet increased service demands due to the COVID Pandemic.

The party advocates:

– providing a further $35 million in 2020-21, to help the Canadian Red Cross respond to the pandemic and other emergencies
– providing a further $150 million to the Canadian Red Cross and other NGOs, to build and maintain humanitarian workforces to provide pandemic surge capacity

Provinces, Municipalities & Territories

The party states that:

– by December 2020 it had provided more than $24 billion to the provinces and territories to fight the pandemic, in addition to normal $85 billion in stabilization transfers
– by December 2020 it had provided more than 1.5 billion in relief and recovery funds to protect more than 102,000 jobs and 14,700 businesses through the Canada regional development agencies, including
— $568 million for the Westered Economic Region
— $34 million for the Northern Economic Region
— $72 million for the Northern Ontario Economic Region
— $436 for the Southern Ontario Economic Region
— $281 million for the Quebec Economic Regions
— $170 million for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

The party advocates:

-investing a further $19 billion to help provinces, territories and municipalities safely restart their economies following the pandemic, in accordance with priorities agreed with provincial and territorial first ministers.
– allocating $50 million over two years to expand multiculturalism and fight hate-motivated crimes by municipalities
– amending the fiscal stabilization program to provide more effective support for provinces facing extraordinary drops in revenues by indexing payments to total Canadian growth

Civil Rights & Liberties

The party has released no official statements concerning its policies on:
– freedom of conscience & religion
– freedom of speech, truth, or the media
– private property

Racism & Discrimination

The party advocates:

– working with provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments to support innovative models of community policing
– ensuring that all major cities have dedicated hate crime units, and convening a national working group to counter online hate
– ending the ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men
– developing a national action plan to ban conversion therapy for minors in Canada
– working with the provinces to ensure that there is equal access to gender confirming surgery across the country, and that such procedures and medications are covered by public health plans
– establishing a clear and permanent path for resettlement of LGBTQ/2S+ refuges, to replace the current piece-meal approach that deals only with emergency cases, as they arise
– adding sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression to the Employment Equity Act, in order to address disadvantages experienced by LGBTQ/2S+ people, and particularly transgender people, in finding work
– convening a national working group to counter online hate and protect public safety, and ensure social media platforms are responsible for removal of hateful and extremist content before it can do harm
– banning racial carding by police, including a review of collection and use of information gathered by carding
– create a national task force to develop a response to systemic over-representation of Indigenous and Black Canadians in federal prisons, including increasing judicial discretion at sentencing, culturally-appropriate bail programs, and restorative and community justice
– a comprehensive review of the racialized wage gap

Gender Equity

The party believes that:

– our families, communities, and country are stronger when women thrive, and that it is still too common for women to experience discrimination and gender-based violence, particularly if they are members of a marginalized community.
– gender equity is a fundamental value for the party, and that it is committed to building a Canada in which no one is left behind
– women currently earn 32% less than men, and less than that for racialized, Indigenous, and immigrant women, and disabled women.
The party advocates:
– as a priority, ending gender-based wage discrimination, requiring employers to be transparent about pay and enacting tough, pro-active legislation and regulations
– to ensure that women’s organizations have stable funding, developing a national action plan to end gender-based violence, and providing funding to ensure that shelters and other programs are available across the country
– so that women do not have to choose between children and career, implementing national not-for-profit child care that is affordable by all
– in order to reduce obstacles to women’s political participation, reforming the electoral system and introducing legislation to encourage political parties to run more women candidates

Housing

The party states that:

– everyone should have the right to a safe and affordable place to call home, that workers should be able to live close to work, including in the hearts of large cities, that young people should be able to live in the neighborhoods they grew up in, and that seniors should not be forced to move from their communities.
– before the pandemic, more than 1.7 million families spent more than 30% of their income on housing

The party advocates:

– creating 500,000 units of quality affordable housing over ten years, by investing $5 billion dollars during the first 18 months of a mix of partnerships with provinces and municipalities
– to kick-start the construction of housing co-ops, setting up dedicated fast-start funds to streamline application processes
– spurring construction of affordable rental homes by waiving the federal portion of applicable HST/GST

Food Security

The party states that Canada ranked 37th of 41 countries in access to nutritious food for children, according to UNICEF

The party advocates:
– partnering with provinces, municipalities, territories and Indigenous communities to develop a national school nutrition program, to give every child in Canada access to healthy food and understanding of nutrition
– supporting local food producers by encouraging local food hubs, community-supported agriculture, local distribution of food
– development of a national food policy and food waste strategy
– supporting Indigenous food sovereignty and access to healthy food
– reforming the Nutrition North program to improve food security for northern families

Clean Water

The party believes that it is past time for the federal government to step up and fund the services and infrastructures that Indigenous communities need to thrive, including investments required to ensure clean water and lift all drinking water advisories on Indigenous lands.

The party advocates supporting Indigenous-led water management and on-reserve emergency management training programs and water.

Participation & Subsidiarity

Individual Responsibilities

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on responsibilities or obligations of individuals.

Participation in Civil Society

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:

– the importance of participation in society
– the role of social or civic institutions

Provinces, Municipalities & Territories

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the rights or responsibilities of provinces, territories, or municipalities.

Privacy

The party advocates enhancing the power of the Privacy Commissioner to make and enforce orders.

Civil Rights

The party states that:

– the rights of Canadians to freely hold and express beliefs are being eroded at an alarming speed under the current government
– some government decisions even require that Canadians renounce their most deeply held moral convictions and express opinions they disagree with, for example through the denial of summer job funding to organizations, including charities, that would not sign an attestation supporting abortion, and the passage of bill C-16 as part of a trend to force Canadians to express support for the existence of various gender identities beyond the biological categories of male and female
– the government is also considering bringing back Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, a hate speech provision that was repealed by the preceding government in 2013
– history and social scientific research show that freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, when maximally protected, advance the intellectual life of a nation, foster greater ideological diversity and societal understanding, and nurture other freedoms necessary for a successful democracy
– Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees citizens freedom of conscience and religion, as well as freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication

The party advocates:

– restricting the definition of hate speech in the Criminal Code to expression which explicitly advocates the use of force against identifiable groups or persons based on protected criteria such as religion, race, ethnicity, sex, or sexual orientation
– repealing any existing legislation or regulation curtailing free speech on the internet and preventing the reinstatement of section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act
– ensuring that Canadians can exercise their freedom of conscience to its fullest extent as it is intended under the Charter and are not discriminated against because of their moral convictions
– withholding federal funding from any post-secondary institution shown to be violating the freedom of expression of its students or faculty

Solidarity

The Bloc has released no official statements concerning its policies on:

– the marginalized & vulnerable
– the disabled
– mental health care
– addictions

Indigenous Peoples

The Bloc states that several Aboriginal communities in Quebec are successful in economic, social and cultural matters, but that serious socio-economic problems persist.

The party advocates:

– implementation of the full terms of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
– working towards the administrative autonomy of aboriginal communities, particularly in the areas of education, justice and culture – on the model of the Paix des Braves.
– ensuring that Aboriginal police services are recognized as essential services within the meaning of the law and can benefit from guaranteed long-term funding, on the same basis as other police services.

 Rural Communities

The Bloc has released no specific statement concerning its policies on rural communities.

Refugees & Newcomers

The Bloc states that:

– Quebec is a society open to the world and united, and that Quebecers are welcoming and happy to see newcomers joining us and helping Quebec move forward. In order to ensure smooth and efficient integration, it is necessary to establish a social contract
– it is concerned that that Canada has chosen multiculturalism which invites newcomers to stay the same and act as if they were in their countries of origin
– the Quebec model of integration is incompatible with multiculturalism, and advocates that newcomers to Quebec subscribe to a social contract that includes the separation of Church and State, equality between women and men and French, the common language.

The party advocates:

– reintroduction of a bill exempting Quebec from the application of the Multiculturalism Act
– requiring knowledge of French as a condition of citizenship for applicants from Quebec
– a right for Quebec to veto any federal decision to deport refugees. We are living together

The party has undertaken to work actively to strengthen its relations with Quebec communities hosting provincial immigrant, to better understand issues faced newcomers to Quebec.

Solidarity

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– the marginalized & vulnerable
– care for the disabled
– mental health care

Addictions

The party states that:

– marijuana is a gateway drug, impairs judgment and contributes to traffic fatalities
– pregnant mothers who use marijuana pass THC to their pre-born children

The party advocates:

– eliminating publicly-funded safe drug injection sites
– re-criminalizing the possession and sale of recreational marijuana

Indigenous Peoples

The party states that The Indian Act is outdated and must be replaced with legislation based on:

– recognition of prior occupancy by first peoples.
– restitution, where and as appropriate
– reconciliation leading to full participation in Canadian society for all Canadians.

 Rural & Agricultural Communities

The party states that a nation that cannot feed itself cannot survive.

The party advocates:

– development of a national food strategy
– making food production a high national priority
– support and encouragement for the institution of the Family Farm.

Refugees & Newcomers

The party states that:

– the Canadian government MUST protect Canadian citizens
– immigration is a privilege, not a right

The party advocates:

– strict enforcement at the border, and restriction of entry to those coming in legally through official ports of entry
– requiring all immigrants to demonstrate loyalty to Canada and to Canadian values
– only Canadian citizens should be allowed to vote or hold office

Solidarity

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– protecting the marginalized and vulnerable
– mental health care

Disabilities

The party advocates:

– a national disability act to promote reasonable access to medical care, education, employment, transportation, and housing for Canadians with disabilities
– increasing financial support for persons with disabilities by easing qualifications for the Disability Tax Credit

Addictions

The party advocates:

– revising federal policy to make recovery the overarching goal, and investment in community recovery centres
– a national education campaign focusing on the dangers of drug use
– partnering with communities to clean up used needles in public spaces

Indigenous Peoples

The party believes that it is a fundamental obligation of the federal government to improve the living conditions of Aboriginal Canadians

The party advocates:

– administration of existing federal aboriginal programs in accordance with a legislated framework for aboriginal expenditures, and principles of self-government, transparency, respect for the Constitution, a comprehensive settlement of all claims, and economic sustainability
– appointment of a minister for consulting Indigenous rights holders
– to promote conversations between Indigenous communities and resource project proponents, providing $10 million per year to organizations that foster collaboration
– because climate change disproportionately impacts Indigenous peoples, especially those in remote and Northern communities and those working in mining and forestry, ensuring that Indigenous communities are considered in mitigation and adaptation activities
– with Indigenous leaders and communities, reviewing the Indian Act and other policies to remove barriers to Indigenous prosperity
– modernizing Indigenous government to shift accountability from federal government to people served by Indigenous leaders
– to advance reconciliation, continue efforts to provide clean drinkable water to Indigenous communities
– develop a national action plan to resolve cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women

The North, Rural & Agricultural Communities

The party advocates:

– to help politicians see policy through the perspective of rural Canadians, ensuring that all Cabinet decisions are reviewed for their effects on rural areas
– ensuring that a portion of all federal infrastructure and advertising expenditure is dedicated to rural projects, and encourage tourism to remote parts of the country
– when the federal budget has been balanced, allowing Territories to keep revenue from sale of natural resources, as the provinces do
– fostering diversity and responsible development of industries in small towns and villages by encouraging innovation the development of small businesses
– making substantial infrastructure investments in the territories, particularly transportation infrastructure
– encouraging private sector investment in broadband infrastructure
– depoliticizing regional development agencies such as ACOA, WED, FEDNOR, and CED-Q
– in punishing criminals, adding aggravated sentencing factors for those who target rural communities to gain advantage from remoteness of police
– ensuring that RCMP deployments for major events do not leave rural areas without police coverage
– working with the Insurance Bureau of Canada to reduce rates for rural homeowners who have security devices
– set aside a portion of all spectrum auctions for rural Canada, to maximise high-speed rural connectivity
– to enhance the workforce in rural and Northern communities, encouraging new economic immigrants to consider jobs in remote parts of the country
– providing $250 million for improving small craft harbours, including those that support lobster and shellfish aquaculture
– working to curtail seafood labelling fraud
– working to eliminate abandoned and lost ‘ghost gear’
– enact a modern, workable Aquaculture Act

Refugees & Newcomers

The party states that privately-sponsored refugees earn more and depend less on government support than publicly-supported newcomers.

The party advocates:

– a non-partisan, welcoming and well-managed immigration system based on a fair, transparent and efficient process; compassionate measures to assist in family reunification; success in encouraging immigration by skilled individuals; transparency in process; respect for Canada’s humanitarian tradition of providing safe haven for refugees
– working with provinces and municipalities to ensure that adequate and equitable resources are available, including language instruction
– removing annual caps on the number of privately-sponsored refugees
– reduce wait times for privately-sponsored refugees
– prioritizing genocide survivors, LGBTQ+ individuals, and internally-displaced people
– to better protect refugees from persecution based on sexual orientation, HIV, gender identity or expression, making the Rainbow Refugee Assistance Project a permanent government program
– continued settlement support, including language training, credential recognition, and services for the vulnerable

Solidarity

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on:
– protecting the marginalized & vulnerable
– care for disabilities

Mental Health & Addictions

The party advocates:

– addressing the opioid crisis as a health-care issue, not a criminal issue, by declaring a national health emergency
– decriminalizing drug possession, and ensuring that people have access to a screened supply and the medical support they need to combat their addictions
– increasing funding to community-based organizations to test drugs and make Naloxone kits widely available to treat overdoses
– establishing a national mental health strategy and a suicide prevention strategy to address the growing anxieties plaguing Canadians regarding inequality and availability of work and affordable housing, the climate crisis, social isolation, resurgent racial, and other harms and risks

Indigenous Peoples

The party states that Canada has a profound legal obligation to reconcile and provide restitution for colonial relations marked by violent expropriation, displacement, and forced assimilation that have undermined the cultural, governance and economic foundations of the Indigenous Peoples of this land.

The party supports all Indigenous Peoples’ efforts to emerge from positions of disadvantage in which Canada has placed them, including support for cultural revitalization and healing.

The party advocates:

– legislation to adopt all 46 articles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as Canadian law
– respect for Indigenous sovereignty over all self-defined and self-governed First Nations, Metis, and Inuit lands, including the right to stewardship
– repeal of the Indian Act as racist in view of its use of who is and who is not an Indian and infringes on the right of First Nations people to define themselves.
– endorsement of the comprehensive agenda prepared by the Assembly of First Nations for the 2019 election
– creation of an independent body to decide Indigenous lands and treaty claims
– negotiation with Indigenous Peoples over primary hunting, fishing, trapping and logging rights on traditional lands, especially lands under federal jurisdiction, subject to standards of sustainable harvesting and traditional ecological knowledge
– repudiation of the doctrine of terra nullius and the doctrine of discovery
– affirmation of the inherent right of Indigenous communities to determine child and family services, and ensuring sufficient funding to ensure that families are kept together
– implementation of the calls to action of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, and recommendations of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
– development of language- and culture-specific Indigenous education curricula
– support for transmission, proliferation and regeneration of Indigenous cultural works and languages
– education of non-Indigenous Canadians on the histories, cultures, traditions and cultures of First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples of Turtle Island
– improvement of critical infrastructure to ensure safe water access in all Indigenous communities
– prioritizing high quality safe and affordable housing, particularly in the North
– consulting with Arctic and Northern residents to assure food security through agriculture
– healthcare services that incorporate traditional practices and recognize the role of elders and extended family
– increased resources for maternal and infant care, treatment for diabetes and tuberculosis

Rural & Agricultural Communities

The party advocates:

– leveraging Canada Post’s nationwide presence and infrastructure to accomplish a more diversified suite of services, as suggested by the postal worker’s union
– restoring historical home delivery services of CP
– to reduce pollution and congestion, instituting last-stage local delivery by CP of packages from online deliveries
– training CP mail carriers to check on those who live alone, or have mobility challenges
– establishing banking and public high-speed internet access in post offices
– allowing community meetings to be held in post offices, where space permits
– providing electric vehicle charging stations in post office parking lots

Refugees & Newcomers

The party states that:

– newcomers are a source of incredible skills and potential for our country
– with the Canadian demographic imbalances increasing the burden of younger generations to support an aging population, Canada must review its immigration policy

The party advocates:

– ensuring that all migrants are supported achieving their hopes and ambitions as new Canadian
– ensuring that professional licensing requirements are clearly explained to immigrants prior to entry to Canada
– working with professional associations to expedite accreditation and expand opportunities for immigrants
– establishing a new category of environmental refugees for those displaced by climate change
– greatly increasing funding for training in official languages for new immigrants
– working with municipalities to improve integration of immigrants on a multicultural basis
– replacing the temporary foreign worker program with programs providing pathways to permanent residence
– establishing a complaints commission to oversee Canada Border Services Agency
– establishing pathways to permanent residence for 200.000 persons living in Canada without official status
– terminating the Safe Third Country agreement with the US
– increasing penalties for human smuggling
– investigating charges by the UN Human Rights Commission of Canadian complicity in torture
– speeding up procedures for reunification of immigrant families, especially to reunite children and parents

Solidarity

Disabilities

The party reports that: it provided those eligible for the Disability Tax Credit or the Canada Pension Plan Disability or corresponding Quebec or veterans benefits additional support of up to $600.

The party advocates allocating $65 million to create inclusive workplaces and support career advancement for disabled people.

Mental Health

The Party reports that:

– it has invested $500 million through the Safe Restart Agreement to address immediate needs and gaps in support and protection of those challenged by mental health, substance abuse, or homelessness issues
– in addition, the government has funded development of virtual mental health care applications and launched the free portal Wellness Together Canada, which between April and December 2020 received 648,000 distinct visitors and provided 1.8 million counselling sessions

The party advocates allocating an additional $93 million to bolster distress centers and the Wellness Together Canada portal

Indigenous Peoples

The party reports that:

– pursuant to its 2015 promise of a new relationship with Indigenous Peoples, it continue to make progress toward a co-developed, distinctions-based approach to improving health and well being for Indigenous peoples, and that it remains committed to walking the road of reconciliation
– by December 2020 it spent $625 million to help First Nations, Inuit, Metis and other Indigenous communities and organizations provide support for those fighting COVID-19
– the government provided $117 in grants to support operating costs for First Nations, Inuit, and Metis community-owned or collective businesses
– in addition, the party government funded $306.8 million in loans to help small and medium-sized indigenous businesses, and Aboriginal financial institutions.

The party advocates:

– confronting the legacy of residential schools
– continuing work to eliminate all clean long-term drinking water advisories
– action to confront systemic racism against Indigenous peoples especially in the justice system and health care
– launching an Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern Housing Strategy
– protecting the wellbeing of Indigenous children and families
– allocating a further $380 million in 2020-21 to help the Indigenous Community Support Fund meet the needs of Indigenous Communities during the second wave of the pandemic
– allocating a further $112 million for First Nations to support a safe return to schools on reserve
– allocating a further $206 million to support a safe restart in Indigenous communities, including adaptation of infrastructure and safety in early childhood and post-secondary institutions
– allocating a further $332.8 million in 2021-22 to offset declines in First Nations, Inuit, and Metis community revenues
– allocating $144.2 million for training and support for young and vulnerable indigenous people
– allocating $1.5 billion starting in 2020-21 to accelerate work to lift all drinking-water advisories in First Nations communities
– to address long-standing elevated effects of mercury poisoning in the Ausbpeeschoseewagong and Wabaseemoong First Nations communities, allocating $200.1 million over 5 years to support development of a mercury treatment plant center in each community
– in response to the call for a national enquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, allocating $781.5 million over five years, and $106.3 million per year thereafter to combat systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples, including $43.9 million to support implementation of Gladue Principles in the mainstream justice system, $8.1 to develop administration agreements to strengthen community-based justice systems, and $724.1 million to launch a comprehensive strategy to provide support for Indigenous women, children, and LGBTQ and two-spirit people facing discrimination and violence, including shelters

 Northern, Rural & Agricultural Communities

The party reports that it provided more than $272 million to support northern communities and businesses during the COVID pandemic, to bolster territorial preparedness and response, and ensure that nutritious food and hygiene products are available to northern residents

The party advocates investing an additional $1.75 billion in such efforts.

Refugees & Newcomers

The party states that it is committed to an immigration system that supports economic growth and diversity.

The party advocates:

– providing $72.1 million to support immigration at about 1 percent of the national population per year, or more than 400.000 new permanent residents per year
– allocating an additional $15 in 2021-2022 for development of the Foreign Credential Recognition Program, to attract 15,000 skilled immigrants

Solidarity

The marginalized & vulnerable

Disabilities

The party advocates:

– adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and strengthen the Canada Accessibility Act to cover all federal agencies equally
– review of all income security programs, to address an unacceptable rate of poverty among Canadians living with a disability
– expansion of equal-opportunity employment programs for the disabled
– for those facing serious illnesses, extending sickness benefits under Employment Insurance to 50 weeks
– creating a pilot program to allow workers with episodic disabilities access to benefits
– in addition to universal pharmacare, restoring door-to-door mail delivery
– development of a national autism strategy

Addictions

The party states that 11 Canadians die each day from opioid-related causes, and that every part of the country has been impacted, although the vulnerable and marginalized are disproportionately affected.

The party advocates:

– declaring a public health emergency and working to destigmatize drug addiction
– supporting provincial overdose prevention sites
– seeking compensation from drug companies involved in fueling the opioid crisis

Indigenous Peoples

The party states that Canada’s relationship with Indigenous peoples has been deeply troubled and must change, that Indigenous peoples have been denied the basic human rights such as family and property rights.

The party advocates a new approach, based on the recognition of the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples and including:

– full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
– development of a National Action Plan for Reconciliation, and establishment of a National Council for Reconciliation
– respect for free, prior and informed consent from Indigenous communities affected by government policies
– recognition of and respect for Treaty rights, with support for Indigenous Nations that seek to build and re-build governance structures
– development of an Arctic Policy Framework which includes adoption of an Inuit Nunangat policy and addressing a massive infrastructure deficit in Northern communities
– recognition of Metis self-determination and respect for the policies of the Metis National Council
– revitalization of the diversity of Indigenous languages
– establishment of a National Day for Truth & Reconciliation
– immediate action to respect, support, and resource Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare systems, with committed long-term funding
– respecting orders of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to stop chronically underfunding on-reserve child welfare services, and implementation of the Spirit Bear Plan
– address the chronic Indigenous housing crisis by implementing co-developed First Nations, Metis, and Inuit housing strategies, including addressing mould issues and making Indigenous homes more energy efficient
– ensuring that every child is provided a safe place to learn, on or off reserve, and implement Shennen’s Dream of equitable access to education, backed by Federal investments and infrastructure
– support Indigenous students and help them bridge the gap to post-secondary education through expanded financial assistance and increased educational opportunities for children who grew up in care
– working with provinces to establish Indigenous history education programs for all Canadians, based on Calls to Action 62 and 63 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
– ensuring that Indigenous people get the treatment they need in their community through investments in health care infrastructure and diagnostic equipment
– working in partnership with Indigenous communities to improve access to mental health and addiction treatment services
– supporting Indigenous health self-determination
– recognizing that ongoing trauma caused by colonialism and residential schools will require long-term partnership and reliable, ongoing funding
– working with Indigenous communities to encourage economic opportunities and create good jobs in Indigenous communities all across the country through infrastructure investments and expanded internet and cell service for rural and remote communities, and working with Indigenous entrepreneurs to find solutions for accessing capital and scale up, investing in Indigenous social enterprise projects and entrepreneurship.
– to help smaller Indigenous communities, providing dedicated regional economic development support.
– creation of a Northern Infrastructure Fund, to accelerate investment on roads and broadband internet
– implementation of the Calls for Justice of the report of the Inquiry on missing and murdered Indigenous women
– establishing a comprehensive plan to address violence against Indigenous women
– ensuring equal rights of women to pass on the ability to qualify for Indian status registration
– ensuring that Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people are ensured equitable access and self-determination over land, culture, language, housing, child care, income security, employment, education, and physical, mental, sexual, and spiritual health.
– to end systematic discrimination in the justice system, implement Calls to Action 30, 31, and 32 by increasing discretionary power of judges at sentencing, ensuring equitable bail procedures, and focus on healing and restorative justice rather than incarceration
– enhancing resources for Indigenous policing, and ending discriminatory practices such as carding
– ensuring that First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples have a seat at high-level decision-making tables to help direct climate-change efforts in Canada
– expand the Indigenous Guardians Program and invest in Indigenous-led science, and support the creation of Indigenous-managed protected areas
– work with Indigenous communities to develop disaster plans to deal with emergencies lie wildfires, floods, and other climate-related disasters

Rural Communities

The party advocates:

– improved access to in-person government services in rural communities
– expansion of the Volunteer Firefighters tax Credit and ensure federal funding for rural and Indigenous police services
– implementing affordable wireless and broadband internet access in all communities at rates comparable to those paid in other countries
– working closely with provinces to establish job training priorities and creating a new Workers Development and Opportunities Fund to expand training opportunities beyond those who qualify for EI
– developing a model of postal banking, to help nearly two million Canadians access affordable, quality banking services
– ensuring that all communities have access to affordable transit services, including restoration of cancelled bus services in Western Canada
– to help retain families, attract workers, and end migration out of Northern and rural communities, implementing a tax credit for graduates to work in Northern communities
– ensuring stable funding for rural infrastructure programs
– partnering with provinces, municipalities, territories and Indigenous communities to develop a national school nutrition program, to give every child in Canada access to healthy food and understanding of nutrition
– supporting local food producers by encouraging local food hubs, community-supported agriculture, local distribution of food
– development of a national food policy and food waste strategy
– supporting Indigenous food sovereignty and access to healthy food
– reforming the Nutrition North program to improve food security for northern families

Refugees & Newcomers

The party states that immigration policies should be rooted in values of fairness, respect, and dignity.

The party advocates:

– ensuring that Canadian immigration policies respond to Canada’s labour force needs and recognize people’s experiences, contributions, and ties to Canada.
– working with provinces to address gaps in settlement services and improve recognition of foreign credentials
– to make family reunification a priority, end the cap on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents
– regulation of immigration consultants
– treating immigrant caregivers with respect and dignity by granting them status without delay
– in view of the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis, ending the backlog of asylum seekers and working with communities to resettle refugees
– suspending the Safe Third Country agreement with the US, to allow asylum claims to be made at official border crossings

The party has published no official statement concerning its polices on outreach to the marginalized and vulnerable, including those living with disabilities or addictions

Indigenous Peoples

The party states that:

– the indigenous population of Canada is extremely diversified, and accounts for about 5% of Canada’s population and comprises First Nations, Inuit and Metis. There are more than 600First Nations communities dispersed across the country. More than half of First Nations Canadians don’t live on reserves
– Indigenous issues are also very complex. Some communities are prosperous, others much poorer than the Canadian average. Many suffer from acute social problems, including crime, domestic violence, substance abuse and suicide. Many don’t have the basic services that we take for granted such as access to clean water
– additional issues facing Indigenous peoples include treaty negotiations, housing, and property rights on reserves
– it is not possible to address more than a few of these issues in the context of this election platform

The party advocates:
– prioritizing its response on the basis of its four key principles:

Respect

The party states that many injustices were committed in the past by the Canadian government towards indigenous peoples. We cannot rewrite the past, but only seek the best way to live together harmoniously in the future. This relationship must be based on mutual respect and a balanced approach taking into account the needs of the Indigenous population and the interests of the Canadian population as a whole

The party advocates:
– exploring options to replace the paternalistic Indian Act, which keeps indigenous peoples in a state of dependency and allows the federal government to control most aspects of their lives, with a new legal framework that guarantees equal rights and responsibilities to Indigenous people as Canadians, and promotes the self-reliance of communities
– respecting our Constitution and treaties, reaffirming the federal government’s power to approve natural resources and infrastructure projects, after adequate consultations with affected indigenous groups, and in partnership with them to ensure they can benefit from these economic opportunities

Freedom

The party states that lack of real private property on reserves is in part  responsible for the poor state of housing and the social ills that derive from it, and is one of the greatest impediments to economic development

The party advocates:
– exploring further avenues to promote the establishment of individual property rights on reserves so as to empower their residents and give them increased control over their lives.

Fairness

The party states that fairness demands that all Canadians benefit from roughly equivalent services wherever they live. It’s unacceptable that some Indigenous communities live in conditions that resemble those of third world countries. But the current model to solve these problems is based on top-down bureaucratic solutions imposed by Ottawa on dependent communities with no voice in the process.

The party advocates:
– ensuring that Indigenous communities take more ownership of the services they receive in partnership with Ottawa and other levels of government.

Responsibility

The party states that although Ottawa spends about $21 billion a year on Indigenous programs, there is little evidence that living conditions have been improving in indigenous communities. The federal government and Indigenous administrations have a responsibility to ensure that taxpayers’ money is well spent.

The party advocates:
– reviewing federal spending to ensure that programs are better targeted to benefit the Indigenous population, in particular the communities that have the greatest needs.

Welcoming Newcomers

The party states that:

– the primary aim of Canada’s immigration policy should be to economically benefit Canadians and Canada as a whole, not to forcibly change the cultural character and social fabric of our country. And it should not put excessive financial burdens on the shoulders of Canadians in the pursuit of humanitarian goals
– right now, only 26% of all the immigrants and refugees who come to Canada every year are directly chosen because they have the right qualifications and work experience to fulfill our economic needs. The rest are dependents (spouses and children), come through the family reunification program or as refugees, do not work, or do not have the skills that we need even if they find work
. immigrants generally have lower wages than non-immigrants. They pay on average about half as much in income taxes as other Canadians but absorb nearly the same value of government services. A study puts the cost to taxpayers in 2014at roughly $5,300 per immigrant living in Canada, for a total annual cost of somewhere between $27 billion and $35 billion
– demographic studies have shown that newcomers are a bit younger on average than Canadians, but not enough to have a noticeable impact on the rate of aging. This is exacerbated by increasing the number of parents and grand-parents accepted under the family reunification program
– mass immigration also inflates housing prices. More than 41% of all immigrants to Canada settle in and around Toronto and Vancouver, which have some of the least affordable housing among big cities in the world

 The party advocates:

– benefiting Canadians by welcoming the right kind of immigrants, to prioritize Canada’s economic interests in a way that does not jeopardize Canadian values and the maintenance of our national identity
– substantially lowering the total number of immigrants and refugees Canada accept every year, from 350,000 to between 100,000and 150,000, depending on economic and other circumstances
– reforming the immigration point system and related programs to accept a larger proportion of economic immigrants with the right skills
– accepting fewer resettled refugees (see Refugees policy) and limiting the number of immigrants accepted under the family reunification program, including abolishing the program for parents and grand-parents
– limiting the number of temporary foreign workers and making sure that they fulfil temporary positions and do not compete unfairly with Canadian workers
– making birth tourism illegal
– ensure that every candidate for immigration undergoes a face-to-face interview and answers a series of specific questions to assess the extent to which they align with Canadian values and societal norms (see Canadian Identity policy)
– increasing resources for CSIS, the RCMP and Canadian Immigration and Citizenship to do interviews and thorough background checks on all classes of immigrants

The Role of Government

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the proper role of government or proper stewardship of office.

Taxes & Budget

The party states that overlaps between Quebec and Ottawa in tax administration are expensive and often inefficient, including with respect to tax collection. The existence of two revenue agencies requires individuals and businesses to file two tax returns instead of one.

The party advocates transferring responsibility for the collection of all taxes in Quebec to Revenue Québec, which already administers the collection of the federal GST, in order to enable administrative savings of several hundred million dollars a year. With just one tax return to file, individuals and businesses will save time and money.

Government Programs and Services

The party states that for decades the Canadian government has over-ridden Quebec’s jurisdiction in implementing all kinds of programs, in a costly. disrespectful, and inefficient manner.

The party undertakes to campaign for the right to opt out with full compensation and unconditionally for Quebec. Once consolidated within the Quebec government, eliminating administrative duplication will save hundreds of millions of dollars which could be reinjected to improve the programs in question.

Accountability

The party states that it is a force in Ottawa for transparency and integrity.

Democratic Reform

The Bloc advocates:

– restoration of public funding of political parties with a limit for individuals of $500, and eliminating corporate contributions
– establishing a higher reimbursement for political parties which elect a number of women corresponding to a parity criteria in order to promote the participation of women in politics.

Wisdom, Humility, and Respect in Politics

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the importance of wisdom, humility, or respect in politics.

Peace & International Relations

The party undertakes to use its access to the diplomatic corps in Ottawa and during parliamentary missions abroad to publicize Quebec and its independence project, and build a network of international supporters of the cause of Quebec.

The party advocates:

– in matters of international relations, adopting the Gérin-Lajoie doctrine, stating that everything that is within the jurisdiction of Quebec within Canada is within the jurisdiction of Quebec in the world, including matters of education and culture
– that Quebec be allowed to conduct all of its international relations in its areas of jurisdiction, including the conclusion of treaties. At UNESCO, Canada should obtain Quebec’s consent before taking a position, according to the Belgian model, focusing its interventions with diplomats around the world on five priorities:
— the fight against climate change, a major global issue
— reform of the rules governing international trade in the name of respect for the environment and the rights of workers everywhere on the planet
— promotion of multilateralism, the only way to tackle the challenges of the 21st century
— the fight against tax havens
— recognition of Quebec’s authority in international relations with due regard for its areas of jurisdiction.

Displaced Persons & Humanitarian Aid

The party states that Quebec is a land of welcome, and that as shown in the early years of the Trump administration, Quebecers will never abandon people in difficulty whose lives are threatened.  But the process needs better control.

The party advocates, in order to reduce the number of irregular refugees, suspension of the safe third country agreement with the United States so that the entire border is considered a border crossing. In addition, the Bloc Québécois will propose that the government increase the number of commissioners in Quebec to speed up the processing of applications. Finally, the Bloc Québécois will demand a firm commitment from Ottawa that no deportation will be carried out to countries in conflict where the lives of applicants could be in danger.

Foreign Trade

The party advocates renegotiation of free trade agreements with the US, Europe, and Asian countries to reinstate terms such as supply management that benefit Quebec.

National Defense

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on national defence.

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party advocates reintroduction of ex-Conservative leader Rona Ambrose’s bill to train judges to better respond to sexual assault cases.

The Role of Government

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the proper role of government or proper stewardship of office.

Taxes & Budget

The party states that:

– the national debt is over $690 billion, and is funded by borrowing at a cost of approximately $70 million per day in interest
– although governments must use some form of taxation to generate revenues to cover the cost of basic services, the income Tax, and especially the Progressive Income Tax, is unfair. As private property, earnings should not be taken, and the government should not take what you earn and it should not take a bigger share when you work harder.

The party advocates:

– paying off the national debt and introducing mandatory balancing of the national budget
– restoring the Bank of Canada to its proper function of providing Canada’s money supply and providing low-interest or interest-free loans to Provinces, crown corporations and municipalities for urgently needed infrastructure
– replacing the unfair federal income tax with a Fair Tax on purchases; this would be a at rate applied to all purchases of finished products.

 Government Services & Programs

The party states that CBC costs taxpayers $1.6 billion every year, and has pushed and continues to push abortion, gender confusion and assisted suicide.

The party advocates defunding and/or privatizing CBC.

Accountability

The party advocates:

– opening all government expenditures to public scrutiny
– public listing of all government salaries over $100,000 should be listed for the public
– public recall mechanism for all politicians and high-level bureaucrats, for crimes in office

Democratic Reform

The party advocates:

– ending tax-supported payments to political parties as campaign funds, or fair distribution among all parties
– ensuring that all political parties are included in debates and tax-funded media publications
– a referendum to allow taxpayers to change to the first-past-the-post system
– allowing only Canadian citizens to vote or hold office
– ending judicial activism, which the party states exceeds the constitutional mandate of the courts, particularly in the area of free speech, abortion, same-sex marriage, and assisted suicide

Wisdom, Humility, and Respect in Politics

The Bloc has released no official statement concerning its policies on the importance of wisdom, humility, or respect in politics.

Senate

The party states that the Senate was originally created to be a chamber of “sober second thought”, not a partisan rubber-stamp for the government in power.

The party advocates:

– election of Senators by the provinces in which they reside
– for better representation of the provinces, allocation of an equal number of Senators to each province, rather than to “regions”

Peace & International Relations

The party states that Canada is recognized as a world leader, and must act responsibly to maintain that reputation.

The party advocates:

– Canadian leadership in good things: clean water, energy and justice, NOT abortion, gender confusion and debt
– defending freedom around the world, beginning at home
– Canada must stand firmly against terrorism at home and abroad.
– Canadians who participate in terrorism must not be allowed to return to Canada OR they must face criminal terrorist charges. They must not be allowed to become public martyrs for their cause
– the $10 million award to Omar Khadr was an insult to our soldiers, our allies and all Canadian taxpayers.

Middle East

The party states that:

– radical Islam has proven to be a threat to Western democracy
– Sharia Law is incompatible with Canada’s culture and heritage and with Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms

The party rejects Islamic cultural practices such as “honour-killings”, Female Genital Mutilation, forced marriages, forced conversion and inhumane animal slaughter (Halal slaughter)

Israel

The party states that:

– Israel occupies a unique place in history and in current world affairs
– Israel stands alone in the Middle East as a democratic nation, surrounded by hostile nations

The party advocates standing with Israel and supports her right to exist and to defend herself.

Displaced Persons & Humanitarian Aid

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on displaced persons or humanitarian aid.

International Finance

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on International finance.

Foreign Trade

The party states that:

– unless bound by contracts, treaties and trade agreements which they have voluntarily signed, all nations have the right to restrict imports or to apply tariffs which may have the effect of restricting imports
– for the purpose of mutual growth and cooperative enterprise, allied nations, particularly nations sharing a border, should seek to avoid unnecessary tariffs and trade restrictions between them
– careless or punitive use of tariffs often result in trade wars which may harm producers and should be avoided if possible.

National Defense & Veterans

The party states that:

– Canada must have armed forces capable of defending our borders and national interests
– our armed forces must be properly trained and equipped
– our veterans deserve our gratitude and our duty of care, especially the injured and the families of those we have lost

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party states that:

– the Canadian government MUST protect Canadian citizens
– Canadians deserve a justice system designed to protect their lives and property
– all Canadians deserve equal treatment under the law
– justice delayed is justice denied; it is essential that justice be applied as quickly as possible to save costs and to deter wrongdoing
– its justice platform stands on two pillars: Restitution and Public Safety

The party advocates:

– strict enforcement at the border, and restriction of entry to those coming in legally through official ports of entry
– requiring all immigrants to demonstrate loyalty to Canada and to Canadian values

The Role of Government

The party’s policies state that the role of government is to:

– protect the lives and property of its citizens
– ensure equality of opportunity
– foster an environment where individuals and private initiative can prosper
– ensure the security of the nation’s borders and of citizens at home and abroad
– provide services that cannot be provided more efficiently or effectively by the private sector
– maintain and enhance national infrastructure

Taxes & Budget

The party states that spending to protect Canadians during the pandemic was the right thing to do, however unsustainable debt cannot be passed to future generations. Once recovery starts, spending must be brought under control.

The party advocates:

– winding down emergency support programs in responsible ways as vaccines increase and the economy re-opens
– ensuring that stimulus measures are targeted and time-limited in order to avoid structural deficit
– encouraging economic growth to ensure revenue for services is available
– balancing the budget within five years
– enacting legislation to maintain balanced budget once the deficit is eliminated
– tying salaries of prime minister and finance minister to implementation of a balanced budget
– implementing a pay-as-you-go budget rule for all new federal spending
– apply $600 million per year saved interest on national debt to finance commitment on RESP grants
– eliminating $1.5 billion in corporate handouts by reviewing all business subsidy programs, grants, and contributions
– reducing foreign aid 25%
– a comprehensive review of the tax system, to ensure a healthy and competitive economy
– to protect taxpayers from abuse, make the Taxpayer Ombudsman an officer of Parliament, and make CRA accountable for negligence
– making tax payment easier in Quebec by introducing a single tax return administered by the federal government

Cooperation between parties

– The party advocates, in order to create jobs, increase wages, and connect industries, prioritizing infrastructure projects that will have maximum benefit to Canada’s economy, and commits to completing all projects previously adopted by the Liberal government

Government Services and Programs

The party commits to broad consultation with citizens across Canada in the development of new policies, and to ensure that Members of Parliament have the fullest input from all Canadians.

Accountability

The party states that a fundamental component of Parliamentary government is ministerial accountability to Parliament.

The party continues to support any measures which enhance public service effectiveness and accountability.

The party advocates strengthening internal audit and controllership functions of government, to ensure that program performance matches program intentions

Democratic Reform

The party opposes any electoral reform that would weaken the link between Members of Parliament and their constituents, or create unmanageably large ridings, or strengthen the control of party machinery over individual members.

The party advocates:

– freedom of MPs to vote their consciences, except for budget, main estimates, and core government initiatives
– election of senators
– as Parliament is the law-making body of Canada, and not the courts, establishment of a parliamentary committee to review judicial decisions, so that decisions and be addressed through legislation as appropriate
– amend the Canada Evidence Act to allow the RCMP to access confidential Cabinet information by application to Supreme Court
– prohibiting accused criminals from lobbying to change laws that
– increased penalties for the Conflicts of Interest Act
– shifting evidentiary burdens from whistleblowers to employers and expanding protections for those working on government contracts

Wisdom, Humility & Respect in Politics

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on wisdom, humility, or respect in politics.

Peace, International Relations

The party supports a foreign policy that protects Canada’s sovereignty and independence, promotes political, economic, and strategic Canadian interests, including democracy and national defence.

The party advocates:

– maintaining an ethical dimension to foreign policy
– Parliamentary oversight of foreign policy
– restoring international prestige & respect by aligning domestic concern for religious minorities, women and girls, and Canadian values
– reducing foreign aid by 25%, particularly for middle-income countries and countries antagonistic to Canada
– relaxing foreign ownership rules on Canadian industry, including broadcast distribution, airlines, and telecommunications
– strengthening ties through NORAD, NATO, commonwealth, La Francophonie, Five Eyes, Japan and India
– reopening Office of Religious Freedom
– requiring national security review for any proposed foreign company takeovers
– enforce Magnitsky sanctions against human rights violators

Middle East

The party advocates recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel, which is one of Canada’s strongest allies and a beacon of pluralism and democratic principles

Asian Pacific

The party advocates withdrawal from Asian Infrastructure Investment bank

The Environment

The party advocates working with international partners to combat ocean dumping of plastics

Displaced Persons & Humanitarian Aid

The party advocates:

– enforce Magnitsky sanctions against human rights violators
– reducing foreign aid by 25%, but providing it only to those who need it most, and are not hostile to Canada
– placing special emphasis on protection of children in conflict zones

International Finance

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on International finance.

Foreign Trade

The party advocates:

– in order to reduce dependency on sometimes unreliable foreign partners and bolster Canadian independence, restoring domestic production capabilities for vaccines, PPE, and other critical services and products
– expanding trade with emerging markets by signing free trade agreements with Mercosur, ASEAN, and the UK
– aggressively challenging tariffs on canola, soy, pork, beef, and other agricultural products at WTO
– establishing accelerators to promote small and medium Canadian enterprises in Europe and other markets
– resolving the softwood lumber dispute with the US

Veterans and Defense

The party states that Canada should stand and support its allies by providing all necessary support to defeat transnational terrorism.

Veterans

The party advocates:

– a Veterans’ Bill of Rights to ensure that all disputes are resolved quickly and fairly, including a new covenant with veterans to ensure timely provision of services
– treatment of reservists as regulars while on missions or training
– guaranteed job maintenance for federally and provincially-employed reservists called to training or operations
– complete monuments, including Afghanistan monument
– test effect of mefloquine anti-malarial drug
– provide service dogs for PTSD cases

National Defense

The party advocates:

– building multi-partisan consensus on military expenditures, and re-establishing the Cabinet Committee on Defence Procurement
– ensuring better cooperation between Canada’s intelligence and security agencies
– negotiating participation in NORAD / US ballistic missile defense program
– conducting open competition, including F-35s, to replace CF-18s
– building second interim supply ships, and maintaining contracts for icebreakers
– beginning process to replace Victoria class submarines

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party supports reorienting priorities to emphasize protection of society through prevention of crime.

Police

The party advocates:

– improving information sharing among law enforcement agencies
– committing $30 million for purchase of new police equipment, for mid-sized and smaller communities

Crimes & Courts

The party advocates:

– increasing penalties for sexual offenses against children
– enhanced penalties for those who cause harm to pregnant women and unborn children
– registration of all sexual offenders and designated dangerous offenders, including mandatory DNA sampling and banking
– criminalization of digital communications, as harassing calls under Section 373 of the criminal code
– mandating sexual assault sensitivity training for judicial appointees
– opposes federal courts of religious or cultural basis
– removing barriers such as statues of limitation for victims of sexual abuse
– increasing penalties for sexual offenses against children
– a national missing persons registry
– giving judges an option for life-without-parole sentences
– requiring murderers to disclose locations of victims’ bodies as a condition of parole
– deducting criminal fines from social service or entitlement payments

Prisons & Rehabilitation

The party advocates:

– to support transitions from prison to community, tying parole to job skills training tied to current market needs
– to bolster public confidence, end statutory release and replace it with earned parole focused on rehabilitation
– continued funding for rehabilitation programs focused on literacy, numeracy, anger management and addiction
– ending grant of unescorted day passes from prison
– to protect prison staff, end needle exchange programs in prisons
– requiring full body scans for individuals entering prisons

Gangs & Juvenile Offenders

The party advocates:

– allocating $60 million over 5 years for anti-gang task forces
– allocating $12 million over 5 years for Youth Gang Prevention Fund, to divert youth from gangs
– end automatic bail for gang members; reversing bail onus for all gang crime offenses and those previously convicted of gang crimes
– classify gangs within the Criminal Code, similar to classification of terrorist organizations
– automatic revocation of parole for parolees who associate with gang members
– mandatory 5-year sentences on conviction for participation in violent gang activities

Firearms

The party advocates:

– repealing bill C-71 to end the ‘backdoor’ gun registry
– strengthening background checks for firearms licenses, including RCMP reference checks
– mandatory 5-year sentence for knowing possession of smuggled firearms
– creation of Firearms Smuggling Task force in CBSA
– criminalizing delivery of firearms to those under a firearms prohibition

Border Security

The party advocates:

– claiming sovereign rights in the Internal Waters, the Territorial Sea, the Contiguous Zone, the Exclusive Economic Zone, and in, on, or above the Canadian portion of the Continental Shelf, for military and economic purposes
– returning the Coast Guard to the Ministry of Transport, and creation / upgrading of bases and facilities
– amending the CSIS Act to increase powers to disrupt terrorist threats
– amending criminal code to allow Parliament to add terrorist groups to sanctions lists
– ending illegal border crossings at unofficial points of entry, and amending the safe third country agreement to end asylum claims by those who enter outside legal ports of entry
– locating Immigration and Refugee Board judges at common arrival points, to process refugee hearings more quickly
– requiring proof of non-terrorist intentions for those traveling to terrorism hot spots

Cyber Security

The party advocates:

– strengthening cyber bullying laws to cover advocating self-harm by others & clarify that crime occurs in Canada if victim is here
– requiring internet users to get consent to collect data in plain language
– creating Canada Cyber Safe certification
– develop sensible regulations and binding standards for cyber security

The Role of Government

The party believes that at the heart of our democratic system of government is a relationship of trust and respect between Canadians and their elected representatives. We expect those representatives to act responsibly, with integrity, honesty and intelligence. We must protect that relationship with all our might.

To strengthen the checks against abuse of power and influence peddling in parliament and federal institutions and make the House of Commons a more constructive, cooperative and effective institution, the party advocates:

– directing the Speaker to enforce existing rules to minimize the power of party whips over individual members of parliament
– removing the requirement for party leaders to sign candidate nominations, accepting proof of a fair and open process at the local level
– strengthening the role and protecting the independence of parliamentary officers including the Ombudsman, the Auditor General, the Ethics Commissioner, the Information Commissioner, the Commissioner of Official Languages and the Parliamentary Budget Officer
– strengthening the Conflict of Interest Act to include financial and other penalties for breaking the law
– setting up an all-party commission to select a five-member board to make Governor-in-Council appointments and select candidates for parliamentary officers
– imposing strict conflict of interest screening criteria for appointments to federal regulatory boards and agencies, minimizing the potential for bias and preferential access by the regulated industry
– replacing the secretive Board of Internal Economy with an independent oversight committee to review MPs’ salaries, expenses and office budgets
– establishing a public investigations office reporting to parliament to provide clearer and permanent operating rules for such investigations
– strengthening the Lobbying Act to require greater transparency and prevent “revolving doors” between political life, the public service and lobbying.
– strengthening whistle-blower protections for public service employees.

Taxes & Budget

The party states that a growing gap between rich and poor raises concerns about the fairness of Canadian tax structures, and that the last independent review by a commission occurred in the 1960s..

The party advocates:

– establishing an arm’s-length tax commission to review the fairness and accessibility of the tax system, based on the principle of progressive taxation
– closing tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy, including stock option and capital gains loopholes that disproportionately benefit the richest 10 percent
– ending offshore tax avoidance by taxing funds held offshore, and requiring companies to prove that offshore affiliates are true, functioning businesses
– equipping CRA to monitor and recover untaxed funds held offshore, in accordance with recommendations of the Auditor General
– tax transnational e-commerce entities doing business in Canada by implementing registration requirements
– impose taxes on financial transactions, to discourage high-frequency and unnecessary transactions
– eliminating all fossil fuel subsidies, including payments and tax breaks
– increasing the corporate tax rate from 15% to 21%, as is done in other countries
– maintain the current tax rate for small businesses
– add a 5% surcharge on commercial bank profits, exempting credit unions, caisses populaires, and co-ops
– taxing funds spent for advertising on foreign-owned sites such as Google and Facebook
– eliminating corporate tax reductions for meals and entertainment

Government Programs and Services

The party has committed to ensuring that all government programs and policies are aligned with all 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and developing mechanisms to track progress in meeting those goals both at home and abroad.

The party advocates:

– leveraging Canada Post’s nationwide presence and infrastructure to accomplish a more diversified suite of services, as suggested by the postal worker’s union
– restoring historical home delivery services of CP
– upgrading CP’s fleet to electric vehicles
– to reduce pollution and congestion, instituting last-stage local delivery by CP of packages from online deliveries
– training CP mail carriers to check on those who live alone, or have mobility challenges
– establishing banking and public high-speed internet access in post offices
– allowing community meetings to be held in post offices, where space permits
– providing electric vehicle charging stations in post office parking lots

Accountability

The party has undertaken to set the standard for transparency and accountability.

Believing that the Access to Information Act (ATI) giving individuals the right to access records under the control of a federal government institution has a number of exceptions, including cabinet confidence, that are used increasingly to limit public access to information, the party advocates

– expanding access to information about the government and its activities by scrapping all fees, except the filing fee
– providing enforceable deadlines so that requests are processed in a timely manner
– authorizing the Information Commissioner to order the release of information
– placing administration of parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office and minister’s offices within the scope of the ATI
– overriding all exemptions so that public interest comes before the secrecy of the government
– providing for exclusions based on claims of cabinet confidences to be reviewed by the Information Commissioner
– requiring public officials to create a public record to document their actions and decisions regarding all ATI requests

 Democratic Reform

The party has undertaken to ensure that Canada’s electoral system produces a parliament that represents the will of the electorate, and that the electoral process is beyond reproach.

The party advocates:

– convening a Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform with the mandate to make recommendations to parliament on an electoral system that would “make every vote count,” as a replacement to the ‘first past the post’ system
– lowering the voting age to 16, giving young people more say in their future and instilling habits of civic participation
– requiring all parties to submit their campaign platform cost estimates to the Parliamentary Budget Officer for review
– mandating Elections Canada to develop a truth in advertising framework for election campaigns that empowers the Commissioner of Elections to investigate citizens’ complaints related to campaign advertising, and imposing sanctions if such complaints are found to be justified.

Wise & Humble Leaders

The party has undertaken:

– to place the interests of their constituents and of Canada above those of their party
– strive to find common ground with other parties, to work across party lines in the public interest

Respect in Politics

The party has undertaken:

– to conduct themselves respectfully in the House of Commons, through a commitment never to heckle
– to practice ‘high road’ politics, through a commitment never to heckle
– never to ‘whip’ votes of its members, to require voting with party lines regardless of personal convictions

The party advocates establishment of a cross-party inner cabinet to deal with climate change and limit the destructive impact of partisan politics.

Peace, International Relations

The party states that:

– it is committed to building and keeping peace, including post-conflict work to strengthen civil society and democratic institutions around the world
– it is committed to expanding Canada’s peace-keeping role internationally
– it is also fully aware of the dangers of militarism and the need to defend against it, both at home and on the global stage
– it supports the United Nations’ doctrine of the duty to protect and refuse to place corporate interests ahead of ethical action to protect vulnerable populations.

The party advocates:

– building on Canada’s long-standing commitment to multilateralism since Lester B. Pearson by recognizing that isolationism and nationalistic jingoism create a dangerous path and must be vigorously resisted
– strengthening Canada’s role in promoting peace and global cooperation
– building a general purpose, combat capable force that can provide realistic options to the government in domestic security emergencies, continental defence and international operations, including protection of Canada’s northern borders as Arctic ice melts
– ensuring that the Canadian Armed Forces are prepared to serve in both traditional and new capacities
– ensuring a consistent capital investment plan with stable funding so that service personnel have the equipment and training they need to fulfill an expanded mandate. This includes naval and coast guard vessels that can operate in the Arctic Ocean, fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft, and helicopters
– normalizing the deployment of military personnel to protect civilians and communities from extreme forest fires, flooding and storms caused by climate change, and new pollution threats in Canada’s north
– signing and ratifying the Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
– canceling the contracts to provide Saudi Arabia with armoured vehicles and banning importation of Saudi oil
– banning autonomous weapons and establishing a global pact to outlaw them

International Development

The party states that international stability rests on all nations being able to provide their people with basic needs and security, as articulated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The party advocates:

– re-establishing the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), with a mandate to provide overseas development assistance where it is most needed, and eliminating the requirement that aid be tied to Canadian business interests overseas, or strategic geopolitics
– increasing Canada’s overseas development assistance budget to reach former Prime Minister Pearson’s goal of 0.7 per cent of GDP
– increasing Canada’s contributions to the Green Climate Fund and Global Environmental Facility to $4 billion per year by 2030
– reviewing federal government policy to align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and develop a mechanism to track progress in meeting these targets both at home and abroad

Foreign Trade

The party states that a massive increase in international trade is responsible for much of the increase in global emissions, which creates jobs in developing countries but is often linked to poor working conditions and low wages.

To address these issues, the party advocates:

– revamping national trade policy to align with national and international climate change responses
– protecting supply management measures to ensure that products banned in Canada are not imported in food from other countries, including bovine growth hormone
– reform of the World Trade Organization so that international trade patterns are consistent with global carbon targets, with suitably-tailored carbon tariffs
– renegotiating Canada’s trade and investment agreements to remove grounds that allow foreign governments to object to Canadian labour, safety, health, and environmental standards

Veterans & Defense

To ensure that veterans and their families are well cared for, the party advocates:

– reviewing veterans’ issues based on good-faith engagement with military families and veterans, including pension and benefits issues
– restoring veterans’ payments to pre-2006 levels
– allowing surviving spouses to retain benefits for RCMP and veterans who marry after 60
– reviewing the veterans’ charter and processes for appeal of pension and benefit decisions

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party states that:

– the criminal justice system criminalizes far too many Indigenous persons, members of visible minority communities and people suffering from mental illness, homelessness and addiction
– the adversarial family court system does not address the needs of children and families experiencing the trauma of divorce and separation
– the civil justice system disadvantages those who cannot afford lawyers

The party advocates:

– developing a clear framework for the use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) and requiring the Director of Public Prosecutions to report on any negotiated DPAs in her annual reports
– implementing recommendations of the McLellan Report for a clear written exchange of views to avoid recurrence of issues that arose in the SNC-Lavalin matter
– eliminating mandatory minimum sentences and enabling the courts to determine appropriate sentences based on the circumstances of each case
– eliminating solitary confinement, in accordance with decisions rendered in the courts of British Columbia and Ontario
– re-investing in prisoner rehabilitation and preparation for reintegration in society, especially for Indigenous people and women ensuring illegal handguns are intercepted and kept out of our cities. Redirect Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) resources to weapons smuggling
– reducing pursuit of people living in Canada without proper residency, but who are otherwise law-abiding
– reforming the process of record suspensions for simple possession of cannabis to maximize fairness and accessibility for marginalized communities, and reviewing the process of record suspensions as it applies to other offences
– reform the policy, legislation, programming, and funding framework for Canada’s superior courts make civil and family justice services become much more accessible to Canadians, following the precedent set by British Columbia and the United Kingdom
– reforming sex work laws in Canada with a clear focus on harm reduction, given the dangers that sex trade workers face. By making the industry legal and public, it will make it easier for those who are being trafficked to be found and saved
– increasing funding to bolster investigations and convictions in human trafficking cases
– increasing funding of community organizations providing services to those driven to sex work by economic deprivation

The Role of Government

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the proper role of government.

Stewardship of Office

COVID Recovery

The party states that:

– to December 2020, it had invested $407 billion (19% og Canada’s annual gross domestic product) to support public health programs, provide direct income benefits to Canadians, and bridge businesses through the pandemic
– it has implemented a 3-year stimulus package, worth an additional 3-4 percent of GDP, to jumpstart recovery
– under its leadership the federal government has provided more than 8 out of every 10 dollars spent in Canada to fight COVID-19 and support Canadians in the pandemic
– investments made by the federal government have been expansive, but well funded and time-limited.

Taxes & Budget

The party states that:

– in order to put the economy back on track as rapidly and as responsibly as possible, it is considering at least four options in stimulus allocations in 2021-24, ranging from $70-100 billion, depending on the depth of damage caused by the COVID pandemic
– independent of the option chosen, the party anticipates annual budget deficits starting at $398.7 billion in 2020-2021, decreasing to a deficit of $33.4 billion in 2025-26, with a return to balanced budgets thereafter
– the part anticipates that federal debt will remain above 50% of GDP until at least 2026, and considers that this is a relatively low national debt, with annual interest not exceeding 1.2 percent before 2026

The party advocates:

– making sure everyone pays their fair share, including banks and the wealthiest among us

 Accountability

The party has released no official platform statement concerning its policies on accountability.

 Democratic Reform

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on democratic reform.

Following the 2015 election, the party reversed a stated party and declined to enact any form of electoral reform.

Wisdom, Humility, and Respect in Politics

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on wisdom, humility, and respect in politics.

Peace, International Relations

The party states that:

– since the COVID pandemic cannot be beaten in Canada until it is beaten everywhere, Canada is leading international cooperation and cooperative efforts to provide equitable access to vaccinations, support global economic stability, and foster inclusive recovery. This includes:
— investing $440 million through COVAX Advance Market Commitment to purchase vaccine doses for low and middle-income families while securing 15 million doses for Canadians
— in cooperation with Jamaica and the United Nations, providing $400 million in 2020-2021 address short term international humanitarian and development needs
— working with G7 and G20 partners to implement a G20 Action plan including both funding and support activities
— lending $1 billion to the International Monetary Fund’s Poverty Reduction & Growth Trust for low-income countries

The Environment, Displaced Persons, Humanitarian Aid

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the environment, displaced persons, or humanitarian aid.

International Finance

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on International finance.

Foreign Trade

The party advocates:

– in order to deprive foreign e-commerce vendors of an unfair advantage, requiring them to register for and collect GST/HST for foreign-based vendors selling digital products or services to consumers in Canada
– to apply GST/HST to all goods held in fulfillment warehouses in Canada, regardless of origin
– imposing corporate taxes on all corporations providing digital services in Canada, regardless of location

Veterans & Defense

The party advocates to support veterans at risk due to urgent and unexpected situations during the pandemic, providing an additional $600,000

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party believes that systemic issues in the criminal justice system have resulted in the overrepresentation of certain groups.

To counter that effect, the party advocates:

– allocating $6.6 million over 5 years and $1.6 million in ongoing support to implement assessments of the effects of race and culture on sentencing, and allow judges to consider systemic discrimination in sentencing offenders
– allocating $28.6 million over five years to support Community Justice Centre pilot projects in BC, Manitoba, and Ontario, to bring justice, health and social services together in addressing root cause of crime and divert non-violent offenders from incarceration

To help Canadians feel safer, the party advocates:

– allocation of $250 million over five years for municipalities, community-led initiatives, and Indigenous communities to support anti-gang programming
– allocating $238.5 million over 6 years, and $50 million in ongoing funding, to implement a national body camera program for RCMP officers, to improve transparency and accountability, and more effectively respond to concerns from racialized and Indigenous communities

Border Security

The party reports that:

– it restricted all non-essential cross-border travel, to help control the spread of COVID-19
– it required all incoming international travellers to quarantine upon arrival, and provided $322 million in 2020-21 to provide quarantine facilities at Canada’s four largest airports
– it provided a further $100 million in 2020-21 to support safe voluntary isolation in municipalities across Canada, for those who cannot safely isolate at home

The Role of Government

The party has released no official statement concerning its policies on the role of government.

Taxes & Budget

The party states that:

– it’s time to invest in communities and families, and to drive economic growth by redirecting public funds toward priorities like community infrastructure and transit, affordable housing, pharmacare, child care, and training
– half of all Canadians live within $200 of insolvency every month, while corporations and the richest Canadians get huge tax breaks.
– an NDP government will manage debt and deficits responsibly, borrowing where required to defend services depended on by Canadians, and moving to balance when prudent

The party advocates:

– using the Parliamentary Budget Office’s fiscal baseline over the next 10-year fiscal period to carefully focus on Canadians’ priorities and showing the courage to raise fair progressive revenues from those at the top to ensure that the national debt-to-GDP ratio falls over the 10-year fiscal horizon
– to protect everyday Canadians and force corporations and big polluters to pay a fair share, introduction of new, fair, and progressive tax sources
– closing tax loopholes, including elimination of bearer shares, compelling corporate proof of reasons for offshore transactions, and improving transparency on taxes paid by large corporations
– rolling back corporate tax rates to 2010 levels
– increasing capital gains inclusion rate to 75%
– boosting the top marginal tax rate to 35%
– implementing a new 1% wealth tax on wealth of over $1 million

 Government Programs and Services

The party advocates:

– implementing a Government Service guarantee to make create and maintain binding service standards for programs like Employment Insurance, veterans support, Indigenous services passports, CRA call centres
– restoring door-to-door mail deliver to all communities and protecting this service from future cuts

Accountability & Reform

The party advocates:

– replacement of the failed Phoenix pay system and ensuring that impacted workers are fairly compensated
– reducing the inefficient and costly practice of contracting out government work
– ending harassment in the federal workplace
– implementation of mied-member proportional representation, based on recommendations of an independent citizens’ committee
– following a first election under the new voting system, holding a referendum to confirm the choice
– lowering the voting age to 16
– in order to stop the spread of disinformation, and fake news online, holding social media platforms responsible to flag and disable fraudulent accounts and respond promptly to misbehavior such as threats, hate speech, and foreign influence

The party advocates:

– tougher penalties for violations of the Conflict of Interest Act
– banning all cash-for-access events and prohibiting all government officials from accepting donations from anyone whose private interest might be benefitted by decisions of the officials
– institute a public inquiry into alleged attempts by the Prime Minister to interfere in the Attorney General’s investigation
– to restrict improper influence, prohibiting lobbying by corporations facing criminal charges
– abolishing the Senate, and in the meantime barring it from holding up legislation which has already been adopted by Parliament
– introduction of an ethical social and environmental screen on government procurement
– empowering the Auditor General to review taxpayer-funded government advertising to ensure non-partisanship

Peace and International Relations

The party believes that Canadian interests are best served by a strong and principled foreign policy based on human rights, multilateralism, and the best interests of global peace and security.

The party advocates:

– support for nuclear disarmament
– recommitment to peacekeeping
– ensuring that Canadian-made weapons are not used to fuel conflict or human rights abuses abroad
– a just and lasting two-state solution for Israel and Palestine
– restoring foreign assistance by contributing 0.7% of Gross National Income to International aid
– working to do Canada’s share to help achieve the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals
– increased Canadian contributions to the Global Health Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria
– international promotion of the rights, security, and education of women and girls, including inclusion of women at peace conferences
– holding corporations to high standards of corporate social responsibility
– taking on a national role as global leaders in confronting the climate crisis 

Foreign Trade

The party states that Canadians expect foreign trade deals to be fair, respect human rights, protect the environment, and prioritize Canadians’ interest.

The party advocates:

– simplification of access by small- and medium-sized businesses to government export services, for entry into foreign markets
– seeking agreements that broaden opportunity in all areas of the country
– protection of supply management
– standing up against unfair tariffs
– improving transparency in trade negotiations, so that Canadians can clearly understand costs and benefits before proposed agreements are adopted
– resisting investor-state dispute settlement agreements that unfairly favor corporations and threaten health and safety
– resisting measures that could increase the cost of pharmaceuticals, weaken cultural protections, or undermine privacy rights
– to defend Canadian workers from unfair trade practices, modernizing Canada’s trade remedy system

National Defense & Veterans

The party states that:

– Canada’s military is responsible for defending Canada, keeping Canadians safe at home, and contributing to a more peaceful, stable world through operations abroad
– Canada needs to offer the best care and support possible to veterans, whenever they come home

The party advocates:

– ensuring that the Canadian military has the equipment, training, and support it needs for their difficult and dangerous work
– bringing Canadian search and rescue standards up to those of the rest of the world, and sufficient to meet needs in the North
– keeping shipbuilding procurement on time and on budget, and ensuring that it is spread fairly across the country
– basing fighter jet replacement on free and fair competition to acquire the best jets for Canada’s needs
– opposing privatization of Canadian Forces Bases
– a full review of benefits and working with veterans to determine the best way to provide the fair benefits to all veterans, including equal access to lifetime pensions
– to reduce backlog in veterans’ cases, providing one caseworker for every 25 veterans and improving delivery of online services
– assuring access to care and support to ease the transition from service to civilian life
– expanding educational and family caregiver benefits to more veterans
– automatically carry forward annual lapsed spending in Veteran Affairs to improve services

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

The party states that while every Canadian deserves to feel safe in their community, building a sense of community is more than the absence of crime – it includes ensuring that everyone matters, that the root causes of crime are addressed, and that everyone is treated fairly by the justice system.

The party advocates:

– working with provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments to support innovative models of community policing, and ensuring that the RCMP provides a harassment-free work environment
– ensuring that all major cities have dedicated hate crime units, and convening a national working group to counter online hate
– working to ensure that assault weapons and illegal handguns are kept off our streets, and talking gun smuggling and organized crime
– ensuring that communities have access to funding for anti-gang projects to deter gang enlistment
– working to prevent youth from falling pray to violent extremism
– to build emphasis for restorative justice, ensuring that victims have access to counselling, referrals, police and court-related services, and voices in decisions that impact their safety
– to protect national security, working with international allies, improving oversight of security services, and respecting the Charter rights of all Canadians
– in order to restore independence to the judiciary, allowing judges greater discretion in sentencing and reducing reliance on mandatory minimums
– in order to promote reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, ensuring that Gladue principles are consistently applied in court proceedings, and upholding the importance of community-based and restorative justice principles
– proactive expungement of criminal records for Canadians convicted of minor cannabis possession
– to protect the most vulnerable, increase federal funding for legal aid programs

Fiscal Stewardship

The party states that:

– in 2020-2021, the federal government recorded a $354 billion deficit, and Canada’s net debt surpassed $1 trillion (or $1000 billion) for the first time
– debt is expected to keep climbing with deficits of nearly $155 billion in 2021-2022, and $60 billion in 2022-23
– the past year’s deficit was entirely funded by money printed by the Bank of Canada, which is fueling inflation
– Canadians are paying for the deficit indirectly, through higher prices on all goods and services
– according to data published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, if current policies are not adjusted, the federal government will only balance its budget again in the year 2070

The party advocates:

– in order to avoid passing on debt to our children, aggressively cutting spending and balancing the budget as quickly as possible
– phase out all COVID spending programs and reversing new spending programs announced by the current government
– eliminating the deficit by the end of a first mandate through fiscal prudence and spending cuts, including corporate welfare ($5B-$10B), foreign development aid ($5B), CBC ($1B), equalization payments, and funding for programs which are provincial or municipal responsibilities
– depoliticising the tax system and making it simpler and fairer
– eliminating targeted tax measures that are inefficient and serve no compelling public policy purpose
– cutting personal income taxes, corporate taxes, and the personal capital gains tax after the deficit has been eliminated, over the course of several budgets, as the fiscal room is found to allow it

Parties, Territories & Municipalities

The party states that:

– the original purpose of the system of equalization payments was to ensure that all Canadians have access to a similar level of services from their provincial government, regardless of whether they live in richer or poorer provinces, and as a way to unite the country
– equalization payments encourage recipient provinces to maintain large public sectors, keep taxes high, and intervene more in their economies, which drives out investment and lowers employment and productivity, depriving them of incentives to make their economies more competitive and develop their natural resources
– provinces should not be receiving equalization payments for decades, just as individuals should not be receiving welfare cheques all their lives

The party advocates:

– reducing the total amount of equalization payments to provinces, and making sure that only the provinces with the greatest needs benefit from it
– establishment of a parliamentary committee to review and make recommendations on a new formula that will avoid the welfare trap and provide poorer provinces with the right incentives to adopt pro-growth, economic policies and reduce their dependence on federal money
– ensuring that the new formula respects our Constitution, makes provincial governments more responsible for their policy decisions, and is fair for citizens of all provinces

Interprovincial Trade

That party states that:

– More than a century and a half after Canada’s founding, Canadians still cannot buy, sell, or work freely within their own country. In order to protect local special interests, provincial governments have adopted all kinds of measures that erect barriers to trade and labour mobility
– in some cases, it is easier for a Canadian company to sell its product in another country than in another province or territory.  This hinders competition and impedes growth, while forcing Canadian consumers to pay more for good sand services
– Section 121 of the Constitution states that goods must be “admitted free into each of the other provinces.” However, in the 2018 Comeau case, the Supreme Court ruled that measures which have the effect of limiting trade are unconstitutional only if it can be demonstrated that this is their “primary purpose.” This level of proof would be extremely difficult to establish in most cases
– according to a recent Statistics Canada study, the level of trade within Canada corresponds to what would be expected if each province imposed a 7% tariff on “imports” of goods and services from other provinces
– a 2016 study published in the Canadian Journal of Economics concluded that interprovincial trade barriers cost Canadians roughly $100 billion in lost economic opportunities annually, equivalent to $7,500 per household every year

The party advocates:

– reasserting the authority and leadership of the federal government on internal trade
– use of section 91(2) of the Constitution, which gives Ottawa exclusive power to regulate matters of international and interprovincial trade, to force provinces to apply the principle of mutual recognition where applicable
– appointment of a Minister of Internal Trade whose sole responsibility will be to conduct studies, raise public awareness, counteract the influence of special interests that benefit from interprovincial barriers, and put pressure on provincial governments to get rid of them

International Relations

The party states that:

– the exclusive priority of the government of Canada on the international scene should be to manage our relations with other countries in order to protect and further the interests of Canadians
– however, there is a trend to dilute national sovereignty, and to favour increased international policy coordination as well as the redistribution of wealth from rich to poor countries under the supervision of the United Nations
– over the past several years Canada has signed many UN treaties, accords and compacts on issues ranging from global warming to migration and sustainable development, that tie us to this corrosive globalist agenda
– the United Nations is a dysfunctional organisation where non-democratic countries, because of their large numbers, have the most influence
– existing aid programs discourage enterprise and innovation in poorer countries, creating a cycle of dependency and helping authoritarian governments stay in power

The party advocates:

– promoting a common-sense foreign policy focused on the security and prosperity of Canadians, not an ideological approach that compromises our interests
– continuing to work closely with our allies to maintain a peaceful international order, while avoiding  foreign conflicts unless we have a compelling strategic interest in being involved
– prioritizing relations with our main trading and defence partner, and work with the Biden administration, or whoever occupies the White House, to reinforce our friendship and cooperation
– withdraw from all UN commitments, including the Global Compact on Migrations and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, that threaten our sovereignty, and reduce our presence in UN institutions to a minimum
– liberalize trade with as many countries as possible, while ensuring our security and protecting our economy from the threat of potentially hostile foreign investors
– saving billions of dollars by phasing out development aid, and focusing Canadian international assistance exclusively on emergency humanitarian action in cases such as health crises, major conflicts and natural disasters

Defense & Veterans’ Affairs

The party states that:

– successive governments have starved our military forces of funds, equipment and support, and broken their trust with those who made an exceptional personal commitment to put life and limb at risk in the interests of the nation
– until 2006, veterans injured or disabled during military service received a tax-free lifetime disability pension under the Pension Act, as determined by a veteran’s disability assessment, including support and survivor benefits for spouses and dependent children
– the New Veterans Charter replaced those pensions with a one-time lump sum disability payout that is wholly inadequate, leaving many injured and disabled veterans in dire financial straits
– the Parliamentary Budget Officer has calculated that the Pension for Life provides the average veteran lifetime payments less than one third of what would have been provided under the Pension Act

The party advocates:

– to recognize and respect the unique sacrifices of those who serve and have served in Canada’s Armed Forces, enshrining in legislation the country’s obligations to our veterans in a Military Covenant between the government and those who serve in the Armed Forces
– reinstating the fair disability pension as previously provided for by the Pension Act. The pension will apply retroactively to 2006 and lump sum payments received since then will be treated as advance payments
– a line-by-line review of the New Veterans Charter (including the Enhanced New Veterans Charter Act of 2011), to determine which policies and programs should be retained, simplify the system and make it easier to navigate
– reemphasizing the legislative guarantee of the “Benefit of doubt” standard under the Pension Act

Public Safety

The party states that:

– current refugee policy risks erasing  national borders
–  in 2018, Canada welcomed more resettled refugees than any other Western country, and as many as all of the European Union
– it is concerned that the UN’s Global Compact for Migration, which was signed last year by the current government, aims to normalize this kind of situation
– since early 2017, more than 45,000 migrants have illegally entered Canada, mainly at Roxham Road in Quebec
– a report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer found that the federal government spends on average about $14,000for each asylum seeker crossing into Canada outside of official border points. The total annual cost for federal agencies to process these claims is expected to reach $396 million in 2019-2020

The party advocates:

– taking every measure necessary, in partnership with our American neighbours, to stop the flow of illegal migrants at the US-Canadian border
– declaring the whole border an official port of entry for the purposes of refugee claims to send back to the US anyone trying to enter Canada illegally
– fencing off the areas where illegal border jumping is prevalent, such as Roxham Road in Quebec
– relying on private sponsorships instead of having the government pay for all the costs of resettling refugees in Canada
– ending reliance on the United Nations for refugee selection
– giving priority to refugees belonging to persecuted groups who have nowhere to go in neighbouring countries, for example Christians, Yazidis, and members of other minority religions in majority Muslim countries; members of the Ahmadi community, and other Muslims in these countries who are persecuted because they reject political Islam and adhere to Western values; and members of sexual minorities
– taking Canada out of the UN’s Global Compact for Migration

Firearms

The party states that:

– although the Firearms Act was amended in 2012 to repeal the long gun registry, it continues to classify firearms into different categories for reasons which frequently have nothing to do with their function, and allows firearms to be assigned new classifications at the whim of a bureaucrat, so that what is legal one day can become illegal the next

The party advocates:
– protecting society from the criminal misuse of firearms and prioritizing the deterrence and punishment of criminals while providing a legal framework that protects the property rights of firearm owners and treats them with fairness and respect
–  replacing the Firearms Act and supporting legislation with new legislation that will prioritize effective measures to improve public safety and fight crime in Canada
– replacing the costly and burdensome licensing system with an efficient lifetime certification system for firearms owners following mandatory vetting, safety training and testing
– requiring that all firearms categories be based on function, not on looks or arbitrary political whims, and remove restrictions which unfairly target sport shooters, but have no deterrent effect on criminals
– mandating that all future changes to firearms regulation be completed through Parliament only, so that neither the RCMP nor bureaucrats are enabled to reclassify arms without the approval of Parliament