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