2019 federal election platform tracker: Where the major parties stand so far

The Strategists: NDP and Bloc worth watching as kingmakers of minority government

Canadian voters will head to the polls on Oct. 21 after what is expected to be a heated federal election campaign.

Jon Erlichman and Greg Bonnell will kick off BNN Bloomberg’s special coverage with ELECTION 2019 at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT. They’ll be joined by a range of prominent investors and business leaders including PIMCO's Ed Devlin, Mattamy Homes' Peter Gilgan, OMX's Nicole Verkindt, Martinrea's Rob Wildeboer, and former TransCanada CEO Hal Kvisle.

From 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT onward, BNN Bloomberg will air the CTV ELECTION 2019 special and stream it on BNNBloomberg.ca.

Here’s a look at what each of the parties have promised so far on the major issues affecting the economy, business and your finances. BNN Bloomberg will keep this platform guide updated as more details are announced.

Latest update: Oct. 21, 2019

FISCAL PLAN

Bloc Quebecois

No specific proposals to date

Conservatives

Balance the budget in five years by taking a “measured approach to spending growth”

Deficit would peak at $23 billion in 2020, before dropping to $5 billion in 2023, moving into a surplus in 2024.

Cut consultant costs, scale back travel and hospitality, and sell federal real estate to downsize government spending. The party estimates savings will reach $5 billion in the fifth year of the plan.

Greens

Liberals

Make new investments amounting to $9.3 billion in 2020-21, rising to $17 billion by 2023-24

Increase the deficit to $27.4 billion next year before reducing it to $21 billion by 2023-24

Lower the debt-to-GDP ratio to 30.2 per cent by 2023, from 30.9 per cent in 2020-21

Preserve Canada’s AAA credit rating

NDP

Run a deficit of $32.7 billion in 2020-21 (including a contingency fund) before lowering it to $16.6 billion in 2023-24.

Says debt-to-GDP ratio (including contingency fund) would fall to 30 per cent by 2023-24 from 31.3 per cent in 2020-21.

People’s Party of Canada

Balance the budget within two years





HOUSING

Bloc Quebecois

Wants more funding for social and affordable housing in Quebec

Conservatives

Propose changing mortgage stress tests for first-time homebuyers and reviewing the removal of the test from mortgage renewals

Increase amortization periods on insured mortgages to 30 years for first-time buyers

Launch an inquiry into money laundering in real estate

Make federal real estate available for housing developments

Greens

Legislate housing as a legally protected fundamental human right for all Canadians and permanent residents

Appoint a Minister of Housing to strengthen the National Housing Strategy so it meets the needs of affordable housing in each province

Eliminate the first-time home buyer incentive recently implemented by the Liberals

Restore tax incentives for building purpose-built rental housing and provide tax credits for gifts of lands to community land trusts to provide affordable housing

Refocus the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s mandate on supporting the development of affordable, non-market and cooperative housing, as opposed to one of its primary activities of providing mortgage loan insurance

Liberals

Introduce federal speculation tax on non-residents and a higher cap on the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive, which was implemented in early September.

Increased the amount first-time buyers can withdraw from their RRSPs to $35,000 from $25,000 in budget 2019.

NDP

Spend $5 billion building 500,000 affordable homes

Allocate $125 million each year to removing GST from the construction of new rental units

Re-introduce 30-year terms for insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers

Double the first-time homebuyers’ tax credit to $1,500

Implement a 15 per cent foreign buyers' tax on purchases of residential property by foreign corporations or people who are not citizens or permanent residents

Work with provinces to create a public beneficial ownership registry to increase transparency about who owns properties in an effort to stop money laundering

Offer up to $5,000 in rental subsidies for nearly 500,000 families struggling to pay for housing

People’s Party of Canada

No specific pledges to date





SUPPLY MANAGEMENT

Bloc Quebecois

Introduce a bill to protect supply management in future trade agreements

Conservatives

Scheer has expressed support for supply management

Greens

Protect supply management and ensure that products that are banned in Canada are not imported in food from other countries

Liberals

Support supply management, which became a sticking point in the new North American Free Trade Agreement talks. Canadian negotiators ultimately conceded, and under the new pact, which has yet to be ratified by all three countries’ lawmakers, Americans will be allowed to ship more milk to Canada’s protected dairy market.

Trudeau has pledged $1.75 billion over eight years to compensate dairy farmers affected by free trade agreements with Europe and countries on the Pacific Rim. The Liberals have promised a similar program when the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement comes into force.

NDP

Vows to protect supply management

People’s Party of Canada

Phase out supply management over a number of years

Allow Canada’s dairy, egg and poultry farmers to sell their products internationally





PERSONAL TAXES

Bloc Quebecois

Wants Revenu Québec to collect federal income taxes, rather than the Canada Revenue Agency, so that Quebeckers only have to file one return

Conservatives

Greens

Close tax loopholes that benefit the wealthy, such as ones on executive stock options and capital gains

Liberals

Cap employee stock option deductions for high-income earners in large and mature companies to $200,000 annually (as per 2019 budget)

Raise basic personal amount to $15,000

Introduce a 10-per-cent tax on luxury cars, boats, and personal aircraft valued at $100,000 or more

NDP

Expects $5.6 billion in revenue in 2020-21 from the “super-wealth tax” that applies a one-per-cent tax to those worth over $20 million

Sees eventual $709-million revenue gain from a 12-per-cent luxury tax on aircraft, boats, and vehicles valued over $100,000

Sees $8 billion in revenue in 2020-21 by raising capital gains rate to year 2000 levels

Increase the amount of investment profits subject to capital gains taxation to 75 per cent, the rate that was in place in 2000, from 50 per cent

For Canadians making over $210,000, will increase the top marginal tax rate by two points to 35 per cent, raising over half a billion dollars annually.

People’s Party of Canada

Abolish the capital gains tax

Cut the federal tax to 15 per cent on income between $15,001 and $100,000, and 25 per cent tax rate on income above $100,000





CORPORATE TAXES

Bloc Quebecois

Require global technology giants to pay a three-per-cent tax on Canadian revenue, similar to that in France

Crack down on large corporations’ use of tax havens by reviewing the Canada Revenue Agency’s role and the country’s tax agreements with such jurisdictions

Conservatives

Remove some of the subsidies given to businesses in an effort to save $1.5 billion in costs

Tax large tech companies that host social media platforms, search engines, or online marketplaces. The levy would apply to companies that have worldwide revenues over $1 billion and revenues in Canada over $50 million with a three-per-cent tax on revenues. The party estimates $2.5 billion in revenue over five years.

Greens

End offshore tax dodging by taxing funds hidden in offshore havens and requiring companies to prove that foreign affiliates are actual functioning businesses

Apply a corporate tax on transnational e-commerce firms doing business in Canada by requiring the foreign vendor to register, collect and remit taxes where the product or service is consumed

Eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies, including payments and tax write-offs, including the accelerated capital cost allowance on liquefied natural gas and tax write-offs for oil and gas wells

Increase the federal corporate tax rate from 15 to 21 per cent

Charge a five-per-cent surtax on commercial bank profits. Credit unions, caisses populaires and co-ops would be exempt

Implement a “robot tax” that companies would have to pay every time they replace a worker with a machine. The revenue would be used to fund educational and retraining programs for workers

Liberals

Ensure multinational tech giants pay corporate tax on revenue they generate in Canada. This proposal would introduce a three-per-cent income tax on businesses in certain sectors of the digital economy with worldwide revenues of at least $1 billion and Canadian revenues of more than $40 million, beginning on April 1, 2020.

Cut in half corporate taxes for businesses that develop technologies or manufacture products that produce zero emissions

NDP

Will roll corporate tax cuts back to 18 per cent (2010 levels) while maintaining the small business tax rate at its current level

Expects $2.3 billion in revenue from taxing large internet giants such as Netflix and Google on digital services and advertising

Sees $46 million in revenue in 2020-21 from eliminating stock option loopholes

People’s Party of Canada

Lower corporate income tax rate to 10 per cent from 15 per cent

End corporate welfare

Expand the Accelerated Capital Cost Allowance program to all sectors





JOBS AND ECONOMY

Bloc Quebecois

Implement measures to protect Quebec jobs and corporations from foreign takeovers

Launch an investment fund aimed at promoting the province’s high-tech sectors such as gaming, green technology, aerospace and pharamceutical

Offer a remediation agreement with SNC-Lavalin

Establish a tax credit for young graduates who move to Quebec, matching an existing provincial credit

Transfer responsibility for the foreign workers program from Ottawa to Quebec

Establish incentives to hire Aboriginal workers

Establish loans and loan guarantee programs for companies looking to automate in the face of labour shortages

Plan to consult with unions and socio-economic groups on adjusted taxation and reduced tax rate for overtime work

Conservatives

Appoint a Quebec Minister of Canada Economic Development and a political minister from Quebec

Launch a judicial inquiry into the Liberal government’s involvement in SNC-Lavalin’s criminal prosecution

Shelve the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which the Liberals gave $35 billion in funding to over 10 years to finance infrastructure projects. Instead, the Conservatives promise to prioritize spending on projects that reduce commute times

Spend $187 billion on infrastructure investments over 15 years instead of the 12 years currently promised by the Liberals.

Greens

Develop a Sustainable Generations Fund to invest in green trades and apprenticeship training, as well as education facilities

Enhance the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy by creating a Community and Environment Service Corps. that will provide $1 billion annually to municipalities to hire Canadian youth

Study the impact of adopting a shorter work week

Ban unpaid internships in private sector workplaces

Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour

Implement a “robot tax” that companies would have to pay every time they replace a worker with a machine. The revenue would be used to fund educational and retraining programs for workers

Liberals

Extend EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks at a cost of $507 million by 2023-24; implement a new Career Insurance Benefit for people who have worked continuously for the same employer for five or more years, and are laid off when the business closes

Aim to award at least five per cent of federal contracts to businesses led by Indigenous Peoples

Add an additional $9 million over three years to help more visible minority newcomer women find work

NDP

Ensure part-time and contract workers are compensated equally to full-time workers

Establish a federal minimum wage of $15 per hour

Ban unpaid internships outside of education programs

Replace the troubled Phoenix pay system for federal government employees

Create a National Automotive Strategy with all levels of government and industry leaders to help retain jobs and attract investment.

Restore the Automotive Innovation Fund and prioritize made-in-Canada vehicles.

Give Export Development Canada a stronger mandate.

People’s Party of Canada

Limit the number of temporary foreign workers

Privatize Canada Post

Privatize airports





ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

Bloc Quebecois

Promises to end fossil fuel subsidies

Committed to meeting the Paris Agreement targets on climate change, and has goals to exceed them

The party is against the proposed Energy East pipeline that would have run through Quebec, and wants to have a veto over any pipeline that would need to go through the province

Conservatives

Repeal Bill C-69, which overhauls the review process for resource projects in Canada

End Bill C-48, which bans oil tankers that are carrying more than 12 500 metric tons of crude oil along northern British Columbia

Enact legislation to clarify roles of proponents and governments in consultations

End foreign-funded interference in regulatory hearings

Provide certainty on approval timelines and schedules

Eliminate the Trudeau government’s carbon tax

Introduce a 20 per cent refundable tax credit for anyone who spends between $1,000 and $20,000 on energy-saving home renovations

Create a national energy corridor that would carry oil, gas, hydroelectricity and telecommunications from coast-to-coast. The Conservatives say the plan would help the federal government address environmental concerns upfront, increase investor certainty and help get critical projects built

Greens

Upgrade Canada Post’s fleet to electric vehicles

Broaden postal carriers’ mandate to check in on those who live alone or have mobility issues, particularly during extreme weather events

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2030 and to zero by 2050

Cancel the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion

Make electric vehicles affordable, expand charging stations and ban the purchase of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030

Mandate energy retrofits for all buildings by 2030

Regulate the CPP Investment Board to require divestment of coal, oil and gas shares

Liberals

NDP

Create a publicly-funded "climate bank" to increase clean energy investments

Build an east-west corridor to carry clean energy across Canada

Expand federal funding by $2.5 billion for diaster relief and adapting infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events

Introduce federal incentives for zero-emissions automobiles

Electrify transit and other municipal fleets by 2030.

Power Canada with net carbon-free electricity by 2030 and move to 100 per cent non-emitting electricity by 2050

Ban single-use plastics.

Continue carbon pricing, including rebates to households that fall under the federal backstop plan; roll back the breaks to big polluters

Create a $40-million Coastal Protection Fund to defend wild salmon, remove derelict vessels, clean up the coast, and improve Coast Guard equipment and training

Allocate $1.5 billion for green transit and transportation spending each year

Generate $611 million in revenue in 2020-21 from eliminating fossil fuel subsidies

People's Party of Canada

Find a private buyer for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project

Repeal Bill C-48 and Bill C-69

Scrap the federal carbon tax

Withdraw from the Paris Accord, an international agreement to fight climate change signed in 2016

Remove subsidies for green technology

Canada's carbon tax emerges as election-year battleground The federal government is set to impose a carbon tax on the four provinces unwilling to enact a framework of their own, a hot-button plan that's emerging as an election-year issue. For more, BNN Bloomberg spoke with Evan Solomon, host of CTV Question Period.





TRADE

Bloc Quebecois

Has criticized the new NAFTA, CETA and TPP for its impact on Quebec’s producers. The party has said it will introduce a bill to protect supply management in future trade agreements

Conservatives

Work with provinces to implement an Interprovincial Free Trade Agreement (IFTA)

Appoint a Minister of Interprovincial Trade, who would be responsible for leading negotiations and implementing the IFTA

Greens

Revamp national trade policy to align with national and international climate change plans

Renegotiate Canada’s trade and investment agreements to remove the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions that give foreign firms the ability to challenge government laws and policies

Liberals

Create a Canada Free Trade Tribunal to help resolve cases involving domestic trade barriers

Introduce a Canada Commercial Consular Service to connect companies that encounter significant trade disputes with local legal assistance

NDP

Modernize Canada’s trade remedy system and make sure that trade unions have full standing in trade cases and the ability to initiate disputes, as is the case in other countries.

Improve transparency during trade negotiations

Will require use of Canadian steel and aluminum for infrastructure projects across the country

People’s Party of Canada

Use section 91(2) of the Constitution to give Ottawa exclusive power to regulate matters of international and interprovincial trade

Appoint a Minister of Internal Trade to conduct studies, raise public awareness, and remove interprovincial trade barriers





CHILD CARE

Bloc Quebecois

No specific proposals to date

Conservatives

Give parents who adopt children under the age of 18 an additional 15 weeks of EI-funded leave so they have a full year off of work

Greens

Increase federal child care funding to at least one per cent of GDP annually, adding an additional $1 billion each year until the benchmark is reached

Eliminate all GST on all construction costs related to child-care spaces

Liberals

Boost the Canada Child Benefit by 15 per cent for children under the age of one, and make maternity and parental leave benefits tax-free

Create up to 250,000 more before and after school spaces for kids under the age of 10

NDP

Spend $10 billion over next four years to create 500,000 new child-care spaces across the country

Allow new parents to condense their EI benefits so they can take shorter parental leaves while still receiving the full benefit

Spend $1 billion in the first year of power to work toward universal child care, with the cost rising by $1 billion each year

People’s Party of Canada

No specific pledges to date

What the major parties are planning to do to help cover your childcare costs BNN Bloomberg speaks with David Macdonald, senior economist at Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), about the costs of raising a family and what policy can do to help.





RETIREMENT AND SENIORS

Bloc Quebecois

Provide employers with a tax credit for training and retaining workers who are 65 and older

Create an income support benefit for older workers

Provide tax incentives for seniors who choose to remain in the workforce beyond their retirement age

Conservatives

Offer incentives to Quebec retirees who want to go back to work

Increase the Age Tax Credit to save seniors over the age of 65 up to $150 and couples as much as $300 per year

Greens

Over time, increase the Canada Pension Plan’s target income replacement rate from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of income received during working years

Protect private pensions by amending the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to establish the pre-eminence of pensioners during company insolvency proceedings

Liberals

Boost old age security by an extra 10 per cent once a person turns 75

Increase the Canada Pension Plan survivor's benefit by 25 per cent

NDP

Protect the pensions of workers/ retirees by cracking down on pension theft

Spend $500 million by 2023-24 on increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)

Spend $45 million in the first year making the Caregiver Tax Credit refundable, up to $60 million by 2023-24

People’s Party of Canada

No specific pledges to date





PHARMACARE AND HEALTHCARE

Bloc Quebecois

Work to reduce the price of brand-name drugs by removing the United States as a reference for determining the price of all drugs

Conservatives

Spend $1.5 billion to buy new medical imaging equipment for facilities across Canada

Maintain and increase the Canada Health Transfer, which provides long-term healthcare funding to the provinces and territories

Greens

Enact pharmacare for all by 2020

Declare a national health emergency to address the opioid crisis

Liberals

Invest $6 billion over the next four years to kickstart negotiations with the provinces aimed at improving a range of health-care services, including discussions on national pharmacare

The government introduced steps toward a national pharmacare program, including the creation of a new Canadian Drug Agency to coordinate purchases of prescription drugs and make high-cost drugs for rare diseases more affordable (as per 2019 budget)

NDP

Spend to $10 billion a year to create a national pharmacare program that provides comprehensive coverage to everyone in Canada by 2020

Spend $1.9 billion in 2020-21 on extending public dental coverage for households making less than $70,000 per year

People’s Party of Canada

Replace 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

Provincial divisions pose a problem for national pharmacare: Consultant National pharmacare could prove to be a key battle issue in the upcoming federal election, but provincial divisions could complicate any such plan. For more on this, BNN Bloomberg spoke with Mark Satov, founder of Satov Consultants.





IMMIGRATION

Bloc Quebecois

Introduce a bill to ensure that those who are applying for citizenship in Quebec have sufficient knowledge of French

Require the federal government to grant Quebec a veto on any federal decision to expel refugees

Suspend Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S.

Allow Quebec to impose conditions for granting permanent residence

Conservatives

Renegotiate the Safe-Third Country Agreement with the United States and put an end to illegal border crossings at unofficial points of entry

Improve language training, credential recognition and make it easier for new Canadians who have existing skills that meet the country’s standards to apply their trades

Will prioritize people facing true persecution

Move existing Immigration and Refugee Board judges to common illegal border crossing points.

Hire an additional 250 border guards.

“Listen carefully to provinces” on immigration issues, including a willingness to discuss the foreign resident selection with the Quebec government and possible amendments to the Canada-Quebec Accord on Immigration.

Greens

Ensure professionals being considered for immigration have licensing requirements for their professions clearly explained before entry

Allocate greater funding for training in official languages for new immigrants

Eliminate the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and address labour shortages by increasing immigration, working with employers to establish paths to permanent residency

Terminate Canada’s Safe Third Country Agreement with the U.S.

Liberals

Establish a Municipal Nominee Program to allow local communities, chambers of commerce, and local labour councils to sponsor permanent immigrants directly

Make the Atlantic Immigration Pilot permanent

Make it free for permanent residents to apply for Canadian citizenship at a cost of $110 million by 2023-24

NDP

Work with the provinces to address gaps in settlement services and improve foreign credentials recognition.

End cap on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents; take on the backlogs that delay reunification

People’s Party of Canada

Lower the number of immigrants and refugees Canada accepts to 150,000, down from 350,000

Make birth tourism illegal

TECHNOLOGY

Bloc Quebecois

Require global technology giants to pay a three-per-cent tax on Canadian revenue, similar to that in France

Impose GST on online advertising in an effort to protect local media publishers

Conservatives

Establish a cabinet committee on cyber security and data privacy

Create a “Canada Cyber Safe” brand to ensure consumers know when products have met certain security standards

Ensure companies collecting electronic data receive informed consent from Canadians

Greens

Mandate more affordable cell phone and internet plans

Implement corporate tax on e-commerce companies like Netflix

Enact provisions to protect consumers and investors from fraud and theft in cryptocurrencies

Strengthen digital privacy laws with measures such as prohibiting warrantless intrusions on Canadians’ communications, banning cyber surveillance programs that use bulk data collection, requiring companies to respect the “right to be forgotten,” and making data breach reporting mandatory for government departments, companies, banks and political parties

Implement a “robot tax” that companies would have to pay every time they replace a worker with a machine. The revenue would be used to fund educational and retraining programs for workers

Liberals

Reduce cell phone bills by 25 per cent

Introduce “Canada’s Digital Charter,” overseen by the Privacy Commissioner, to establish a new set of online rights around privacy and data collection

NDP

Work with international allies to deal with threats to national security, including cyber crime

Enforce a price cap to make sure that Canadians aren’t paying more than the global average for their cell phone and internet bills

Spend $750 million in 2020-21 on providing quality cell service, additional $500 million in each of the following years

People’s Party of Canada

Phase out the CRTC, and allow more foreign competition in the telecom industry

EDUCATION

Bloc Quebecois

Intends to call for increased funding for university research

Conservatives

Increase Ottawa's contribution to the registered education savings plan to 30 per cent from 20 per cent for every dollar added, up to $2,500 per year

Greens

Make college and university tuition free for all Canadian students

Forgive the portion of existing student debt that is held by the federal government

Liberals

No specific proposals to date

NDP

Spend $278 million removing interest from fedral student loans in first year of power, up to $542 million by 2023-24

SMALL BUSINESS

Bloc Quebecois

Promote the succession of small- and medium-sized enterprises by modifying tax rules to encourage the transfer of companies to the next generation

Establish a fund that would encourage entrepreneurs to develop their business in Quebec rather than sell their patents

Conservatives

Repeal tax increases on small business investments implemented by the Liberal government

Exempt spouses from tax increases on small business dividends

Reduce federal regulations by 25 per cent and assign a minister dedicated to red tape reduction efforts

Greens

Maintain the current level of taxation for small business

Liberals

End “swipe fees” for GST and HST that merchants must pay to credit card firms every time one is used

Create the Canada Entrepreneur Account, which would provide up to 2,000 entrepreneurs every year with as much as $50,000 to launch a new business

NDP

Tackle high credit card merchant fees

Add new legislation to end the unfair tax treatment of family transfers of small businesses

People’s Party of Canada

No specific pledges to date

CANNABIS

Bloc Quebecois

No specific proposals to date

Conservatives

No specific proposals to date

Greens

Introduce measures aimed at removing obstacles to cannabis production and sales. These include: lowering the federal price for cannabis to make it competitive with illegal sources, eliminating excess plastic packaging requirements, removing sales tax on medicinal pot, and imposing organic production standards.

Liberals

Under new regulations, cannabis edibles, extracts and topical products will become legal by Oct. 17. However, the products are not expected to hit legal retail stores until mid-December.

NDP

No specific proposals to date

People’s Party of Canada

No specific proposals to date

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this post included incorrect information about the NDP’s proposed threshold for a tax on luxury aircraft, boats, and vehicles. BNN Bloomberg regrets the error.