When I was growing up, my parents taught me a lot about living by key values. Solidarity. Hard work. Selflessness. Working together and helping each other.

Those values drive me every day as I fight for affordable childcare, good jobs and retirement security for Canadian families.

My parents taught me the value of hard work. To play by the rules and to work for – to earn – what you need to get by in life.

Like all middle-class families my parents made choices: what do we need? And how much of it can we afford?

And I know this is the reality that most Canadians grapple with every day.

Canadians expect their government, and those who want to lead it, to be guided by this same principle.

As the second oldest of 10 children, I know the importance of making ends meet.

I know how important having a good job is to providing for your family. For a sense of security, to build for the future, and to make sure your family gets ahead.

My opponents in this election have the wrong priorities for Canada.

Mr. Harper’s plan just isn’t working. After promising to balance the budget, he has run eight straight deficits, and added $150 billion to our national debt.

Because of his failed approach, we’ve lost 400,000 good-paying manufacturing jobs. These were family-supporting jobs.

There are 200,000 more Canadians out of work than before the last recession.

And Stephen Harper told us he would clean up the scandals and do things differently. Instead he replaced Liberal corruption with Conservative corruption.

He has broken the trust Canadians placed in him. Canada cannot afford Stephen Harper’s failed plan.

And we cannot afford to go back to the Liberals’ failed approach. Justin Trudeau hasn’t met expectations and is still unsure about his priorities. He just doesn’t have a serious plan to grow our economy, though this week he announced a plan to grow our national debt.

Mr. Trudeau promised to do things differently. Well I think proposing 11 years of deficits - instead of Stephen Harper’s eight - isn’t different enough.

Politicians that give up on balancing the budget are giving up on Canadians.

My experience at the Cabinet table taught me an important lesson. When you’re in a hole, the first thing you have to do is stop digging.

The NDP has the best record of balanced budgets of any party in Canada.

This proud tradition is based on our belief that only by living within our means can we afford to have the social programs Canadians believe in.

Our plan will strengthen our economy by reducing the small business tax from 11 to 9 per cent, helping manufacturers create more jobs, and investing in growth.

And our plan will deliver for families by investing in healthcare, creating one million new, high-quality childcare spaces at no more than $15 a day, increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and lifting 200,000 seniors out of poverty by increasing GIS and returning the age of eligibility for Old Age Security to 65 from 67.

After ten years of Stephen Harper’s failed plan, more and more Canadians are ready to bring change to Ottawa. They’re ready for a government with the right priorities. They’re ready for a concrete plan that helps middle-class families get ahead.

The NDP is ready too.

- Tom Mulcair is the leader of the NDP.