ELECTION 2015
NDP
Tom Mulcair vowed that an NDP government would devote $ 250 million to a police- recruitment fund in its first four- year mandate. This upfront investment would be followed by $ 100 million in annual, ongoing funding, the NDP leader added.
The money would put 2,500 more front- line police officers on the streets in communities across Canada, he said. “Gangs, street violence, gun violence in Surrey have now reached epidemic levels,” said Mulcair. “Our plan will focus on providing increased, ongoing funding for policing in Canadian communities.”
Liberals
Under a Liberal government, one million employees would have the right to request flexible work hours to help them balance the demands of work and family, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said.
Trudeau said his party would ensure all employees covered by federal labour law would have the legal right to ask their bosses for flexibility in their workday start and finish times, as well as the ability to work from home.
While employees would have the right to ask for more flexible work hours, there is nothing in the Liberal plan that would require employers to grant the request. “The employee is allowed to ask and the employer needs to formally respond in writing to that request,” Trudeau said.
Conservatives
Stephen Harper hammered home his economic message in London, Ont.
“I think our record is pretty solid in lowering taxes for small business,” Harper said. “The other guys have consistently argued we should be massively increasing our spending levels … and we all know that will be paid for in terms of higher deficits, higher debt, higher taxes.”
Harper used his London stop to re- announce a commitment to cut red tape for small business and entrepreneurs. The Conservatives promise to launch crosscountry consultations on the reforms if they are re- elected on Oct. 19.
Bloc Quebecois
Gilles Duceppe accused Ottawa of blocking efforts to get supervised drug- injection sites in Quebec. Duceppe described it as “a rare occasion where there’s unanimity in Quebec” — against Ottawa and what he called its repressive approach. He called on Health Canada to “get out of the way” and grant Quebec an exemption.