Key issues: a voter’s guide
What do the three main parties stand for? The Ottawa Citizen’s Jason Fekete offers a guide to some key policy differences:
TAX BREAKS
Conservatives
Stephene Harper’s party, before the campaign, introduced a “family tax cut,” which allows couples with children to split up to $50,000 of income for tax purposes.
The Tories have boosted the annual contribution limit for tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) to $10,000 from $5,500.
They have lowered the federal corporate tax rate to 15 per cent and promise to reduce the small business tax rate to nine per cent from the current 11 per cent by 2019.
NDP
Tom Mulcair’s party would cancel income-splitting.
It would reverse changes to TFSA limits, saying the increase mostly benefits the wealthy.
It would increase the income tax rate on large corporations to 17 per cent from 15 per cent on Jan. 1, which it expects will generate $3.7 billion annually to help pay for promises.
Liberals
Justin Trudeau’s party would cut the middle class income tax bracket to 20.5 per cent from 22 per cent and increase taxes on the rich with a new tax bracket of 33 per cent for incomes over $200,000.
A Liberal government would cancel income splitting and the TFSA increase.
The Liberals would leave the corporate tax rate at 15 per cent. The party supports lowering the small business tax rate to nine per cent.
BUDGETS
Conservatives
The Conservatives balanced the books a year ahead of schedule, with a $1.9-billion surplus in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Their April budget projected balanced budgets over the next five years.
NDP
Mulcair promises to balance the books for four consecutive years, beginning in 2016-17.
Liberals
The Liberals would axe the balanced budget law to allow for three years of deficits totalling $25 billion to invest in infrastructure to help spur the economy.
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Conservatives
The government agreed to limited concessions in some sensitive areas, including supply-managed dairy and poultry sectors, and automobiles and auto parts. Mulcair says he would not implement the deal. Trudeau says a Liberal government would scrutinize the deal, but hints the party supports it.
CHILD CARE
Conservatives
They increased the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCB) to $160 a month for children under age six, up from $100, and added a new monthly benefit of $60 for children aged six to 17. They promised up to 18 months of job protection for new parents and the option to stretch employment insurance parental benefits over 18 months.
NDP
The NDP would maintain the UCCB benefit increases and is promising a $15-a-day national daycare program.
Liberals
The Liberals would axe the UCB and introduce a new tax-free monthly Canada Child Benefit that would boost payments to all families with annual incomes below $150,000.
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Conservatives
The government increased the qualifying age for Old Age Security to 67 from 65, saying it was necessary to ensure the financial sustainability of the program. The Conservatives now say they’ll examine ways for workers to voluntarily contribute more to the Canada Pension Plan.
NDP
The NDP is promising to return OAS eligibility age to 65, and would invest an additional $400 million in the guaranteed income supplement for the poorest seniors. The party says it would modestly increase CPP contributions and benefits.
Liberals
They have vowed to repeal the decision to increase OAS eligibility age to 67 and promised to increase contributions and benefits for the CPP.
F-35 J ETS
Conservatives
They have delayed a decision on the possible purchase of F-35 fighter jets or any other replacement aircraft for CF-18s until after the election.
NDP
Mulcair says the NDP would define what Canada needs to replace the CF-18s, and launch a process to them rapidly.
Liberals
Trudeau says he would not buy the F-35 and instead would purchase more affordable aircraft through an open procurement process.
REFUGEES
Conservatives
The Conservatives proposed in mid-August to resettle an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees by 2018, on top of 10,000 announced in January. They later promised to expedite the system to allow 10,000 refugees by September 2016.
NDP
The NDP would accept 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year, and another 9,000 per year over the following years.
Liberals
The party is promising to immediately welcome 25,000 Syrian refugees.
TERROR
Conservatives
The Tories have committed to the military mission against ISIL, sending CF-18 fighter jets to Iraq and Syria for bombing missions.
The government passed Bill C-51, which provides new powers to CSIS to expand surveillance and disrupt threats to security.
NDP
Mulcair has promised the NDP would end Canada’s participation in the bombing campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, as well as withdraw military trainers from Iraq.
It would repeal Bill C-51.
Liberals
The Liberals have committed to end the military mission in Iraq and Syria and focus the military’s contribution on the training of local forces.
The Liberals voted in favour of C-51, but would make several amendments.