Canadians across the country will head to the polls on September 20 to vote in the 2021 election. While some may have a clear idea of where their vote lies, others do not. The following is what the Conservative Party, Liberal Party, New Democratic Party and Green Party are promising, should they win the election. 

Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list. Do not rely on one article to make your choice. Do your own research on each party in order to make an informed decision on what is best for you.

Healthcare

Conservative Party

Propose a new health agreement that increases the annual growth rate of the Canada Health Transfer to at least 6% - adding almost $60 billion into the healthcare system over the next ten years.

Propose to the provinces that they move a portion of health funding to mental health.

Liberal Party

Provide 3.2 billion to provinces/territories to hire 7500 new family doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.

Invest $6 billion to eliminate waitlists in the health system.

Establish regulations under the Canada Health Act governing accessibility for sexual and reproductive health services.

Provide an initial investment of $4.5 billion and then continue on going funding for mental health services under the Canada Health Transfer.

New Democratic Party

Work with the provinces to decrease wait times and improve access to primary care.

Implement national, universal, public pharmacare so that all Canadians have access to prescription medication.

Expand public health care to include dental, optometry and mental health services.

Green Party

Expand public health care to include pharmacare, so that Canadians may have publicly funded prescription drug coverage.

Include basic dental care within national healthcare coverage.

Taxes

Conservative Party

Implement a month-long GST holiday in December, all purchases made will be tax free for the month of December.

Ensure that the Canadian Revenue Agency considers the needs of Canadians, respects small businesses and focuses their efforts on wealthy tax evaders and big corporations.

Liberal Party

Raise corporate income taxes on banks and insurance companies who earn more than $1 billion a year.

Create a minimum tax rule: everyone who earns enough to qualify for the highest income tax bracket must pay at least 15% in taxes (per year) regardless of deductions.

Increase the resources available to the Canada Revenue Agency (up $1 billion per year) to decrease aggressive tax planning and tax avoidance.

New Democratic Party

Access profit tax on pandemic profits of large corporations.

Increase the capital gains inclusion rate to 75% and boost the top marginal tax rate on income over $214,000 to 35%.

Introduce a 1% wealth tax on people with fortunes over $10 million.

Green Party

Analyze the tax system for fairness and accessibility.

Apply a corporate tax on transnational e-commerce companies doing business in Canada.

Climate Change

Conservative Party

Do away with the current carbon tax and replace it with personal carbon tax – carbon pricing that would start at $20/tonne and increase to $50/tonne (but no higher).

Require 30% of light-duty vehicles to be zero emission by 2030.

Liberal Party

Keep existing carbon tax in place for provinces without individual plans.

Provide grants up to $5000 and loans up to $40 000 for retrofits.

Spend $200 million for a Natural Infrastructure Fund and $5 billion in green bonds to fund conservation and green infrastructure.

New Democratic Party

Reduce Canada’s emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by 2030.

Remove any and all fossil fuel subsidies, including federal support for pipelines.

Modernize and expand public transit with goal of electrification by 2030.

Green Party

Carbon pricing at home and at the border.

Epose the Trans Mountain pipeline and plans to end all oil and gas exploration projects, new pipelines and fracking activity.

Launch a program to retrofit residential, industrial and commercial buildings to reduce GHG emissions and employ workers.

Aims for 100% of Canada’s electricity to come from renewable energy by 2030.

Housing

Conservative Party

Release at least 15% of federal government owned land for housing.

Encourage Canadians to invest in rental housing by extending the ability to defer capital gains tax when selling and reinvesting in rental property.

Ban foreign investors not living in or moving to Canada from buying homes for the next two years.

Liberal Party

Introduce new rent-to-own program to make it easier for renters to transition to ownership.

Introduce a tax-free First Home Savings Account for Canadians under 40.

Double the First-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit from $5000 to $10 000.

Ban blind bidding and mandate the right to a home inspection.

Ban foreign money from purchasing a non-recreational, residential property in Canada for the next two years.

New Democratic Party

Build at least 500 000 units of quality, affordable housing in the next 10 years.

Set up a fast start fund to encourage the construction of coops, social and non-profit housing.

Place a 20% Foreign Buyer tax on the sale of homes to individuals who aren’t Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Green Party

Build affordable, safe and secure green neighbourhoods that put health and well-being at the forefront while protecting green spaces.

Childcare

Conservative Party

Convert the liberal government’s Child Care Expense deduction into a refundable tax credit (between $4500 - $6000) based on income.

Liberal Party

Continue with plan to deliver 50% cut of childcare fees in 2022.

Deliver $10 a day care in 5 years or less.

Build 250 000 new child care spaces.

Hire 40 000 more early childhood educators.

New Democratic Party

Take immediate action to build a universal, $10 a day childcare system.

Green Party

Increase federal child care funding to achieve international benchmark of at last 1% GDP annually, adding $1 billion a year until benchmark is reached.

Economy

Conservative Party

Pay up to 50% of the salary of new hires for 6 months following the end of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Loans up to $200 000 to help small and medium sized businesses in hospitality, retail and tourism (with up to 25% forgiven).

Liberal Party

Expand EI sick benefits up to 26 weeks.

$15 federal minimum wage.

New Democratic Party

Increase federal minimum wage.

Provide 10 paid sick days for workers in federally regulated industries.

Create 1 million jobs by investing in infrastructure, public transit, homes, retrofitting etc.

Green Party

Prioritize transition to green economy.

COVID-19 Vaccination

Conservative Party

Travellers must be vaccinated or pass a daily rapid test.

Public servants must be vaccinated or pass a daily rapid test.

Partner with pharmaceutical companies to increase and build domestic vaccine production.

Liberal Party

Require travellers on interprovincial trains, commercial flights, cruise ships and other federally regulated vessels to be vaccinated.

Work with Public Service Union to require all public servants to be vaccinated.

$1 billion to provinces to support vaccine passports.

New Democratic Party

Mandatory vaccines for federally regulated workers, including public servants.

Implement a Canada wide vaccine passport system as soon as possible.

Build a publicly owned vaccine production facility in Canada.

Green Party

Prioritize educating individuals on why vaccination is important and will help protect people, their communities and the general public.