Canada votes: Platform highlights from Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party
Since the beginning of the election campaign, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer has been telling Canadians that Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau is “not as advertised” and should not be Canada’s prime minister following the election. The Conservative platform highlights its goal to help Canadians “get ahead,” promising to lower taxes for people across the country.
Here are some highlights from the Conservative Party’s platform:
Taxes
Reduce the tax rate on income under $47,630 from 15 per cent to 13.75 per cent by Jan. 1, 2023 (reaching 14.5 per cent on Jan. 1, 2021 and 14 per cent on Jan. 1, 2022)
Remove GST from home energy bills
Introduce a Green Public Transit Tax Credit
Reduce the number of hours required to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan from 14 to 10 hours per week
Increase the Adoption Expense Tax Credit to $20,000 and make it refundable
Introduce a single tax return in Quebec
Housing
Work with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions to remove the stress test from mortgage renewals
Extend the maximum amortization period on insured mortgages for first-time home buyers to 30 years
Introduce a two-year 20 per cent refundable tax credit for green home renovations between $1,000 and $20,000 (available in 2020 and 2021)
Introduce the Build More Homes Competition to empower municipalities to build more homes
Health
Invest $1.5 billion in its first term to purchase MRI machines and CT machines across Canada
Develop a National Autism Strategy with an initial investment of $50 million over five years
Seniors
Expand the Age Credit by $1,000
Allow a senior couple earning less than $37,790 each will receive the full Age Credit and save $300
Seniors earning more than $37,790 will receive the Age Credit with the amount declining as incomes rise until it is phased out at an income of $87,750
Maintain the Old Age Security at age 65
Allow the transfer of an underfunded pension plan to another and restrict bonuses for the executives of companies who underfund their pension funds and go through bankruptcy
Climate Change and Environment
Scrap the federal carbon tax
Create a National Energy Corridor to carry energy and resources from coast to coast
End the ban on shipping traffic for Canadian oil on the northern coast of British Columbia
Build the Trans Mountain pipeline
Expand the mandatory application of the major emitters policy from facilities emitting 50 kt of CO2 eq. to facilities emitting 40 kt of CO2 eq. per year
Reduce the tax rate to 5 per cent on income that is generated from green technology developed and patented in Canada
Review and modernize air quality standards
Ban exports of plastic waste unless it can be shown that it will be recycled at its destination
Standardize regulations for plastics recycling
Immigration and Refugees
Attract and keep the “best and brightest” in Canada
Encourage economic immigrants to consider jobs in remote parts of the country
Remove the annual cap on the number of sponsorship applications that can be submitted
Prioritize genocide survivors, LGBTQ+ refugees, and internally displaced people in the Government-Assisted Refugees program
Put an end to illegal border crossings at unofficial points of entry by “closing the loophole” in the Safe Third Country Agreement
Child care
Remove federal income tax from EI maternity and EI parental benefits by providing a tax credit
Introduce the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, up to $1,000 per child, each year and parents of children with disabilities can claim an additional $500 per child, per year
Introduce the Children’s Arts and Learning Tax Credit, which will allow parents to claim up to $500 per child each year and parents of children with disabilities can claim double the amount
Governance
Launch a judicial inquiry into the SNC-Lavalin scandal
Allow the RCMP to make an application to the Supreme Court of Canada to access information protected by Cabinet confidence
Strengthen penalties for violations of the Conflict of Interest Act
