out of all the major parties to say they will run deficits. Which is a risky move
because the word “deficit” has been considered a dirty word for elections.

Major deficit spending has been used to stimulate the economy in the past, by
investing in infrastructure; the Harper Government used deficit spending in 2008
during the financial crisis. Like a play out of FDR’s playbook, but this Keynesian move
may not be enough. Some economists do say that the economy needs to grow, though
infrastructure investments are not seen by all as the best way to achieve this. As

the CBC has reported infrastructure investments take a long time to get underway
and growth to the economy is needed right away. This means that the move by the
Liberals to grow the economy many not happen for years after the election.

The Liberals have other things on their platform such as electoral reform, legalization of

marijuana, creation of a new tax bracket for high earning Canadians and the amendment of
Bill C-51’s problematic areas. The main target of the Liberals is the middle class of Canadians.

Their rhetoric so far in this election has been for the wealthiest of Canadians to do more
so that poor and middle class Canadians get more help. This may help the majority of

Canadians, however some are skeptical that the money that will be created by taxing more on

wealthy Canadian isn’t going to be enough to pay for everything the Liberals is promising.

Lowering the taxes on “middle class” Canadians is another pillar in the platform, if you make

between $44,701-$89,401 a year, if the Liberals win, expect your taxes to go from 22% to

20.5%. Though if you make over $200,000 a year the Liberals want to create a new tax bracket

for you where you will pay 33% on your income. The same income splitting tax credit the

Conservatives talked about, the Liberals will do away with. They claim the income splitting

only helps the richest of Canadians and does nothing for poor and single Canadians.

The Liberals want to create investments in clean technologies, in forestry, fisheries,
mining energy and farming of around $200 million a year. Also another $100 million
in organizations that promote clean technology firms. This idea is to bolster the
economy and move the country towards greener goals. Working along with the
provinces to help reach lower emission rates and focus on climate change oriented
goals will be part of the Liberals main goals in terms of the environment.

Justin Trudeau has worked at making the government more open and reducing power
of the Prime Minister’s Office. The Liberals tote the idea of opener caucus meetings
and more regional voices in federal politics. He wishes to move away from the style
Harper has used during his time as Prime Minister, which has been very controlled
and non-transparent. Trudeau has accused the PMO’s office of being too strong and
he looks back to his father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau as the starting point of this build

up of power. Trudeau frequently sights an example of this dedication to this idea

as the releasing of Liberal Senators from party lines and removal from caucus.

The New Democratic Party of Canada

The Liberal party now fights with the New Democratic Party for the left’s
vote and if polls are any indication of elections, the Liberals could be
playing opposition or even move back to be the governing party.

The NDP have certainly evolved over the years, moving from a third party, to
official opposition, to possibly being the governing party. The NDP who for many
elections were seen as a “half” party are certainly showing their muscles in this
election. With the leadership of Thomas Mulcair the NDP are dominating in the
polls. In Quebec, they are polling way ahead of any other parties Liberals and Bloc
and here in BC they are fighting with the Liberals for leadership in the polls.

One of the main pillars of the their plan is a $15 an hour minimum wage increase. This
wage increase would be mandated to all federally regulated entities so this includes banks,
insurance corporations, government organizations, and certain provincial organizations.
The hope is that once the federal government makes this change it will force the private
economy to follow suit and all minimum wages will go up. The NDP will work with the
provinces to ensure that they also follow suit and raise their wages as well, though

that could be a long term goal and not obtained for sometime after the election.

News

The NDP also want to lower taxes on Small Business to encourage that sector to grow.
A reduction in small business taxes is expected to build the sector that tends to be a
community centric sector. This tax cut comes with a tax hike on large corporations.
They want to raise the tax rates to “pre-Harper” levels, which is expected to not price
Canadian products out of the market but also increase government revenues enough
to pay for many of their social program ideas. Programs like a national child care
program, and investments in infrastructure and income supplements to poor seniors.

huffingtonpost.ca

Thomas Mulcair has said that the NDP will have a balanced budget in the first year of
their mandate. Whether the budget is balanced depends on the extent of the current
recession and the government’s ability to turn things around right off the bat. A balanced
budget is always good for an election but it actually happening is another issue entirely.

Understanding our political parties is the first step to making an informed vote on
October 19th. The best thing you can do to ensure that you vote for the party that
best represents your values is to understand what is important to you and research
the different parties and what they stand for. Regardless who wins this year’s
elections is bound to be an important one, ultimately impacting Canadian society.