Catching up with the elections

Have you decided yet?
By Davie Wong, Columnist

ith every passing day,

Election Day draws closer
and closer. Have you made up
your mind about who to vote for?
No party is the same, and each
party envisions a different and,
according to them, better future
for Canada.

Since the onset of the
campaigns, federal leaders have
been participating in group
debates and separate interviews,
answering questions on crucial
issues that matter to Canadians.
Based on these debates and
interviews, this article will help
you reflect on their manifestos
and decide your vote.

The Conservative Party
of Canada:

The Conservative Party
is the current governing
party. Their leader, Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, is
campaigning on a platform of
not changing anything. This
has not resonated well with
Canadians, as a polling
survey conducted
by CBC revealed
that over 70 per
cent of Canadians
want change.
Nonetheless,
Harper has
maintained his

attitude when
it comes to
all things
Canadian.
His

“stay the course”

 

attitude, however, received a
huge boost in popularity on
September 14 when it was shown
that Harper’s cabinet had runa
$1.9 billion surplus the previous
year. This is the first rise in
economy since the fiscal year
of 2007-08. It helped silence
many of Harper’s critics, who
had accused him of running
the Canadian economy into the
ground.

The economy, a large point
of dispute between the leaders,
has not been in favour for Harper
up until recently. Before the
surplus budget was announced,
Harper’s support hit an all-time
low when it was publicized
that Canada’s economy was
once again in recession.

This is the second time the
Canadian economy has gone

into recession while Harper in
power. However, he believes that
the economy does not actually
show a recession and that
continued spending on national
infrastructure is the correct way
to approach the situation. This
includes the building of pipelines
in BC. Harper assured Canadians
in an interview with CBC’s Peter
Mansbridge that there would be
no more cuts in the immediate
future. He also promised that

his economic plan for the next
term includes lower taxes for
Canadians.

The economic situation is
not the only point that Harper
has received flak for. His
leadership within his own party
has largely been in question

as several scandals have
come to light, including
Harper’s involvement in
the high-profile Duffy-
Wright case, which
has many saying
that they have lost
faith in the Prime
Minister’s
ability to tell
the truth.
When
questioned
about it in
the same
interview
with

 

Mansbridge, Harper appeared
flustered and struggled to find
the right words to say.

After instituting the
unpopular Bill C-51, dubbed
the “anti-terrorism bill,” he will
be keeping it in place if he is
re-elected. He will also retain
Bill C-24, which categorizes
Canadians who have or could
attain dual-citizenship as
second-class Canadian citizens.
This allows them to be deported
if the government believes
they are a security threat at the
government’s discretion.

Lately, Harper has also
faced criticism for his stances
on fighting ISIS and on Syrian
refugees. His long-term plan for
ISIS is to keep Canadian troops
conducting training exercises
for local forces on the ground
while attacking from the air,
and he believes that the real
problem in Syria is that there
is no diplomatic solution for
the fighting. He drew the ire
of Canadians during a time of
sensitivity by announcing that
he would not allow any refugees
into Canada without the proper
security screenings. Many have
criticized the fact that thousands
would die in the months these
security screenings would take to
finish, but Harper has a steadfast
attitude on the issue, stating that
Canadian security is the most
important thing in these times.

Harper represents the
Canada of today. His vision for
Canada is a strong economic
powerhouse with a strong
infrastructure system upholding
it. He envisions a Canada safe
from terrorist threats, and
takes precautions to make sure
Canada remains safe now and for
generations to come.

The New Democratic Party:
The NDP is the official
opposition party, and it is lead
by Thomas Mulcair, who claims
to be the agent of change that
Canada desperately needs. In
an interview with Mansbridge,
Mulcair described his party as
“the team with the experience
and the plan to defeat Stephen
Harper... and [to repair] some of
the damages he’s done.”
Mulcair and his NDP
have created what they claim
to be a clear, long-term plan

 

for Canada. He says that they
have “a plan to kick-start the
economy, lower taxes for small
and medium size businesses...
[and a plan for] bringing in $15
dollar a day quality child care.”
Muclair’s platform includes plans
for sustainable development,
economic growth, and helping
both the middle class and the
environment.

For all that Mulcair
promises, he’s been careful to
dodge questions on how he will
be able to afford all of this, but he
has promised that his budget will
be balanced. He has taken the
middle ground when discussing
pipelines in BC, saying that he
would consider them if they pass
environmental reviews.

Mulcair has promised to
lower small business taxes to
nine per cent, and get rid of
income splitting for all people
besides seniors. The only raise he
has mentioned is for corporate
taxes, which he said he would
raise a reasonable amount.
During the same interview, he
mentioned the NDP’s perfect
track record of balanced budgets
and promised to continue that
trend if elected.

Out of all the political
candidates, only Mulcair has
a decisive plan for fighting
ISIS. He said he would see that
Canadian troops are immediately
withdrawn from the region and
that Canadian bombing missions
come to a halt. Mulcair also said
in the interview that it is best
for Canada “to start playing
a positive role for peace.” He
promised to achieve UN’s goal for
Canada of taking in 9,000 Syrian
refugees. Mulcair has promised
to repeal both Bill C-51 and C-24
if elected.

Mulcair’s plan for a better
Canada is one that many
Canadians can sympathize with.
His plan for withdrawal from
Syria and Iraq, and his plan for
Syrian refugees, resonate with
Canadians across the country.
He envisions restoring Canada to
its former glory as a peace loving
nation, and creating an economy
where small and medium
businesses flourish.

The Liberal Party of Canada:

The Liberal Party has gone
through years of infighting.