This article is a part of a Narcity series breaking down the highlights of what you need to know about where Canada's Political Party Leaders stand on issues important to millennials. Each leader was contacted by Narcity for comment. You can read more of our coverage of Canada's 2021 Federal Election here.
Challenging Justin Trudeau and the Liberals is no easy feat, but early polls suggest support for Erin O'Toole and the Conservative Party is rising.
Their party platform — which features O'Toole wearing a very tight t-shirt — includes several key promises on everything from jobs and housing to COVID-19.
1. Housing
Promising to build one million homes in the next three years, the Conservatives also say they'll re-evaluate the real estate held by the federal government and release at least 15% of it for housing initiatives.
The Conservatives have also pledged to build more residential drug treatment beds and community centres to tackle homelessness, and have said they'll address Canada's "housing crisis" by investing in public transit projects that connect people with jobs.
The party also says it will encourage longer mortgage lengths of seven- to ten-year periods to provide "stability" for first-time home buyers and lenders.
2. Jobs
The Conservatives' largest jobs promise is to return the one million jobs lost in the pandemic in just one year's time.
The Main Street Business Loan proposed by the Conservatives would provide businesses with loans of up to $200,000 (depending on pre-pandemic revenue) with up to 25% forgiven (depending on a company's loss of revenue), while the Main Street Tax Credit offers a 25% credit on amounts of up to $100,000 personally invested by Canadians into small business.
The party is also promising to subsidize a percentage of the salaries of net new hires — covering more of their salary depending on how long the new hire had been unemployed for previously.
The party also promises more investment in apprenticeship and skill training programs to address "chronic employee shortages" in skilled trades such as the construction and energy industries.
3. Climate Change
The Conservatives recognize the "reality" of climate change in their platform, promising to tackle the challenge by scrapping the federal carbon tax and reducing Canada's emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030.
There are also mentions of increasing zero emission vehicles, investing in carbon capture technology and supporting a personal carbon levy (with the money going to "Personal Low Carbon Savings Accounts" that can be used to purchase things like bicycles, bus passes or energy-efficient appliances and technologies).
The Conservatives support repealing Bill C-48, which stops large oil tankers from travelling along B.C.'s north coast. They also want to "ensure adequate pipeline construction" by finishing building the Trans Mountain pipeline project and reviving the Keystone XL pipeline.
4. Education
O'Toole's Conservative Party doesn't mention tuition or the cost of university within its platform, but it does touch on education in several areas.
The Conservatives promise to promote "free speech" on campus, which it will do by working with universities to ensure they're accommodating a range of perspectives at their institutions.
Their platform also mentions partnering with universities on domestic vaccine research and opportunities for veterans and current members of the armed forces, while advising post-secondary institutions against partnerships with "China's state-controlled companies and organizations."
5. Vaccine Mandates
The Conservative Party's platform has no mention of vaccine mandates, which makes sense considering O'Toole has spoken out against them.
In a statement issued to the CBC, O'Toole said "vaccines are not a political issue" and said Trudeau's plan to mandate vaccinations was "divisive."
O'Toole said he would instead implement rapid testing systems in applicable situations.
6. Other Priorities
Alongside recovering jobs and balancing the budget, the Conservatives are also promising to strengthen anti-corruption laws by introducing harsher penalties for breaking the Conflict of Interest Act and stopping MPs from collecting speaking fees while in office.
The Conservatives also say they'll increase funding to the provinces for mental health care, incentivize employers to provide mental health coverage for their workers and introduce a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline.
Finally, the platform mentions being prepared for future national health crises by increasing domestic PPE and vaccine production capacity and strengthening Canada's emergency stockpile for whatever threats arise in the not-so-distant future.
To learn more about the Conservative Party of Canada's election promises, check out their campaign platform here.
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