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Family
A Liberal government will commit up to $1 billion of new resources over
the next five years to help implement a family caregiver support strategy jointly with provinces. If within 24 months there
has been no agreement on new support mechanisms, the federal government will ensure that alternative ways are developed to
make the new resources available to caregivers. As a concrete first step, Paul Martin's government will double to $10,000
the amount of medical and disability related expenses that can be claimed by a caregiver on behalf of a dependent relative. A Liberal government will increase the incomes of Canada’s least
wealthy seniors. Acting on a key recommendation of two Liberal Task Forces, the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) base will
be increased to reflect the fact that wage growth has exceeded inflation. Once fully implemented, the improvement will result
in an increase of roughly 7% to the income of GIS recipients. This increase is of course in addition to the quarterly inflation
adjustments of the GIS. The Liberals will phase in a contribution of $5 billion over the next five
years, beyond funds already committed, to accelerate building a national early learning and childcare system. The Foundations
program will ensure that children have access to high-quality, government-regulated spaces at affordable cost to parents.
A Liberal government will enshrine in legislation four principles for Foundations
– the "QUAD": QUALITY. Each facility must be regulated by the province or territory to
ensure safety and an appropriate complement of professionally-qualified child development staff. UNIVERSALITY. The program will be open, without discrimination, to pre-school
children, including children with special needs. ACCESSIBILITY. The program will be affordable for parents. DEVELOPMENTAL. The program must include a component of development / learning
that is integrated with the care component. A Liberal government will do more to stimulate assisted housing by providing
a further $1 to $1.5 billion over the next five years. Liberals will extend and enhance existing vehicles – including
the Affordable Housing Initiative, SCPI, RAAP and Aboriginal housing on and off-reserve. They will support innovative initiatives
developed in consultation with provinces, territories and stakeholder groups. This could include a "Housing Works" foundation
to leverage contributions for new affordable units from various levels of government, community groups and the private sector. For more information about the Liberal Platform, visit their website at
www.liberal.ca
A Conservative government led by Stephen Harper will introduce a $2000
per child deduction, phased in over four years. They will increase the maximum student loan limits, broaden the definition
of eligible expenses, and increase family income thresholds. They will also provide first-year tuition grants for students
from low-income families. Conservatives will encourage families to save for their children’s education, through such
measures as the Canada Learning Bond, increased Canada Education Savings Grants, and the Registered Lifetime Savings Program. A Conservative government will double the size of the caregivers’
tax credit to cover $7,000 in allowable expenses. They will support the development of a property regime on reserves to allow
individual property ownership that will encourage lending for private housing and businesses. A Conservative government will
also create a matrimonial property code to protect spouses and children in cases of marriage breakdown. A Conservative government, in consultation with the provinces and aboriginals,
will support the principle of allowing parents to choose which schooling they want for their children, with funding following
the students. For more information about the Conservative platform, visit their website
at www.conservative.com
Jack Layton and Canada’s NDP will cut tuition fees, just as NDP governments
in British Columbia and Manitoba did, with a national plan to reduce fees by 10 per cent and then freeze them by increasing
federal funding for post-secondary education and working with the provinces to make sure it happens. An NDP government will increase funding for research to halt the privatization
of research on campus, allowing science to be examined on its merits. They will replace the privately administered Millennium
Scholarship Fund with needs-based grants so that a family’s income isn’t a barrier to a student’s future.
The abolition of the program should be phased in to protect students currently receiving Millennium Scholarships. Jack Layton's government will credit all interest accrued on the Canada
Student Loans program against graduates’ income taxes. They will establish a national training strategy and support
for lifelong learning for workers to address current and anticipated skills shortages. They will also extend tools for lifelong
learning and research through initiatives like extending broadband access to all communities by co-operating with provinces,
municipalities and the private sector. An NDP government will provide stable, long-term federal funds to create
an additional 200,000 high quality, affordable, publicly funded child care spaces within four years. They will set out to
develop a strategy with provinces and territories to ensure universal, high quality early childhood education and care in
every region of Canada within a decade. They will also work with the provinces to establish a Canada Post-Secondary Education
Act that, in return for stable, long-term funding, would prevent the creation of private, for-profit colleges and universities. The NDP will increase the Child Tax Benefit to $4,900 per child and alter
the program to permit Canada’s poorest families, who don’t pay tax, to qualify. They will ensure all Canadians
who make less than $15,000 a year pay no federal income tax. They will build affordable housing and provide rent supplements
to low-income Canadians. Single mothers can’t get their kids off to a good start in life if they're stuck in a windowless
basement or cheap motel room, with ever-increasing amounts of their income going to rent. Jack Layton's NDP will create two new national holidays to help parents
spend more time with their children, one in February and one in June (August in Quebec), work towards a shorter work week,
longer paid holidays and earlier and flexible retirement options, and encourage job-sharing programs to enable families to
spend more time together. They will restore a federal role, in partnership with provincial and territorial
governments, to ensure that federally transferred funds intended for social assistance meet specific, Canada-wide goals and
that federal support (currently through the CHST) is guaranteed to provide secure and stable funding for social assistance
and will not be withdrawn or reduced unilaterally. The NDP will honour obligations to Aboriginal Canadians, who too often
see their children consigned to years of poverty in Third World living conditions. Jack Layton and Canada’s NDP will help seniors retire in dignity.
They will support a mandatory federal retirement age of 65. They will improve access to the CPP/QPP for women by expanding
the current "drop-out" provision for child care to include other unpaid care giving, such as that for senior family members.
They will also review the adequacy of Canada’s pension system to develop more effective ways for enhancing income security
for seniors. For more information about the New Democratic Party platform, please visit
their website at www.ndp.ca
The Green Party under the leadership of Jim Harris will raise the benefit
levels for parental leave under the Employment Insurance Act. They will create tax-incentives for businesses to implement
flexible schedules and on-site childcare. They will create a national network that links childcare services across all three
levels of government and funds local childcare initiatives and facilities. They will also enforce pay equity for women in
the workplace. A Green government will revive a social housing program that will provide
credit and loan guarantees to non-profit housing organizations and cooperatives for the building and restoration of quality,
energy-efficient housing for seniors, families and single people with special-needs. They will expand R-2000 housing programs
and ensure that all new housing meets the standard. They will also offer support to owners who are willing to renovate existing
housing to meet the standard. The Green Party will raise the benefit levels for parental leave under
the Employment Insurance Act and extend compassionate care leave to those who are caring for a gravely ill family member.
They will create tax incentives for companies to meet the highest standards of gender equity and pay equity. Jim Harris' government
will provide student loan forgiveness to working graduates of childhood education programs. They will also increase funding
for women’s crisis centres and shelters, as well as educational programs that build healthy attitudes toward women among
young people and they will support the UN’s initiative for the elimination of discrimination and violence against women. For more information about the Green Party platform, visit their website
at www.greenparty.ca
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