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Week 1 Federal Election Coverage

Canadians will head to the polls one month from today to elect our next Prime Minister and federal representatives in Ottawa. Prime Minister Carney called the election this past Sunday, and the past week has been the first sprint in what will be a marathon campaign period.  

With only one week into campaigning, the polls continue to tighten, and the political discourse and landscape continue to evolve rapidly in response to national and international uncertainties. Threats at home, including affordability, housing, and our energy future, paired with threats from our greatest neighbour, dominate the political landscape.  

Below is a summary of notable events, as of the morning of March 28th, as well as the announcements and commitments from the Liberal Party of Canada, Conservative Party of Canada, and New Democratic Party of Canada.  

 

General / Notable Mentions 

  • Leaders’ Debate, through the Leaders’ Debates Commission, is scheduled for April 16 (French) and 17 (English) 
  • Former Housing Minister, Sean Fraser, reversed his decision not to run and is now seeking re-election for the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova 
  • Both Liberals and Conservatives announced they would remove tolls on the Confederation Bridge 
  • TVA Debate was cancelled 
  • President Donald Trump announced new 25% auto tariffs to go into effect on April 3 
  • President Trump and Prime Minister Carney had, in President Trump’s words, an extremely productive conversation on Friday.  
  • Note that the President is referring to Carney as Prime Minister, as opposed to Governor.  

 

Liberals  

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first campaign stop was in Newfoundland and Labrador, before heading to Nova Scotia, and then to Ottawa. So far, his campaign has been laser-focused on the Trump threats, with major investment announcements in Canada’s military and auto sector. 

Announcements: 

  • Kicked off campaign in St. John’s and Gander 
  • Started campaign with announcements to cut the lowest income tax bracket by 1% and pass legislation to end interprovincial trade barriers by July 1 
  • In St. John’s, Carney promised to review the structure of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans 
  • Remove tolls on the Confederation Bridge and the Wood Islands Ferry 
  • Eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers on homes at or under $1 million, saving Canadians up to $50,000 
  • Made significant defence announcement at Irving Shipbuilding’s Halifax Shipyard 
  • Two percent NATO spending target by 2030 
  • Expand the capabilities of the Navy with new submarines and additional heavy icebreakers 
  • Increase pay for Canadian Armed Forces members and build new on-base housing, improve access to doctors, mental health services and childcare 
  • Create “first in-class” drone capability to build and deploy aquatic and airborne uncrewed vehicles to secure borders and protect allies 
  • Ensure that soldiers defending Canada at home will have the “same equipment capabilities as those defending our allies abroad” 
  • Former Housing Minister Sean Fraser reverses decision and is running again for MP for Central Nova 
  • $2 billion fund to support the auto sector 
  • “First mile fund” to provide capital to build infrastructure to link extraction sites with railways and roads, and to eliminate duplication by recognizing provincial assessments for major projects 
  • Build an “All in Canada” network of auto parts suppliers to make Canada less reliant on parts that have to cross the border several times as part of the auto manufacturing process 

 

Conservatives  

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spent most of the first week in Ontario, with announcements focusing on quality of life and affordability concerns such as tax cuts and investments to support seniors.  

Announcements: 

  • Reduce 2.25 points off the lowest income tax bracket, saving dual-income families $1,800/year (rate lowered from 15 to 12.75) 
  • Cutting down the federal bureaucracy to help fund tax cut above 
  • Unleashing natural resources (more mines, pipelines, and LNG facilities) and talking affordability issues 
  • Cutting foreign aid and implement a “dollar-for-dollar” law that would require ministers to find one dollar of savings for every dollar in new costs 
  • Remove tolls on the Confederation Bridge 
  • Eliminate the federal GST on new homes up to $1.3 million, saving homebuyers up to $65,000 on the purchase of an average home in major cities 
  • Protect dental care, childcare, and pharmacare programs  
  • Major Seniors announcement 
  • Seniors to earn more money ($34,000) before paying taxes 
  • Keep savings in RRSPs until 73, up from age 71 
  • Keep retirement age at 65 for Old Age Security, Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Canada Pension Plan 
  • $5000 more TSFA room for Canadian investments 

 

NDP  

In a distant third place in the polls, the NDP is struggling to compete against the Liberals and Conservatives in a neck-and-neck campaign between the two mainstream parties. In the weeks ahead, it will be crucial for Jagmeet Singh to break through the noise. 

 Announcements: 

  • Remove GST from “essentials,” i.e. children’s clothing, heating bills, pre-made grocery meals 
  • Restore the capital gains tax increase 
  • Increase basic personal income allowance to $19,500, while decreasing the high-income BPA to $13,500 
  • Double the Canada Disability Benefit 
  • Increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors