Hello UFV! It is that time of the year again… and no, I don’t mean Christmas. However, this event is just as exciting! Federal election day is coming up, and there is a lot on the line folks, so make sure you get your vote straight! Maybe you’re a first-time voter like myself, or just haven’t had the time to properly research your options. You might feel unsure of where to start, how to vote, or even whom to vote for. If you are dealing with any of these, then look no further! This article is meant for you. So sit back, relax, and educate yourself on the Canadian federal election.
Step 1: Make sure you are eligible to vote
Before you start your research, make sure you check off these things to see if you are eligible to vote. In order to vote in a Canadian federal election you must be:
- A Canadian citizen (temporary and permanent residents cannot vote)
- At least 18 years old on election day
- Have proof of your identity and address
It also helps to be registered on the voters list (also called the list of electors). This can easily be done with a quick search online. You can also register when you go to vote.
After these boxes are checked off, you are officially able to vote! However, there are a few more things to consider.
Step 2: Choose your fighter (or in this case, party)
Now, most inexperienced voters might think that when they participate in the federal election, their vote goes straight to the leader of their chosen party. However, this is not the case. In every district, there is a Member of Parliament (MP) that represents each party running in the election. If the MP gets enough votes from their district, they are then given a seat in the House of Commons. There, they represent their district and its people.Voting is a piece of cake once you’ve figured out whom to vote for, and here in Canada, we have four major parties running in the federal election: the Liberal party, the Green party, the New Democrat Party, and the Conservative party. There are also other minor parties running, such as the Bloc Québécois, the People’s Party of Canada, the Libertarian party, and more. Each party has their own platform based on issues and morals that they find important.
Sound overwhelming? Have no fear! Let’s break it down step by step by examining the history of the four major parties, as well as their policies, promises, political platforms, and their future plans for some hot topics.
The Liberal Party
Founded in the 19th century by the reformed French-Canadians and Catholics, this party had changed a lot over the years, holding traditional liberal values of personal responsibility, free markets, and strengthening the bonds between French and English Canadians. Two iconic figures for the Liberal party are Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Pierre Trudeau, both of whom served as prime ministers in Canada. Currently, the Liberals hold a majority government with Justin Trudeau, their leader, as our prime minister. Back in 2015, Justin Trudeau was a fresh face after years of a Conservative government. Now, the Liberal party is focusing on beneficial changes regarding Indigenous rights and livelihoods, boosting the economy, and helping the middle class.
Hot topics for 2019
Taxes: The Liberal party promises to cut the taxes of middle-class citizens. They say they will raise the Basic Personal Amount, a tax credit Canadians with an income of less than $147,000 per year can claim on their income tax return. Doing this, they claim, will allow them to let middle-class Canadians not pay federal taxes on the first $15,000 of income earned.
The Liberal party is focused on a stable economy, which they say can be maintained by cracking down on tax evasion, asking the wealthiest Canadians to pay more, and making sure that the wealthy do not benefit from unfair tax breaks. They claim that a national tax on vacant properties owned by non-Canadians who don’t live in Canada will reduce the uncertainty that drives up the price of homes. They also are planning on introducing a new 10 per cent tax on luxury cars, boats, and personal aircraft over $100,000.
Deficits and debt: The Liberal party wants to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio. They claim that Canada has a good credit rating, which they want to maintain. They say they will continue to invest in families, jobs, and livable communities. They want to have an in-depth review of all government spending and tax expenditures and will also address the issues of tax evasion and ensure that the wealthiest of Canadians pay their share.
Health: The Liberal party has put forward a plan they say will improve the lives of all Canadians: it includes providing access to affordable medications, better mental health services, and at-home and palliative care. The party plans to spend $6 billion over the next four years to support a stronger medicare and public health system to help more Canadians receive the proper medical care that they need.
Climate change and environment: The current Liberal government adopted the Oceans Plastics Charter in 2018, a global initiative where governments work towards reducing plastic pollution, and promise to invest $100 million to address plastic waste in developing countries. Also, the party has banned products with plastic microbeads, which are harmful to Canadian freshwater and marine ecosystems. Trudeau has claimed that the Liberals will ban single-use plastics by 2021 and, with the current climate plan, claim they will reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2050.
Indigenous affairs: The Liberal party’s 2019 platform states they will make the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Canadian law. They say they will continue the progress that has been made towards eliminating all long-term drinking water advisories on reserves by 2021, and transition all Indigenous communities to clean and renewable energy sources.
The Conservative Party:
As the founding political party of Canada, the Conservatives have had periods in both power and in opposition. The current iteration of the Conservative party was formed in 2003, caused by the merging of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party. Before the Liberals took power in the 2015 federal election, the Conservatives were in power with Stephen Harper as prime minister. Andrew Scheer is the current leader of the Conservative party, and has been the leader of the Official Opposition since 2017. The Official Opposition is typically the second largest party in the legislative house. The task of the Official Opposition is to act as balance of power for the winning party; their leader receives certain privileges in the House of Commons and must be consulted on certain decisions and appointments. The Conservative party’s values include national independence, military strength and spending, a national unity and identity that includes Quebec, free enterprise, and individualism. They haven’t released their full party platform yet, but plan to do so on Oct. 11.
Hot topics for 2019
Taxes: With Andrew Scheer’s “universal tax cut,” the Conservatives claim they will lower income taxes for every Canadian. The tax rate on an income under $47,630 will be reduced to 13.75 per cent (from 15 per cent) saving Canadians up to $440 on their taxes. The Conservative party says they value financial transparency. They say that by lowering taxes and leaving more money in the hands of individuals, they can establish a higher quality of life for all Canadians.
Deficits and debt: The Conservative goal is to reduce Canada’s deficit and balance the national budget over the next five years. According to their statement, they want to run a government that lives within their means so that they no longer have to borrow money. The party is focused on economic growth through job creation, which they say will help people get out of poverty.
Health: The Conservative party wants to invest $1.5 billion in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines and computed tomography (CT) machines for hospitals across Canada. They have promised to use federal funding for healthcare to increase funding for provincial health care services and funding for provincial social services by a minimum of three per cent per year.
Climate change and the environment: According to the Conservative party, their “A Real Plan to Protect Our Environment” is a way to reduce pollution in Canada without a carbon tax. They say they would require companies to reduce their emissions and would be required to invest a set amount for every tonne of greenhouse gas they emit above the limit in research, development, and adoption of emissions-reducing technology related to their industry. Currently, the Conservative party has not yet declared what this limit may be.
Indigenous affairs: Since there was nothing on the official Conservative campaign website detailing Indigneous affairs, Brad Vis, the Conservative party MP candidate running for the Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon district, was reached out to for comment. He said the Conservative party recognizes the special connection Indigneous people have with the environment. According to Vis, the party wishes to collaborate with Indigenous peoples and use their traditional knowledge to help combat climate change.
New Democratic Party (NDP):
The New Democratic Party was founded in 1961 from the merger of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation and the Canadian Labour Congress. On the Canadian political stage, this party is considered very left-wing. Since 2017, the leader of the NDP has been Jagmeet Singh. This party has notoriously been the third- or fourth-largest party in Canada’s House of Commons and has never held office. Their platform is based on affordable costs of living, climate action, equitably better healthcare, and Indigenous reconciliation.
Hot topics for 2019
Taxes: The New Democratic Party wants to make the Canadian tax system more proportional. Their goal is to increase the marginal tax rate so that the richest individuals pay more; any Canadians making over $210,000 per year would have a top marginal tax rate of 35 per cent. Those with over $20 million in wealth will be asked to pay a one per cent wealth tax which they claim will generate several billion dollars annually. The New Democratic Party say they will reinvest this money into public services.
To combat tax evasion by the wealthy, they plan to address current loopholes in the law, which includes eliminating bearer shares (shares owned by whoever holds the physical certificate). They want all companies to have a valid reason for all their transactions, thus improving transparency on all taxes paid by larger corporations.
Deficits and debt: They plan to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio over the course of 10 years. They claim that they will borrow only when it is absolutely necessary, and will only make investments where it’s needed most. In order to reduce the burden on citizens, they plan to invest provincially in basic services such as pharmacare and childcare.
Health: The NDP wants to establish a universal public pharmacare program in Canada. Their plan includes immediately stopping the practice of paying for plasma donations in Saskatchewan and making sure that everyone in Canada has access to safe abortions.
Climate change and the environment: The NDP wants to expand public transit systems in communities across Canada and create low-carbon transit projects, like zero-emission buses and electric trains. By 2030, they hope to have transitioned to a completely electric transit system. They also want to ban all single-use plastics in Canada by 2022. They want to strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to protect Canadians from toxic chemicals used in everyday products.
Indigenous affairs: The NDP say they will work with Indigenous peoples to develop a national action plan for reconciliation. They want to create a National Council for Reconciliation that will report to Parliament and Canadians, providing oversight and accountability. In addition to that, they promise to recognize the self-determination of Inuit and Metis peoples and help restore Indigenous languages in Canada with new laws and federal funding.
The Green Party:
The Green Party of Canada was founded in 1983. The party has always supported strengthening environmental protection. In 2006, Elizabeth May became the party’s leader. She was elected as the parties first member of Parliament in the 2011 general election representing the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. The Green party has never held office in the Canadian government. The Green party platform focuses on plans for reconciliation for Indigenous peoples, addressing the climate emergency, and transitioning to a green economy. This party is optimistic in the face of the climate emergency and hopes to change the way we produce and consume resources.
Hot topics for 2019
Taxes: The Green Party plans to reduce taxes for Canadians by increasing corporate taxes and using that money to help reduce pollution and the use of non-sustainable products. In addition, they plan to crack down on tax dodging by Canadian companies that create offshore tax havens and eliminate tax loopholes which allow large corporations and wealthy individuals to pay less taxes.
Deficits and debt: The Green party will ensure that all financial resources are used properly and divided fairly to make sure that all provinces and Canadians have enough support. They want to forgive student debt at a federal level and eliminate tuition fees.
Health: The Green party wants to create universal pharmacare for all Canadians by 2020. In addition to that, they wish to improve health care for Indigenous peoples, create a stronger mental health care system in Canada, declare the opioid crisis as a national health emergency, and remove all discrimination on blood donations.
Climate change and the environment: One of the most important topics to the Green party is the environment (hence the name). Their plans include cutting the carbon emissions of Canada by 60 per cent by 2030 and stopping the development of the Trans Mountain pipeline for good. The Green party wants to significantly increase Canada’s use of renewable energy so that by 2030 all of our electricity comes from renewable sources. The party says they are willing to create regulations, use public spending, and enforce pollution pricing to combat climate change and make Canada a more eco-friendly place.
Indigenous affairs: The Green party says they will support all Indigenous cultural healing and that they will honour treaties and respect the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. To do this, they will make Indigenous nations equal partners in solving national policies and problems. As well, they will develop a national strategy for providing clean water, housing, healthcare, and food security to Indigenous peoples.
Step 3: Mark your calendars and prepare your Google maps — it’s time to go on an adventure!
In Canada, there are a couple of different ways you can vote. The classic way is in person via ballot. To find out where your polling place is and what time to go, a quick search on the Elections Canada website should do the trick. Voting by mail is possible, if a form is filled out and submitted no later than 6 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on Oct. 15. This can also be done by visiting Elections Canada online at https://www.elections.ca.
There might also be a situation where you don’t want or feel the need to vote. Perhaps you believe your vote won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things, or you don’t have a specific party you feel connected to. Maybe your entire family chooses not to vote. Either way, it is your choice and you can decide to opt out. In order to formally decline to vote in Alberta, Ontario, or Manitoba, the voter must publicly declare his or her refusal to vote at the polling station itself. British Columbia has no way to formally decline to vote.
But wait! Before you make the decision not to vote, take a second to consider a couple of factors:
- As a democratic country, voting enables Canadians to have their voice heard. We have this amazing opportunity to bring change to our country, all by simply ticking off a name on a ballot.
- One voice can make all the difference. You probably won’t be the only one thinking that your opinion and vote won’t change anything. Multiply your doubt by a couple hundred others and you have a ton of votes right there. Your voice and your choice matters!
- The common notion that voting for a less popular party is a “waste of a vote” is wrong. Not voting at all is a waste of a vote. Your vote still counts, giving MPs a seat in the House of Commons, which gives a voice to the lesser parties.
- Many people have fought, died, and risked their lives so that we, as Canadians today, could have the opportunity to vote. Don’t let their sacrifice be for nothing.
- There are other countries where their people aren’t allowed to vote. They have no say whatsoever in who runs their country. We are incredibly fortunate here in Canada to have this amazing opportunity.
Step 4: The last step… besides voting, of course.
Now that you have learned how to vote and whom to vote for, you are officially ready to get your suffrage on on Oct. 21! However, there is one more thing you can do. Consider the fact that there might be others like you out there, unsure of whom to vote for, or even if they should! Now that you are a semi-expert on the Canadian federal election and are a dedicated voter, you should encourage everyone else to do the same. Voting is a crucial part of how our democratic country works, so let your voice be heard, UFV! This is your chance!
The previous version of this article stated that voters voted in MLAs instead of MPs.
