Election 2006

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Health care

In the 2005 Budget, Paul Martin and his team unveiled $805 million over five years in new direct federal health funding
The funding includes $15 million for wait times initiatives; $110 million to improve data collection of health performance information; $300 million for strategy to encourage health living and prevent control chronic disease
The Liberals also want to implement the “Five in Five” approach. This is an initiative to achieve reductions over the next five years for waiting times in at least five key areas: cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging, joint replacements and sight restoration
The Liberals will continue to enforce compliance with the Canada Health Act
A doctor will be considered in violation if he/she provides the same medically-necessary service to patients on a privately-paid basis
The Liberals will create a Canada Health Care Guarantee that seeks to cut wait times by sharing the costs of new centers of specialized care with provinces and territories
The Guarantee also includes a fund of up to $75 million that will cover travel and accommodation costs to patients and their family if transferred to another province for timely care
The Liberals will work with provinces and territories, the medical profession and patient groups to define reasonable and medically appropriate waiting times, and to identify the places where they are unacceptably long
A Liberal government will invest $100 million over the next five years to bring on staff 1,000 new family doctors
The Liberals will provide new resources to help assess, train and place international medical graduates who want to work in Canada as family doctors, and increase residency spots in family medicine and medical health
To prepare for public health emergencies, the Liberals have boosted vaccine stockpiles, increased a front-line health-care presence, and increased investment in federal laboratories
Under a National Pharmaceuticals Strategy, the Liberal government would work with the provinces and territories to legislate a new drug coverage plan by 2006
The Liberals will develop a National Cancer Strategy, supported by a five-year investment of $300 million
The money will be used in part to support the creation of a Terry Fox research institute, and to support the translation of research into clinical practice
A Liberal government will also establish a Canadian Mental Health Commission, for collaboration on mental-health policy
As for seniors, the Liberals have provided an additional $500 million to provinces and territories to push progress on home care and catastrophic drug coverage
The Liberals vow to double the number of Aboriginal health-care professionals in 10 years; at present level, there are 150 doctors and 1,200 nurses
In the 2005 budget, Martin’s Liberals promised $810 million for science research councils, research hospitals, Precarn, which specializes in advanced robotics, Genome Canada and other initiatives
The Liberals will introduce a new program within the Employment Insurance
Framework to provide two months of benefits to care for a seriously-ill loved one
They will also begin consultations with provinces and territories and groups representing the self-employed to examine how these measures might be extended

Same-sex marriage

Martin’s minority government drafted Bill C-38 to enshrine same-sex marriage in law after courts in several provinces ruled that gay couples had a right to marry. The Liberal government passed the bill redefining marriage this year.
Develop strategies to educate the Canadian public as to the issue of basic human rights with regard to same sex marriage

Defence

The Liberals say Harper's defence plan for the Arctic is too expensive. Instead, a Liberal government would add more than 10 unmanned spy planes to extend monitoring of the region. Radarsat 2, an imaging satellite, would also be launched in 2007 to help detect ship movements.
In the days before the election was called, Paul Martin’s government announced Ottawa's plans to proceed with the purchase of $4.6 billion to purchase new tactical lift aircraft
In a $13-billion plan released in 2005, the party promised to boost the Canadian Forces by 5,000 full-time members within five years
Petition for increasing funding for the Canadian Forces from the 2005 budget level by 26.5 per cent by the year 2010
Expand Forces by at least 8,000 permanent and reserve troops promised in 2004
Create a special operations task force
Establish the Canada Corps that will provide an opportunity for Canadian experts, volunteers and young professionals to work abroad
Reduce or forgive debts owed by poor and deserving countries
In the 2005 budget, Martin’s Liberals announced $1 billion over five years in upgrading border security, emergency management and transportation security
In 2005, the minority Liberals promised $4.6 billion for new military transport aircraft
The Liberals will increase Canadian military strength by 5,000 regular troops and 3,000 reserves, with up-to-date equipment
They will also provide an additional $13 billion of investments in defence capacity over the next five years
The Liberals also vow to move forward with the procurement of a new tactical airlift fleet for the Canadian Forces
They also plan to provide long-term funding of $20 million over the next five years to ensure the Pearson Peacekeeping Centre can continue to offer training for peace operations

Marijuana

The Liberal government under Paul Martin reintroduced legislation decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana

Child Care

During the 2006 election campaign, Martin said the Liberals would commit an additional $6 billion to subsidizing day care when the first allotment runs out in 2009 -- increasing the Liberals' commitment to $11 billion through 2015
A Liberal government will make “not-for-profit” facilities eligible for the next funding phase of the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and the Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund
In the 2005 budget, Martin’s Liberals promised $295 million for housing construction and renovation on reserves and $100 million to enhance early learning and child care opportunities for First Nations children and families living on reserves

Crime

During the 2006 election campaign, Paul Martin proposed a sweeping ban on handguns
Martin also proposed a new 250-officer unit from the RCMP dedicated solely to fighting gun-related crimes; 75 new officers at Canada Border Services to combat illegal handgun imports; tougher sentences for gun-related crimes; a gun amnesty and buy-back program; waiving the re-registration fees for owners of long guns
A Liberal government will also provide investments into Border Services Agency to hire 75 new officers to stem the illegal smuggling of firearms
The Liberals will implement a rural community safety plan to provide resources for crime prevention initiatives in communities with less than 100,000 residents
They also vow to provide an additional $10 million a year for 10 years to increase the number of graduating RCMP officers
Over the next five years, new program funding will go to organizations and governments working to reduce gun violence and gang activity in Canada’s urban centres
A Liberal government will reintroduce legislation to crack down on violent crimes and gang violence, and to double the mandatory minimum sentences for serious gun-related crimes
These reforms will also prevent courts from using conditional sentences in cases where there was serious personal injury, including all forms of sexual assault; terrorist activities; and organized crime-related offences

Gun registry

The Liberals will waive re-licensing fees for long guns, to encourage owners of these firearms to comply with the Canada Firearms Program

Democratic reform

The Liberals plan to engage in dialogue with Canadians to define the values and principles they wish to see reflected in their democratic institutions

Government accountability

The Liberal government will submit Judge Gomery’s second report to a Parliamentary Committee for study and advice to the government and to Parliament

Taxes

The Liberal government increased the basic personal exemption by $500 in last November's fiscal update, and trimmed the tax rate at the bottom income bracket to 15 per cent from 16 per cent. Under the changes, the federal government says that a family of four with two earners who gross $60,000 a year will shave $934 off their tax year
Meanwhile, a single parent with one child who earns $50,000 a year will save $700 a year. The government says that its new tax initiatives will mean that an additional 500,000 Canadians will not pay any taxes
During the 2006 election campaign, Martin promised to increase to the current caregiver tax credit by 50 per cent, to $15,000; as set out under a $500-million Liberal plan for seniors
On the campaign trail, the Grits announced they would increase the lifetime capital gains exemption by 50 per cent from $500,000 to $750,000
Martin also promised to kill a $975 landing fee on immigrants
Martin has promised to make permanent a five-year deal that gives municipalities a cut of the federal gas taxes
Paul Martin’s governing Liberal government announced new tax guidelines that make dividends more attractive for investors but leave tax policy on income trusts unchanged
During the 2006 election campaign, Martin said the Liberals would commit an additional $6 billion to child care when the first allotment runs out in 2009 -- increasing the Liberals' commitment to $11 billion through 2015
The Liberals will allow the tax-exempt transfer of a fishing enterprise from one generation to another
The party vows to maintain a strong fiscal and investment climate by ensuring an internationally competitive tax system, especially relative to the United States
The party will ramp up the maximum contribution rates for RRSPs and eliminate the foreign property restriction
The Liberals will reduce general corporate tax rates and scheduling phase out of the corporate surtax
A Liberal government will create a working income tax benefit to supplement the earnings of low-income workers, and to encourage individuals to move from social assistance to the labour force

Foreign policy

Canada will continue to press for other UN reform initiatives, such as the creation of a permanent Human Rights Council
The Liberals will continue to lead the advocacy for a new forum that would bring together the leaders of twenty or so leading countries from the developed and developing world to deal directly with some of the world’s most pressing problems, for example, the threat of a flu pandemic
The Liberals are firmly opposed to the weaponization of space. They vow to lead an international campaign at the United Nations to establish a treaty banning all weapons in space
A re-elected Liberal Government would remain committed to a deal that promises to double official development assistance between 2001 and 2010

Immigration

A Liberal government will spend $1.3 billion over the next five years to enhance settlement and integration programs
The Liberals will commit $700 million over five years to clean up the backlog of applications
Martin’s government will change the rules preventing immigrants living in Canada from applying to become Canadian while in the country
That change will mean Canada will welcome 16,000 foreign students and resident workers by 2007
The Liberals will invest $260 million over six years to speed up the recognition of foreign credentials
$75 million will go toward accelerating the integration of 2,300 internationally-trained health-care professionals
The Liberal government will eliminate the $975 immigration landing fee, reducing it immediately to $600, then $300 after 12 months, and to zero in the next two budgets
The Liberals will continue to improve family re-unification efforts

Environment

The Liberals aim to establish a national renewable fuels standard that will call for minimum of 5 per cent mix of renewable fuels in gasoline and diesel by the end of 2010
They aim to develop domestic “offset credits” for farmers who adopt low-till or zero-till practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions using the government’s new climate fund
The Liberals plan to expand the existing incentives for thermal cogeneration of power and accelerate the capital cost allowance for forest bio-energy to encourage energy conservation and lower greenhouse gas emissions
The party vows to reduce overlapping regulatory requirements to make regulation more efficient without compromising social and environmental goals
The Liberals vow to expand air quality monitoring and reporting through the new Air Quality Index
If re-elected, a Liberal government will implement a 10-year, $1 billion plan to clean Canadian waterways
The Liberals vow to expand Canada’s network of National Parks and Protected Areas to safeguard natural areas
They also plan to work with provincial and territorial governments to establish or expand national parks in Manitoba, Newfoundland, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and to invest $150 million over the next five years to support these developments
In the 2005 budget, Martin’s Liberals promised $4.7 billion over five years, including $1 billion to cut greenhouse gases and $200 million to boost wind energy
Under the Kyoto plan unveiled in 2005, the Liberal minority government announced $10 billion would go toward reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in Canada over the next eight years
Martin has spoken out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
In Budget 2005, the Liberals commit to securing the funding for the Green Municipal Fund, which helps municipalities build environmentally sustainable infrastructure, bringing the total up to $550 million

Aboriginals

The First Ministers' Summit on aboriginal issues wrapped up with Martin’s government committing to a 10-year plan that pledges $5.1 billion over the next five years. The money will go to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life for aboriginal Canadians.
The Liberals aim to increase the number of high school graduates by a cumulative 22,000 in five years, and 110,000 in 10 years
They want to increase the number of post-secondary graduates by 14,800 over the next five years, and 37,000 within 10 years
More scholarships and apprenticeship programs will help reach those aims
In terms of health care, the Liberals vow to double the number of aboriginal health-care professionals in 10 years; at present level, there are 150 doctors and 1,200 nurses
A Liberal government will work to reduce infant mortality, suicide, childhood obesity and diabetes in aboriginal communities
It will close the housing gap by 40 per cent within five years, and 80 per cent in 10 years
To improve water quality, the Liberals will improve water treatment training, and speed up certification of water systems and operators
Martin’s Liberals will also develop a regulatory regime for drinking water on reserves
They will encourage home ownership in aboriginal communities and help build up a labour force for an increase in construction jobs
The Liberals aim to increase aboriginal employment levels by 30 per cent over the next five years
Before the government fell, the Liberals offered more than $2 billion in compensation for former students who suffered abuse at native residential schools
A re-elected Liberal government will invest a further $100 million in support for high-speed access in rural, remote and First Nations communities

Trade

The Liberals established a new Secretariat based in Washington to coordinate and facilitate better cooperation
It opened seven new consulates in the United States
Martin’s Liberals will invest more than $500 million over the next five years to implement Can-Trade, to expand trade relations in other countries
The Martin government announced in October 2005 the Pacific Gateway strategy
The strategy will see $590 million spent to support investment in transportation infrastructure at strategy gateways and trade corridors
The Liberals will continue to push the U.S. to respect the rules of NAFTA and its dispute resolution system
During the 2006 election campaign, Paul Martin pledged: $46 million added to DaimlerChrysler's planned investment of $768 million on upgrades to its Windsor and Brampton operations; $100 million in the re-development of the Ford Motor Co.'s Oakville, Ont. facility; $200 million for General Motor's $2.5-billion Beacon Project; $55 million for a new Toyota assembly plant in Woodstock, Ont.
The Liberals will support export market promotion of Canada’s agri-food products through the new CAN-Trade international strategy
They will invest in food safety and food quality initiatives to ensure a safe food supply for Canadians and to assist the export marketing of our products
The Liberals vow to renew the Municipal Rural and other infrastructure funds
They also aim to provide new funding for access to broadband services
They will work with agricultural stakeholders and the provinces to continue to improve the farm income support system and specifically to address improved methods of assistance in times of income disasters
The Liberals also promise to explore ways to help producers earn a greater share of the total value of agri-food products
They aim to continue funding conservation and greencover incentives, after the current program expires in 2007–08
They vow to promote export opportunities for wood products into growing markets such as China
The Liberals will also provide loan insurance to enhance the creditworthiness of firms affected by the softwood lumber dispute
The party supports economic diversification in communities affected by recent job losses
The Liberals also aim to improve market access and address ongoing trade disputes and barriers
The party promises support for the 300 Community Futures Development Corporations which provide, among other services, loans to small local businesses in rural and small communities
The Liberals also vow to provide $90 million of financial support over five years for information services of real value to small and mid-sized business, including: BizPaL, a web-based service that allows easy access to a customized list of permits and licences required from all levels of government; and Canada Business, a primary source of business information for entrepreneurs.
The Liberal government will invest almost $500 million over the next five years to implement CAN-Trade, a network of programs and services
The Liberals will also invest in a $250 million Global Success Fund to assist smaller companies to link to global supply networks
Liberals vow to expand trade officer representation in key markets, including China, India and Brazil
They also intend to create a corporate social responsibility centre, which will ensure Canadian activities in emerging markets foster social and environmental as well as economic goals
The Liberal trade strategy will also include an initiative for sustainable cities, which links Canadian firms to opportunities for improving the sustainability of major cities in developing nations

Education

Paul Martin’s Liberals have a three-pronged approach that includes early learning and child care, broader access to post-secondary education, and enhanced workplace skills
The Martin government will make permanent a commitment to spend $5 billion over five years for early learning and child care initiatives
A Liberal government will increase access to post-secondary education through a 50/50 Plan that will cover half of an undergraduate student's first year tuition and graduating year tuition, to a maximum of $3,000
Students can choose to opt into the plan, or draw benefits from the existing tuition tax credit and education expense deduction
The Liberals will expand the Canada Access Grants to cover up to four years of undergraduate study for eligible students, beginning 2006-07 at the cost of $110 million per year
Martin’s Liberals will review the system of financial assistance for students
The Liberals will provide $1 billion to upgrade post-secondary facilities
They will provide $150 million over five years to assist with the costs associated with international study
Graduate school scholarships will be increased by 50 per cent
The Liberals will invest $3.5 billion over the next six years to enhance workplace skills
They aim to double, over the next 10 years, the number of apprenticeship graduates to 75,000 annually
The Liberals have invested $55 million through to 2006 for aging workers, to help with training, or to adjust financially
The Liberals aim to increase the number of high school graduates by a cumulative 22,000 in five years, and 110,000 in 10 years
They want to increase the number of post-secondary graduates by 14,800 over the next five years, and 37,000 within 10 years
A Liberal government will support 3,500 R&D internships with private firms over the next five years
They also want to create a scholarship program to support those who already have graduate degrees in engineering and the natural and health science, to also acquire business and management training via master in business administration studies at Canadian universities
The Liberals will invest $160 million over the next five years to support the creation of large-scale integrated facilities that bring together university and private sector researchers to accelerate the commercialization of university-based discoveries
A Liberal government would improve access to post-secondary education facilities by earmarking $135 million from the $1 billion Post-Secondary Education Innovation Fund to enhance access to advanced education for students with disabilities
The Liberals will award annual scholarships to attract the very best scholars from Canada’s 25 development partner countries
They will also award 25 Pearson Scholarships every year to outstanding Canadian scholars for study abroad in such fields as multilateralism, international development and human rights, which will cover the cost of travel, tuition, lodging and study