We have had years of Liberal and Conservative cuts to our most important public services, including health care and education. We’ve seen decades of neglect for our Indigenous Peoples. Canada still has no affordable child care in most jurisdictions, our retirement security is under constant attack, and we have an economy that can’t provide sustainable, quality jobs.
It could be different. Only Tom Mulcair and the NDP have a plan that meets CUPE members’ needs.
An NDP government will give Canadians:
- A restored health care system that will help five million more Canadians access a family doctor, make prescription drugs more affordable, and give seniors better access to home care.
- An affordable 15 dollar a day childcare program to help young families get ahead.
- An expanded Canada Pension Plan for the long-term by working with, not against, the provinces; reversal of Harper’s cuts to Old Age Security; and protection for workplace pensions by ensuring current and future retirees don’t have their benefits reduced by their employers.
- Investment in public services and infrastructure to improve Canada’s transit, municipalities and other services while creating jobs.
- A concrete plan to lower carbon pollution by working with the world instead of against the planet by introducing hard emission reduction targets and make polluters pay to achieve them.
- A thorough, public review of Stephen Harper’s Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that may threaten hundreds of thousands of good jobs and public services.
- A respectful Nation to Nation relationship with our Indigenous peoples, including new investments in drinking water, education, and housing.
- Repeal of the anti-democratic Bill C-51, which was supported by the Liberals and Conservatives, and replace it with a law that protects Canadians without over-riding our constitutional rights.
Contrast that platform to the Justin Trudeau Liberals:
- No child care program.
- No protection of our health care system from the attacks of the TPP.
- Failure to reverse the 36 billion dollars in Conservative cuts.
- No National Prescription Drug Plan.
- No comprehensive National Strategy for Seniors Care.
- No protection for federal jurisdiction workers whose employers walk away from pension promises.
- Continuing the Harper corporate tax cuts, with no guarantees of jobs.
- No guarantees against privatization.
- No funds earmarked for clean drinking water in Indigenous communities.
- Continuing support for the anti-democratic C-51.
In fact, more and more, we see a Liberal Party that mirrors the Conservatives, including behind-the-scenes deal-making with oil companies.
The Conservatives under Stephen Harper have proven to be divisive, dishonest, and focused only on the concerns of a few of the biggest corporations. Their government has been marked by huge cuts to public services, healthcare and pensions; tax cuts for the wealthiest Canadians and biggest corporations; rampant abuses of democracy; and a blatant disregard for Canadian values.
We used to be a nation built on mutual respect, on caring and on helping each other achieve our best. It’s time to get our country back on track. The Conservatives don’t want this, and the Liberals don’t have the experience or the plan to make it happen.
The only way to achieve real change this election is to vote for Tom Mulcair and the NDP.
Let’s wake up to a new Canada next Tuesday. On October 19, vote NDP.