Results of 44th General Election

Canadians Can Expect More of the Same from
New Liberal Government

At a press conference on September 28, Trudeau announced that Chrystia Freeland would continue to serve as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, that he would name the rest of his cabinet in October, and that the House of Commons would resume sitting “before the end of fall.” Media reports indicate the direction the Liberals’ pay-the-rich schemes will take. What it means for working people is that they must step up their work to speak up in their own name and make the claims on society they deem fit to make.

The Liberals’ election promises are summed up by the media as follows:

Pandemic

The Liberals have pledged $9 billion to train and offer salary bumps for thousands of new personal support workers. The party also promised 10 days of paid sick leave for federal workers, funding for improved ventilation in schools and legal protection for businesses that decide to require vaccinations.

The Liberals also promised $100 million to study the long-term health impacts of COVID-19, including the study of COVID-19 “long haulers” and its impact on different demographics. The party is also pledging $1 billion for provincial vaccine passports, which nearly every province has now adopted in some form.

Housing

To address Canada’s housing crisis, the Liberals have promised to build, preserve or repair 1.4 million homes over the next four years and are promising $2.7 billion in increased funding for the National Housing Co-investment fund.

To help Canadians afford a new home, the Liberals would ban blind bidding and would provide $1 billion in loans and grants to help facilitate a home purchase.

Health Care

The Liberals have promised to ensure that all Canadians have access to a family doctor and can afford prescription medication. They say they will also provide $3 billion over five years to support the application of higher standards for long-term care homes.

When it comes to mental health, the Liberals have promised $150 million for mental health and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) projects targeting those impacted by COVID-19 and $4.5 billion over five years for a Canada Mental Health Transfer. The party would also implement a three-digit mental health crisis hotline.

Economy

The Liberals have promised to restore one million jobs lost during the pandemic through several employment and business benefits designed to bring people back to work.

The party plans to extend most key COVID-19 benefits into the fall of 2021, including subsidies for businesses and benefits for those out of work due to the pandemic.

Reconciliation

The Liberals have previously promised $18 billion over five years to improve quality of life and create new opportunities for people in Indigenous communities.

The party has also promised to address the root causes of missing and murdered Indigenous women, including access to housing, poverty and the loss of Indigenous culture.

The party has also promised continued action on access to clean drinking water for Indigenous communities.

Climate Change

Trudeau and the Liberals have promised to bring national greenhouse gas emissions between 40 and 45 per cent below 2005 levels before the end of the decade and have committed to making Canada a net-zero country by 2050.

The party has also promised to continue raising its carbon pricing and is expecting the fossil fuel industry to reduce emissions.

The Liberals are also promising $1.5 billion in a rebate program for electric vehicles.

Childcare

The Liberals have previously promised up to $30 billion over the next five years for child care and early childhood education, a 50 per cent reduction in average fees for regulated early learning and child care in all provinces outside of Quebec by the end of 2022, and an average cost of $10 a day by 2025-26 for all regulated child care spaces outside of Quebec, which has its own child care system.

They have also promised 250,000 additional spaces and 40,000 additional child and early childhood education workers by 2025-26.

This article was published in:

Renewal Update No. 39, October 5, 2021

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Results of 44th General Election: Canadians Can Expect More of the Same from