If you’re not one of the 3.6 million Canadians who voted in the advance polls, you may still be wondering who to vote for.
We’ve compiled a list of quick facts on key issues as well as information on where the parties stand, compiled by other groups and organizations, to help you make up your mind.
We’ve also included a link to all the party platforms, and important information on how to vote and your rights when you get to the polls.
Feel free to share this list – post it, Tweet it, and pass it along!
Poverty Reduction
QuickFacts:
- 1 in 7 Canadians live in poverty
- 1 in 5 racialized families live in poverty
- 15% of seniors live in poverty
- 21% of single mothers live in poverty
- Click for more info from Canada without Poverty
- Click for more info on income inequality from the CCPA
What the Parties Say:
- Canadian Association of Community Health Centres’ issues report card
- Canadian Association of Social Workers’ report card
Child Poverty
QuickFacts:
- 1.3 million Canadian children are living in poverty
- 4 in 10 Indigenous children live in poverty
- First Nations child welfare agencies receive 22% less than provincial agencies
- Click here for more info from Campaign 2000
What the Parties Say:
- Campaign 2000’s child poverty report card
- Coverage on the parties’ positions in The Tyee
Employment Insurance
QuickFacts:
- Only 40% of unemployed Canadian workers get EI
- You need to work between 400 – 720 hours per year to qualify
- The maximum EI rate is $524 / week for a maximum of 45 weeks
- Click here for more info from the Workers Action Centre
What the Parties Say:
- Good Jobs for All’s issues chart on how the parties compare
Housing
QuickFacts:
- 1 in 8 Canadian households live in unaffordable or crowded housing or housing that’s in disrepair
- 235,000 Canadians experience visible homelessness
- 50,000 are considered “hidden homeless”
- 1/5 of Canadians who are homeless are youth between 16-25
- Click here for more info from Raising the Roof
What the Parties Say:
- Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario report card
- The Homeless Hub’s election guide
Childcare
QuickFacts:
- Canada ranks 32nd out of 35 countries in investments in early childhood programs
- The annual cost of childcare ranges from $1,824 in Quebec to $20,612 in Toronto
- Click here for more info in Toronto Star coverage
What the Parties Say:
- CCPA-BC Office on where the parties have landed on childcare
Pharmacare
QuickFacts:
- Canada is the only country with a universal health care system that doesn’t include coverage for prescription drugs
- One-third of working Canadians do not receive employer-provided health benefits
- Women, young people, people paid low wages, and those who work part-time are less likely to have coverage – which has a particular impact on people from racialized communities
- Click here for more information from the Wellesley Institute
What the Parties Say:
- Campaign for National Drug Coverage report card
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
QuickFacts:
- 94 calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- The enduring legacy of residential schools
- 1,181 missing or murdered Indigenous women
- Click here for more from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
What the Parties Say:
- The Globe and Mail election primer
Tax Fairness
QuickFacts:
- $199 billion in federal revenue lost to corporate tax havens
- Stock option loopholes that cost $10 billion per year
- $43 billion in ineffective tax cuts since 2006
- Click here for more information from Canadians for Tax Fairness
What the Parties Say:
- Canadians for Tax Fairness analysis
In their own words
What the Parties Say:
Important Information on How to Vote
Your Voting Rights:
- Elections Canada confirmation that people can register to vote at the polls (click here)
- Comprehensive information on what you need to know about how to vote, from the BC Civil Liberties Association (click here)
- Information for people who are young, homeless, have been evicted, or have no permanent address, from Community Legal Education Ontario (click here)
- Check to see if you’re on the registered list of voters (click here)