With a federal election expected to be called on Sunday, Canada’s political parties were out campaigning and making policy announcements in the preceding days.
On March 22, the governing Liberals announced that the federal dental care program will soon include all remaining eligible Canadians with a family net income of less than $90,000.
The program was rolled out for seniors in December 2023, and has since expanded to include children and those with disabilities. Eligible Canadians can start to apply on May 1, with coverage beginning in June.
Also on March 22, the Liberals said they would continue to support indigenous children by extending funding of Jordan’s Principle into 2026.
In the previous days, Prime Minister Mark Carney made other announcements including getting rid of the consumer carbon tax and capital gains tax. He also committed to removing the federal barriers for internal trade and made new announcements for relief for workers and businesses in the face of tariffs, which includes waiving the waiting period for EI, and additional loans for indigenous groups.
He also announced a $6 billion purchase of Australian radar technology to boost security in the Arctic.
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In Edmonton on March 20, Carney announced his government will eliminate the federal sales tax (GST) for first-time homebuyers on all new and “substantially renovated” homes under $1 million
He said the measure could give up to $50,000 in savings for families entering the housing market.
Conservatives Prepare
The Conservative Party has been rolling out its own policy promises prior to the election campaign.
The party issued a statement on March 22 taking aim at the Liberals, criticizing Carney for not getting rid of the emissions cap for the oil and gas sector. Another statement criticized Carney for not committing to repealing Bill C-69, dubbed the No More Pipelines Act, and Bill C-48, which would enable oil and gas from Alberta to be shipped from the B.C. coast.
“Let’s be clear, this cap is a cap on Canadian energy production. So as the US is going after our energy sector and Canadian markets more broadly, the Carney Liberals would like to cap Canadian energy production and block exports of our oil and gas to the world,” the Conservatives said.
On March 21, Party Leader Pierre Poilievre announced his plan to increase the number of Canadians working in the trades.
It includes bringing back apprenticeship grants up to $4,000. The Conservatives said the Liberal Party will be cancelling the grants at the end of March.
The Conservatives said they will pay for training halls to get 350,000 young workers job-ready through the Union Training and Innovation Program. The party says it will also create a special class of “rapid EI payout” for tradespeople, and work with the provinces to develop standard health and safety regulations to allow those in the trades to work anywhere in Canada without additional retraining.
The Conservatives said they will pay for the measures by reducing the number of federal government employees.
Poilievre has also said he would scrap the industry carbon tax and the Impact Assessment Act, which requires federal environmental assessments on major infrastructure projects. He has also said he would speed up mining projects to increase Canada’s GDP.
Poilievre held events at an Ottawa coffee shop and gym on Saturday, during which he reiterated his promise that his party would cut the GST on new home purchases—the same promise Carney made on March 20. However, Poilievre first touted the policy in a social media video in October 2024.
The Conservatives have announced a “Canada First” rally for March 23 in North York, Ontario.
NDP Gets Election Ready
While preparing for a possible election call, the NDP has criticized some moves by the Liberals and applauded others. They have also taken shots at the Conservatives, saying both the Liberals and the Tories are looking after the interest of the rich.
Leader Jagmeet Singh said Carney chose big corporations over everyday Canadians when he scrapped the capital gains tax, a move he said he won’t support.
The NDP also said that Poilievre would make cuts including the federal dental plan and $10 daycare rolled out by Ottawa.
On March 22, the NDP responded to the Liberal Party’s plan to expand dental care coverage, saying the New Democrats had fought to get the program in place.
Singh has also posted plans to travel around Canada to meet voters in various communities.
