The Issues
The Environment
The NDP and Liberals are looking at plans to help cut the
amount of pollution from cars and factories. The plan would involve a fee, or a
tax, that any large polluter would have to pay in order to keep polluting. The
idea is that companies and people would be compelled to develop clean technologies
and new ways of doing things in order to avoid the tax. This could help slow
the effects of climate change, and keep the air cleaner. The Conservatives
largely believe that Canada is only one of 200 countries around the world, and
a country with a very small population. The thinking is that, even if we make
an effort to cut pollution, it won't really make a difference overall. It's up
to larger countries, the Conservatives believe, like China, India, and the US,
to take the lead and make some changes.
Health Care
All parties support spending money on hospitals and doctors.
More or less, the Liberals plan to keep spending about the same as it is now,
the Conservatives plan to cut some of the spending on health care, but not
really all that much. The NDP have a whole different plan. Right now, doctors
and hospitals are free to visit, but medicine and drugs cost a lot of money.
Someone who is sick might have to pay quite a bit of money for the medicine
they need. The NDP plan is that the government will pay for doctors, hospitals,
and medicine as well. Drugs and meds should be free, they believe, for anyone
who needs it. This would cost quite a bit of money, medicine is expensive, but
many people think it's important.
Military
No party is really proposing to spend a great deal of new
money on the military. Canada's military is small, but even at that it is very
expensive. The NDP and Liberals largely support an army that plays a more
peacekeeping and assistance role worldwide. The Conservatives favour a more
combat ready military.
Day Care
This is a big issue that divides the parties. Right now school
is free from kindergarten to grade 12. Daycare for young kids, before
kindergarten, is very expensive. Most parents find a way to make it work.
Sometimes grandma takes care of the babies, sometimes mom stays home from work,
and sometimes parents pay to send their child to daycare. Sometimes this
daycare is just in a friends house, a school classroom, or a church basement.
Either way, it costs money. In Toronto, daycare can cost around $80.00 a day.
Around Meaford, it probably costs about $20.00 per day, per child.
The NDP think that government should run daycare, just like
government runs schools. Under the NDP plan, daycare would be $15.00 a day, for
every child, all across the country.
Taxes
All in all, the Conservatives propose lowering taxes
somewhat, the Liberals would largely keep taxes as they are, and the NDP has a
plan to raise the taxes somewhat, especially the taxes that companies pay.
