Our Conservative Government’s low-tax, balanced budget plan has helped steer Canada through a period of sustained global economic instability and turmoil.
Canada has fared relatively well since the global economic recession. We’ve led the G-7 in economic growth and job creation. In fact, the Canadian economy has created 1.3 million net new jobs since the depths of the recession. And the vast majority of these jobs are in full-time positions in high-wage, private sector industries.
But there is more to be done. The Canadian economy remains fragile. The global economy is once again weak and unstable.
Protecting Canada’s fragile economy is our number one priority. That’s why we’re implementing our low-tax, balanced budget plan to protect the economy and create jobs.
THE PLAN
Today Prime Minister Harper released our positive, forward-looking plan for the next four years. We’re making important choices to protect Canada’s fragile economy and keep it moving forward for the next four years: keeping our budget balanced, lowering taxes on families, seniors, and small businesses, opening new markets for Canadian businesses and workers, creating more and better jobs, and helping more Canadians own their own homes. A re-elected Conservative Government can be trusted to fulfill these commitments and keep Canada strong and prosperous now and into the future.
Balanced Budget
We balanced the budget last year – one year ahead of schedule – and are on track to balance it again this year, with a significant surplus so far. A balanced budget is the foundation and anchor of our low-tax plan. Our platform projects credible budget surpluses each and every year. We’ll continue to make the right choices to keep our budget balanced.
Lower Taxes
Our low-tax plan is rooted in the belief that Canadians’ money belongs to them and not the government. That’s why we’ve consistently lowered the tax burden on all Canadians. Our low-tax pledge is a reflection of our record: Canadians know that we’ll do what we say we’ll do, and that we’ll manage taxpayer dollars responsibly. We’re prepared to go even further and entrench our low-tax plan in legislation. Our “tax lock” legislation will back our low-tax commitment – to families, seniors, workers, and small businesses – with the force of the law for the next four years.
More and better jobs
Our number one priority is the economy – creating new jobs and economic growth. Since 2006, Canada has led the G-7 in job creation because we’ve made the right choices. We’ve created 1.3 million net new jobs since the depths of the global economic recession, and we have the right plan to create another 1.3 million new, well-paying jobs by 2020.
Expanded Trade
Canada is a trading nation and our Conservative Government has made historic strides to open new markets for Canadian businesses and their workers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the largest free trade deal in history. It provides almost 800 million new customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region for Canadian goods and services. We’re moving ahead with the agreement to support Canada’s long-term economic prosperity and to create jobs. It’s good for the economy and good for Canadians.
Family Home
Homeownership is a key way to support Canadian families. We’re helping more Canadians become homeowners by providing new support to buy and invest in their homes. Currently, one in seven Canadian households owns their own homes – one of the highest rates in the industrialized world. And, under our plan for affordable, responsible homeownership, we’ll aim to add more than 700,000 new homeowners to Canada’s rolls by 2020.
Seniors
Canadian seniors deserve our respect and gratitude for a lifetime of hard work in service to our families, our communities, and our country. Our Government has lowered taxes and enhanced benefits to make life more affordable for Canadian seniors. And, under our plan, single and widowed seniors will get new, major tax relief to help them live their later years in dignity and comfort.
Keeping Canadians safe and secure
Our Conservative Government understands that protecting Canadians’ physical security is as important as protecting their financial security. The two ultimately go hand-in-hand. We can’t have a strong economy if Canadian communities aren’t safe and secure. And we can’t have real security if we don’t have the means to pay for our law enforcement agencies or our military. A strong economy, then, is the basis for our prosperity and our security. Our platform sets out a concrete plan to keep Canada safe in a dangerous and insecure world, and to keep Canadian streets safe from criminals.
THE CHOICE
Canadians have a clear choice in this election. Canada’s economy remains stronger than most, but it needs careful management and protection from instability elsewhere in the world.
Our low-tax, balanced-budget plan is the right one for the next four years. It’s a positive, forward-looking plan that will keep our economy protected and create jobs.
The Liberals and NDP have different plans. They would engage in out-of-control spending and run permanent, ongoing deficits. They would raise taxes on families, seniors, workers, and small businesses. They would accumulate billions in new debt and leave future generations with a greater financial burden. And most importantly: they would put hundreds of thousands of Canadian jobs at risk.
Our Conservative Party is the only party with a plan to keep taxes low, our budget balanced, and our economy protected over the next four years.