Animal rights, water and taxing the ultra-rich take center stage as we near the halfway point of the campaign.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was in Ottawa, vowing that, if elected, all Canadians would pay their fair share.
Singh says this will take place by closing tax loopholes that benefit the ultra-rich, something he says the Liberals have not done during their six years in power.
“Despite the Panama Papers, and a number of other documents that have shown the super-wealthy not paying their fair share, hiding their wealth, there has not been a single conviction in six years for tax evasion,” says Singh.
Part of the NDP plan will include giving the Canada Revenue Agency the funding and staff to crack down on tax evasion.
“If you believe the super-wealthy should pay their fair share, if you believe we need to increase enforcement for the super-wealthy and make sure wealthy corporations are actually contributing fairly, and if you believe in that, you need to vote,” says Singh. “The only way we can make this happen is by voting and voting New Democrat. The Liberals haven’t done this, they might promise a number of things in this campaign, but they won’t deliver because we’ve seen their track record. They don’t want to make this a priority. They have not made the wealthy pay their fair share.”
Conservative Leader Erin O’ Toole was in King City, Ontario and discussed the party’s position on animal welfare.
Reports have shown over the pandemic, there has been an increase in animal abuse and violence.
“A Conservative government will ban puppy mills; inhumane high volume dog breeding facilities that churn out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers,” says O’ Toole. “We will crack down on unethical breeders and dealers who mislead the public by claiming to offer rescue animals or pets bred humanely, while that is not the case. Canada’s Conservatives will ban imports of animals bred inhumanely and strengthen enforcement powers to seize animals when imported under poor welfare conditions.”
O’ Toole also promised if elected, he would put into place a national ban on cosmetic testing on animals, something he stated was long overdue.
He’s also proposing to have animal cruelty considered an aggravating factor in domestic violence prosecutions. O’Toole said part of this is due to the strong link between these types of violence.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau was in Granby, Quebec, discussing more green initiatives that would be put in place if his party is re-elected.
Specifically, it was promised $1 billion would be invested over the next decade to restore lake and river systems across Canada.
Trudeau stated this is nothing new for their party, stressing they have had a strong focus on environmental protection since coming into power in 2015.
“Stephen Harper had protected less than 1 per cent of our marine and coastal areas, and in the six years since, we have boosted that to 14 per cent, and on our way to 30 per cent,” says Trudeau. “We’ve worked with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners to safeguard fresh water, and we’re banning harmful single-use plastics and ending plastic waste by 2030. We’ve done a lot. Now, we’re choosing to do even more.”
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is in Montreal, holding two separate press conferences Monday. The first looks at immigration, and the second on gun control.
Green Party Leader Annamie Paul is off the campaign trail Monday, attending private meetings.
Election day is Monday, Sept. 20.Animal rights, water, and taxing the ultra-rich take center stage as we near the halfway point of the campaign.
