Vibrant Communities Calgary

New Democrat Party Platform - Poverty Reduction Analysis

Three more days til we go to the polls, and VCC is wrapping up its review of the poverty platforms. So far, the Liberals and the Greens have provided solid approaches to reducing poverty in Canada; what about the NDP?

Several of their objectives overlap with the Greens and Liberals– such as their commitment to an Affordable Housing Initiative, increased funding for social housing, rebates on an Eco-Energy Retrofit, and improved family and maternal leave benefits.

Differentiating them from the other parties is their particular commitment to the elderly demographic – committing to end poverty for seniors through an increased Guaranteed Livable Income, to double old age benefits, to improve at home health care, to develop Forgivable Loans allowing seniors to remain in their houses, and provide Inter-generational Home Retrofit Program to help families create suites for elderly family members. Like the Liberals, the NDP would also include compassionate care leave for relatives nearing the end of their lives, and provide Caregiver Benefits for those looking after elderly or dependent family members.

Perhaps the most exciting piece of their platform, which has not been addressed by any other party and which would very substantially benefit low-income individuals, is their proposed crackdown on excessive credit card rates and banking fees, including fees on payday loans. Bravo NDP for this proposed piece of legislation!

The NDP is quite specific with regard to its childcare and post-secondary education goals, committing to create 25,000 more spaces each year over 4 years, contribute $800 million federally to lower tuition fees, $200,000 more to the Canada Student Grants Program (particularly targeting accessibility for Aboriginal Students, disabled students, and low-income students), and raise the education tax credit. They also commit to creating a Child Benefit that builds on and increases the Universal Child Care Benefit, as part of a strategy to lift children and families out of poverty.

Like the Greens, the NDP suggests re-instating a Federal Minimum Wage, though they do not propose a figure; as we stated in our review of the Green Party platform, we strongly advocate for regionally-based Living Wages, and would encourage them to take this into account in their discussions for a Federal Minimum Wage. The NDP would also increase the effectiveness of employment insurance by eliminating the waiting period, decreasing the number of hours of employment required to receive benefits and increasing the amount of EI received

The NDP proposes a number of ways of stimulating employment, most of which are very sound; however their commitment to ensure that combined provincial/federal corporate tax rates are always lower than in the U.S. is questionable at best. While this might provide an incentive for companies establish themselves in Canada and create jobs, it could, if strictly followed, motivate a race to the bottom and result in substantial losses in government revenue. If we want to continue to provide much needed services without taxing the individual unduly, a substantial portion of our taxes will also have to come from corporations. That said, the NDP currently advocates for a corporate tax rate that is higher than our current one, so they seem, in practice, to be moving away from any “race to the bottom”.

Like the Greens, the NDP commits to reduce the costs of prescription medication; again, however, we would also encourage them to discuss better coverage of prescriptions, particularly for those on low-income or with disabilities. The NDP has, however, committed to creating a National Plan to Implement the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which will improve their access to opportunities and services. Like the Greens, the NDP is also committed to promoting the inclusion of all Canadians in social life in part by making broadband accessible to all Canadians, and prohibiting usage-based billing for the internet.

Finally, the NDP, if elected, will ensure that due action is taking with regard to Women’s Equality, including immediate implementation of pay-equity laws and policies.

The NDP provides a solid approach to addressing poverty in Canada, particularly with regard to children and the elderly. We would encourage them to consider integrating affordable transit and provisions for those with mental health issues more prominently in their platform – two very strong elements of the Green platform – but emphatically applaud their efforts to ban excessive fees on loans and credit cards. We encourage the other parties to rally around such a piece of legislation.

Thank you NDP! You can read the full NDP platform here. Conservatives – you’re up next!