Canadians want action on the environment; action that reduces green house gases while preserving our standard of living and way of life. Unfortunately, previous Liberal governments failed to act while Canada’s air quality got worse and greenhouse gas emissions skyrocketed. Conservatives are turning the corner with a practical, achievable plan to clean up Canada’s air, land and water and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Conservative Record

	Provided $1 billion over five years for a Green Infrastructure Fund
	Hired new Environmental Enforcement Officers across Canada
	Created a National Water Strategy
	Banned harmful chemicals under the Chemicals Management Plan
	Moving towards a carbon market in Canada
	Introduced a balanced, achievable plan to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions 20% by 2020 and cut air pollution in half by 2015
	Created $2 billion ecoENERGY Initiative to promote smarter energy use, greater use of clean energy sources, and cleaner use of traditional energy sources
	A $225 million investment to acquire and preserve ecologically sensitive lands

The Liberal Record

	Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff admits previous Liberal governments “didn’t get it done,” and;
	Ignatieff also says the Liberals “got into a mess on the environment,” (The Record, May 23, 2006)
	For 13 years, Liberals promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions but did nothing while Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions increased by 27%
	Liberals, according to a September 2006 report by the Auditor General’s office, never had a viable plan to meet their Kyoto targets for greenhouse gas emission reduction
	Liberals stood idly by as Canada slid to 28th out of 29 OECD nations in pollution regulation rankings

For Canadians, the choice is clear: real action and achievable goals with the Conservatives or all talk and no results with the Liberals.

Canadians pay too much tax. Under the Liberals, working families and seniors were squeezed while the Liberal government rewarded Liberal insiders and mismanaged our tax dollars.

Under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Conservatives are cutting taxes to build a better Canada.

The Conservative Record

	GST cut from 7% to 6%, and now to 5% – that’s a tax cut for all Canadians.
	Reduced the lowest personal income tax rate to 15% from 15.5% as of January 1, 2007.
	Created the new Working Income Tax Benefit to help 1.2 million people over the “welfare wall��?.
	Created the new $1,000 Canada Employment Credit to lower taxes for working Canadians.
	Created the new $2,000 Child Tax Credit amount for every child under 18, a $1.5 billion tax savings for families.
	Increased the amount all Canadians can earn without paying federal income tax to $9,600 in 2007 and 2008 and to $10,100 in 2009.
	Enacted the Tax Fairness Plan to provide $1 billion in tax relief for Canadian seniors and pensioners.
	Delivered new tax credits for public transit, kid’s sports, textbooks, tools, and apprentices.
	Eliminated income tax on student scholarships, fellowships and bursaries.
	Cut taxes on small businesses.
	Ensured fairness for single-earners by ending the marriage penalty.
	Eliminated the job-killing corporate capital tax.
	Enacted the “Tax Back Guarantee��?- a plan to use interest savings from national debt repayments to reduce personal income taxes, each and every year.

The Liberal Record

	Liberals promised to scrap the GST 13 years ago but never did.
	Instead, Liberals squandered billions of tax dollars on scandals like the Sponsorship Program and failed schemes like the Human Resources boondoggle and the long gun registry.
	Liberals voted against every tax relief measure put forward by the Conservative government.

The NDP Record

	The NDP has a long history of opposing tax cuts and making expensive promises that would drive taxes up.
	The NDP joined the Liberals in voting against every single tax relief measure for Canadians implemented by the new Conservative government.

For taxpayers, the choice is clear: strong leadership and lower taxes with the Conservatives or weak leadership and higher taxes with the Liberals.

Safe streets and safe communities have long been a part of the Canadian way of life. Under the Liberals, little was done to address concerns about the increasing threat of gun, gang and drug crime in our neighbourhoods. Conservatives have taken action to get tough on criminals and make out streets safer.

In the last session of Parliament the Conservative government introduced legislation to prevent crime and protect law abiding Canadians.

The Conservative Record

	Combating organized crime by making murders connected to organized crime automatically first degree
	Combating drug crime with mandatory sentences for dealing drugs to children, and tougher penalties for trafficking date-rape drugs
	Ending 2-for-1 and 3-for-1 credit for time served before trial
	New offences for motor vehicle theft, VIN-tampering and trafficking in property obtained by crime
	Cracking down on sex offenders by strengthening the sex offender registry with mandatory registration for sex offenders
	Repealing  faint hope clause for first and second degree murder
	Ending house arrest for serious crimes
	Protecting victims’ rights and providing more support for victims of crime
	Improving access to electronic information for police

The Liberal Record

	Liberal Senators are using their majority in the senate to block laws preventing drug trafficking
	Liberals have gutted previous attempts to impose mandatory minimums
	Liberals have previously stalled progress on legislation establish reverse onus for bail for offenses involving firearms and tougher sentences for repeat dangerous offenders.

The choice is yours:  a Conservative government who protects Canadians, or a Liberal government who blocks, guts, and stalls attempts to make the streets safer for families.

Canada’s Arctic is central to our national identity as a northern nation. For thirteen years, previous Liberal governments were asleep at the switch and did nothing to assert Canada’s domain over the North.

Conservatives are establishing sovereignty over the Arctic to build a stronger, safer, better Canada.

The Conservative Record

A four-pronged Arctic Agenda:

	Economic development – unleashing the resource-based potential of the North;
	National sovereignty – protecting our land, airspace and territorial waters;
	Northern input and control – ending paternalistic federal policies of past governments, and;
	Environmental protection – protecting the unique Northern environment.

With concrete results:

	Construction of eight Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships;
	Construction of an Arctic deep water port;
	Increased northern surveillance by the Canadian Forces;
	Invested $20.5 million into climate change research in the Arctic;
	Northern input and control – ending paternalistic federal policies of past governments, and;
	Launched a new Regional Economic Development Agency for Canada’s north

The Liberal Record

	Liberals gutted military funding and reduced Canada’s capability to patrol the North.
	Between 1993 and 2002, the Liberal Government did not send a single Canadian Forces ship into Arctic waters.

For Canadians, the choice is clear: strong leadership and the strengthening of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty with the Conservatives or weak leadership and a weakening of Canada’s Arctic sovereignty with the Liberals.

Canadians want our health care system to be there when they or their families need it.  Since 2006, Stephen Harper’s Conservative Government has taken action to improve our health care system by introducing practical and achievable steps to deliver real results for Canadian families.

Conservatives are improving Canada’s health care system to build a stronger, safer, better Canada.

The Conservative Record

	Working with provinces to reduce surgery and test wait times.
	Establishing the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer to improve cancer research.
	Providing the provinces with $22.6 billion for health care in 2008 – a record amount.
	Investing to fight cervical cancer – the second most common cancer among young women.
	Established the Canadian Mental Health Commission
	New guidelines for food and product safety
	Protecting children and youth from tobacco marketing
	National Initiative to Train and Recruit Nurses
	Providing tax relief on medical products
	Further investments in the Canada Health Infoway

The Liberal Record

	Liberals cut health funding while patient wait times got longer.
	Liberals slashed $25 billion from the Canada Health and Social Transfer and created a health care funding crisis for every province in the country.
	Liberals failed to address the severe shortage of doctors, nurses and other critical health care professionals.
	Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has yet to tell Canadians his ideas for health care.

For Canadians, the choice is clear: a proven track record and better care with the Conservatives or weak leadership and worse care with the Liberals.

In these tough economic times, standing up for families is more important than ever. The Federal Government is delivering on its commitments to families.

We understand that everyone is stretching to make ends meet.  Our Government introduced measures that give families a break, long before the global recession hit, and now Canada’s Economic Action Plan is making sure families get the support they need.

The Conservative Record

	Delivered a new child tax credit, the Universal Child Care Benefit which provides families with $100 a month per child, and a break for families that enrol their kids in amateur sports.
	Strengthened the Registered Education Savings Plans, so families can plan better for the future.
	Introducing a First-Time Home Buyers’ Tax Credit (HBTC) to help with the purchase of a first home.
	Providing the self-employed with access to maternity and parental benefits under the Employment Insurance (EI) program.
	Providing personal income tax relief for all taxpayers.

For thirteen years, the Liberal party was more interested in helping themselves than helping hard-working Canadian families.

The Liberal Record

	Promised but never delivered child care spaces;
	Leader Michael Ignatieff called the Universal Child Care Benefit, which provides families with $100 per child, “wasteful” (Agenda for Nation Building).
	Refused to offer policy ideas when invited  to give input;
	Michael Ignatieff calls himself a “tax-and-spend Liberal,” will your taxes go up?

 The Conservatives are building a better, safer, stronger Canada for families.

 

Stephen Harper

Stephen Harper continues to get things done for families and taxpayers.

In Stephen Harper, Canadians have:

• A strong leader who knows where he stands and knows where he is going.
• A leader who has put the aspirations of families – and the pressures they face – at the heart of national decision-making.
• A man who passionately believes in a Canada where what matters is what you’ve done and where you’re going, and not where you’re from or who you know.
• A Prime Minister who stands up for Canada proudly on the world stage.
• A leader with a proven record of getting the job done.

With Stephen Harper, Canada is moving forward.  And Canadians can plan for the future with confidence.

Michael Ignatieff

Michael Ignatieff recently returned to Canada after spending nearly his entire adult life abroad.

In Michael Ignatieff, Canadians see:

• A person who has spent most of his adult life outside of Canada and who has returned to Canada only to become Prime Minister;
• An out of touch academic who does not have solutions to the problems faced by hardworking Canadian families;
• A self described “tax-and-spend Liberal” ; and
• A politician who was willing to take power through a coalition with the NDP and the Bloc.

With Michael Ignatieff at the helm, Canadian families who work hard and play by the rules would be left out and forgotten.

For Canadians, the choice is clear: strong leadership with the Conservatives or out-of-touch leadership with the Liberals.

 

The Conservative Record