Look at what the Federal leaders are doing in Week 2 of Election Campaign:
Liberals
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau says his government would pump $6 billion into provincial and territorial healthcare systems.
Trudeau made the announcement at Halifax’s Dalhousie University.
He says the money will make improvements to the system and reduce long waitlists.
Trudeau says he respects it’s a provincial jurisdiction but adds he has heard the calls for help.
“Health care is a responsibility of the provinces, and we will always respect that,” Trudeau says. “We’re stepping up as a federal government because we know you need to get care when and where you need it. At the end of the day, that’s what really matters to Canadians.”
He also promised an additional $3 billion investment to help hire at least 7,500 more family doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners.
Conservatives
Leader Erin O’Toole is defending his support for public health care.
A Twitter post from Chrystia Freeland and later shared on other Liberal Party sites suggested O’Toole was in support of a two-tiered system.
Twitter later labelled the post as manipulated media.
Canada's public, universal health care system is one of our greatest strengths. It's part of what makes us who we are as a country. Last year, as COVID-19 raged, Erin O'Toole was asked if he would bring private, "for-profit" healthcare to Canada. He responded unequivocally: yes. pic.twitter.com/dISRKrIjr0
— Chrystia Freeland (@cafreeland) August 22, 2021
O’Toole responded by accusing the Liberals and Justin Trudeau of introducing American-style politics into the campaign.
“He’s dividing and misleading Canadians on a daily basis. With their social media yesterday, they’re importing American-style misleading politics. I think Canadians deserve better than that,” says O’Toole.
O’Toole outlined several campaign promises when faced with repeated questions from the media about his support for public health care.
O’Toole is also promising to give workers a greater say with workplace decisions.
If elected Prime Minister, O’Toole says he would legislate federally- regulated businesses to have worker representation on their board of directors.
“I believe that workers share more fully in the prosperity of Canada when they have a seat at the table. And that’s exactly what Canada’s Conservatives will deliver.”
NDP
Leader Jagmeet Singh is calling out the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau over climate change.
Singh says Trudeau made promises in 2019 that he has failed to deliver on.
He adds Canada is the only country of the G-7 to have increased emissions since.
“It’s never been clearer we’re facing a climate emergency,” said Jagmeet. “Justin Trudeau went to the climate march in 2019, said nice things and then abandoned his promises to young people in favour of helping Big Oil. We can’t afford another four years of Justin Trudeau.”
Jagmeet claims Trudeau promised to eliminate subsidies to oil companies but instead increased them to levels higher than when the Conservatives were in government.
Singh says if elected, he would eliminate those subsidies and award them to the renewable energy sector.
He also pledged $500 million to support Indigenous-led stewardship programs.
Green Party
Leader Annamie Paul says there is a need to change the culture of federal politics at the House of Commons.
Paul says it’s not a welcoming place for many people and things need to change.
“If we don’t want more of the same, we need to do something different. We can’t keep heading down the same road with the same people with the same approach to politics and hope for a different outcome. It’s really that simple,” says Paul
Paul says if government wants to do historic things, we need to acknowledge that it needs to be done together.
Meantime, don’t expect to see the Green Party leader much travel during the campaign.
She says her focus is winning the Toronto area riding she’s running in.
“This is a place where I can speak about the national issues that are on every person in Canada’s mind during this election, but it is still incredibly important for me to find whatever opportunities I can to support our strong and extraordinary candidates across the country.”
One of her trips is expected to take her to Fredericton, New Brunswick, in the near future.
(With Files from Randy Thoms: Fort Frances and Jack Morse: Halifax)
