A look at promises made so far in the campaign for the Oct. 19 election

OTTAWA — A running list of promises made by the federal political leaders since the election campaign began Aug. 2:

Conservatives

Aug. 19: Cut “red tape” for businesses stemming from legislation and policy rules in addition to regulations. Better harmonize child car seat regulations with those of the United States to provide more choice and better prices. Simplify the calculation of home-office expense deductions.

Aug. 18: Resurrect the “Life Means Life” legislation that died in the Commons when the election was called. The bill would mean that those who commit the most heinous murders or high treason, would spend the rest of their lives behind bars.

Aug. 17: Add 6,000 people to the ranks of the Canadian Forces reserves at a cost of $163 million over three years and $63.4 million going forward once the target of 30,000 personnel is reached.

Aug. 15: Improve the earnings loss benefit for veterans with service-related disabilities or injuries by letting them earn up to $10,000 in outside work, without losing any government funding.

Aug. 14: Spend $14 million to pave a stretch of a scenic highway between Fort Smith and Hay River in the Northwest Territories.

Aug. 12: Raise to $35,000 the amount that first-time home buyers can withdraw tax free from RRSPs to finance a home purchase. Track the impact of home purchases by foreign, non-residents to ensure this doesn’t skew the market against Canadian buyers.

Aug. 11: Another$4.5 million a year, on top of the $22 million currently budgeted, for an RCMP team designed to crack down on illegal drug labs and marijuana grow-ops. Allot $500,000 a year over four years on a national toll-free hotline for parents to call to get information about drug use among youth.

Aug. 10: Bring 10,000 additional refugees from Syria and Iraq. Spend $9 million over three years to help the Office of Religious Freedom protect places of worship and religious artifacts targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Aug. 9: Expand federal laws that make it a crime for Canadians to head overseas to fight alongside groups officially identified by the federal government as a terrorist organization. Essentially it would declare certain areas no-travel zones for most Canadians, with exceptions for journalists and humanitarian workers.

Aug. 4: A permanent home-renovation tax credit — an update to the temporary credit introduced in 2009 — costing $1.5 billion a year, but contingent on a stronger economy. Applies to $5,000 worth of renovation costs, down from $10,000 in 2009.

Aug. 3: Increase the apprenticeship job creation tax credit, first introduced in 2006 to create incentives to foster skilled trades, to a maximum of $2,500, up from $2,000, and extend it to include the third and fourth years of eligible training.

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NDP

Aug. 19: Spend $250 million over four years to recruit 2,500 new police officers. Commit $100 million year thereafter to a recruiting program.

Aug. 18: Commit $7 million a year to a Joint Emergency Preparedness Program for disasters such as floods and fires and earmark an additional $2 million for emergency training programs.

Aug. 17: Invest $30 million over three years in Destination Canada, a Crown corporation responsible for promoting Canada as a tourist destination.

Aug. 14: Bring in legislation to make the parliamentary budget officer a fully independent officer of Parliament and require government departments and agencies to make financial information available to the PBO.

Aug. 11: Create a payment-protection program for farmers who don’t get paid if they sell their products to U.S. companies that go bankrupt.

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Liberals

Aug. 19: Change labour laws to ensure that employees in federally regulated industries have the right to ask their bosses for flexible work hours.

Aug. 18: Invest $200 million a year to develop clean technologies in forestry, fisheries, mining, energy and farming. Put another $100 million into organizations that promote clean technology firms.

Aug. 17: Lower the federal income tax rate to 20.5 per cent on incomes between $44,700 and $89,401, paying for it by raising taxes on the wealthiest one per cent. Bring in a new, tax-free child benefit to replace the Conservative universal child benefit.

Aug. 13: Add $515 million a year to funding for First Nations education, rising through the mandate to a total of $2.6 billion. Add another $500 million over three years for education infrastructure and $50 million more a year for a program that helps aboriginals in post-secondary education.

Aug. 11: Bring in a merit-based appointment process for the Senate.

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Green party

Aug. 18: Legislate a ban on super tankers on British Columbia’s coast and impose a moratorium on drilling for oil and gas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.Produce stronger environmental assessment laws to help defend coastal communities from risky pipeline and tanker schemes. Repeal the Conservative omnibus security legislation.

Aug. 14: Improve benefits for veterans. Provide any veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder with a service dog if they want one.

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Bloc Quebecois

No policy announcements in the campaign to date.

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