social policy proposals_conservative party of canada

8/3/2019 Social Policy Proposals_conservative Party of Canada

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SOCIAL POLICY PROPOSALS:

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA

Introduction

The social policy proposals of the Conservative Party of Canada are divided into fiveunits: Aboriginal Affairs; Criminal Justice; Fiscal Measures; Health and other SocialPrograms. The proposals within the units are taken from two sources: the PolicyDeclaration (Section 1 of each of the five units) and the Election Platform (Section 2 ofeach of the five units) of the Conservative Party of Canada.1 The proposals under thepolicy declaration were a product of the Conservative Policy Conference in 2005. Theproposals under the election platform were listed as priorities in the 2006 electioncampaign.

I ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS

1. Policy Declaration National Policy Convention 2005The fundamental obligation of the federal government is to improve the livingconditions of Aboriginal Canadians, including the Inuit, in terms of economicopportunity, health, education, and community safety.

The Conservative Party believes that the following principles should govern theadministration of existing federal Aboriginal programs. These principles should alsogovern future legislative reform to the Indian Act and related legislation. They shouldalso inform government decision making in the resolution of rights disputes -whether based upon existing treaties, court decisions or Section 35 of the Constitution Act:(i) The Need for a Legislated Framework for Federal Aboriginal Expenditures: TheParliament of Canada must develop legislation which governs the delivery of federalgovernmental programs to Aboriginal Canadians. Both Aboriginal and non-AboriginalCanadians deserve to know the legislative basis upon which the Government ofCanada is expending funds on Aboriginal health, education, social welfare andinfrastructure. Legislation should be developed which governs such programs andwhich prescribes the standards of service which the federal government hasundertaken to provide to aboriginal Canadians.

(ii) Self Government - Legal and Democratic Authority: The Indian Act (and relatedlegislation) should be replaced by a modern legislative framework which provides for

the devolution of full legal and democratic responsibility to First Nations, includingthe Inuit, for their own affairs within the overall constitutional framework of our federal state.

Such legislative reform should be pursued following full consultation with First

1 Conservative Party of Canada, Policy Declaration, Adopted at the National Policy Convention, Montreal,March 19, 2005; Conservative Party of Canada, Stand Up for Canada, Federal Election Platform, 2006.


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Nations, with the objective of achieving a full and complete devolution of democraticauthority that is consistent with the devolution of other decision making responsibilitywithin our federal system. First Nations like other Canadians, are entitled to enjoydemocratic control over their own affairs within a legislative context that ensures certainty,stability, respect for the rule of law and which balances collective and individual responsibility.

First Nation communities must have the flexibility to determine for themselves,whether and how free market principles, such as individual property ownership shouldapply to reserve lands. Self government should be accomplished in a manner whichtakes into account the cultural and linguistic diversity of Canada's First Nations.Within the context of the Canadian Constitution, we should be prepared to makeflexible accommodations for the protection of language and culture within self-governmentagreements.

(iii)Transparency: Both aboriginal and non-aboriginal Canadians are entitled tocomplete transparency and accountability in the expenditure of all public funds onaboriginal programs, services and inter-governmental transfers. Aboriginals, like otherCanadians, must have ready access to police and judicial intervention to constrainand check any exercise of governmental authority (whether aboriginal or non-aboriginal) which is illegal, corrupt or an abuse of power.

(iv) Respecting the Canadian Constitutional Framework: We are a nation governed bythe Constitution Act, under which the rights of all citizens are protected and advancedby the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Our future together as a country must be builtupon the universal application of that framework.

All Aboriginal rights recognized under Section 35 of the Constitution must beconferred within the four square corners of the Constitution Act and the Charter, with

full protection for equality rights, such as women's rights, for both Aboriginal andnon-Aboriginal Canadians. Future Aboriginal legislation, policies and programs mustbalance the collective rights of Aboriginal Canadians under Section 35 of theConstitution with the individual equality rights enshrined in the Charter - which protectall Canadians - whether Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal. Aboriginal Canadians areentitled to the full benefits of Canadian citizenship and the full protection of theCharter - in areas such as economic opportunity, the delivery of health services,community safety, women's rights, respect for the rule of law, and the education andprotection of children. Canada must develop in a manner that ensures constitutional equalityand workability.

(v) A Framework for the Settlement of Comprehensive Claims and Self GovernmentAgreements: Settlement ofall outstanding "comprehensive claims" must be pursuedon the basis of a clear framework which balances the rights of Aboriginal claimantswith those of Canada - in particular, negotiated settlements must balance theeconomic and social needs of Aboriginal Canadians with Canada's need for certaintyand finality of terms. Self government agreements must reflect Canada's need for bothefficacy and practicality in institutional structure, and "constitutional harmony" so asnot to impede the overall governance of Canada.


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(vi) The Resolution of Existing Specific Claims and Lawsuits against the Federal

Crown:The federal government should, as a priority, adopt measures to resolve theexisting backlog of "specific" claims so as to provide justice for Aboriginal claimants,together with certainty for Government, industry and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

Institutional reform in the specific claim area should be pursued in a manner whichresolves claims in a timely manner. The jurisdiction of the Federal Court should beexpanded and the arbitrary ambit of the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC)Minister and the Specific Claims Policy contracted to eliminate the inherent conflict ofinterest of the Federal Crown in the resolution of 'specific claims'.

A. Land Title

i) The Conservative Party supports the development of a property regime that wouldencourage lending for private housing and businesses. This will promote economicopportunity and individual freedom.

ii) A Conservative Government, in conjunction with First Nations, would create a FirstNations Land Ownership Act, which would transfer Reserve land title from theFederal Crown to willing First Nations.

B. Matrimonial Property

The Conservative Party supports, in conjunction with First Nations, the creation of amatrimonial property code to protect spouses and children in cases of marriagebreakdown.

C. Educational Choice

The Conservative Party proposes where available and agreed to by all parties,

including provincial authorities, to offer choice in schooling for First Nations.

2. Election Platform 2006

The commitment to Aboriginal Affairs in the election platform includes the following:

A. Opportunity and Respect for Aboriginals

Every year aboriginal spending goes up, but life for Canada's aboriginal peopleskeeps getting worse. It's time for a new approach. A Conservative government will:

(i) Accept the targets agreed upon at the recent Meeting of First Ministers andNational Aboriginal Leaders, and work with first ministers and national aboriginalleaders on achieving these targets.

(ii) Support the development of individual property ownership on reserves, toencourage lending for private housing and businesses.


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(iii) Let aboriginal parents choose the schooling they want for their children, withfunding following the students.

(iv) Replace the Indian Act (and related legislation) with a modern legislativeframework which provides for the devolution of full legal and democratic

responsibility to aboriginal Canadians for their own affairs within the Constitution,including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

(v) Pursue settlement of all outstanding "comprehensive claims" within a clearframework that balances the rights of aboriginal claimants with those of Canada.

vi) Adopt measures to resolve the existing backlog of "specific" claims so as toprovide justice for aboriginal claimants, togetherwith certainty for government,industry, and non-aboriginal Canadians.

(vii) Implement all of the recommendations of the House of Commons Standing

Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development contained in its fourthreport onResolving Indian Residential School Claims, to expedite the settlement ofclaims and save money.

(viii) Recognize the contributions of Aboriginal veterans, and redress 60 years ofinequity by implementing the resolution of the House of Commons to acknowledgethe historic inequality of treatment and compensation for First Nations, Mtis, andInuit war veterans, and take action immediately to give real compensation to theseveterans in a way that truly respects their service and sacrifice.

II. CRIMINAL JUSTICE

1. Policy Declaration National Policy Convention 2005A Conservative Government will reorient the approach to criminal justice and thepolicing system to give greater emphasis to the protection of society through theprevention of crime and emphasize the needs and rights of victims.

A. Dangerous Offenders

(i) A Conservative Government believes that government has an obligation tostrengthen Canadians' confidence in our legal system's ability to judge dangerous

offenders appropriately so that dangerous offenders will not be released until they areno longer a threat to society.

(ii) Anyone convicted of three offences causing death or serious harm against theperson shall be automatically designated as a dangerous offender. This would notpreclude the Crown from pursuing dangerous offender status for any other offenderdeemed to fit the criteria.


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B. Sex Offender Registry

A Conservative Government will require the registration of all convicted sex and(pronounced) dangerous offenders (as currently defined). Such registration will beretroactive to the date of first conviction. The registry and its services will provide:

(i) Mandatory DNA sampling and banking;

(ii) A registry information network, available to all police and parole services toassist in locating (and tracking) registrants; and

(iii) A system to incarcerate registrants who break the terms of release prior to trial.

C. Sentencing

A Conservative Government will:

(i) institute mandatory minimum sentences for violent and repeat offenders;

(ii) require that sentences for multiple convictions be served consecutively;

(iii) eliminate statutory (automatic) release;

(iv) reform the National Parole Board including increased input from the communityand victims in National Parole Board decisions; and

(v) require applicants for parole to demonstrate to the National Parole Board that theyhave been rehabilitated.

D. National Victims Ombudsman Office

A Conservative Government will establish a National Victims' Ombudsman Officewith a budget allocation equal to that of the Office of the Correctional Investigator toensure victims have a voice in the federal corrections and the justice system

E. Firearms

A Conservative Government will repeal Canada's costly gun registry legislation andwork with the provinces and territories on cost-effective gun control programs designed tokeep guns out of the hands of criminals while respecting the rights of law-abiding

Canadians to own and use firearms responsibly. Measures will include: mandatory minimumsentences for the criminal use of firearms; strict monitoring of high-risk individuals;crackdown on the smuggling; safe storage provisions; firearms safety training; acertification screening system for all those wishing to acquire firearms legally; and puttingmore law enforcement officers on our streets.

F. Organized Crime

A Conservative Government would recognize that organized crime is growing


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throughout Canada, that international criminal organizations are more and more activein Canada in money laundering and illicit drug trafficking and, finally, that thisphenomenon crosses boundaries. To fight against this curse and ensure the safety ofCanadians in their communities, a Conservative Government will:

(i) adopt, in collaboration with the provinces, a national strategy on the fight against

organized crime, including the creation of a joint national task force on security;

(ii) increase the financial resources allocated to the RCMP to help them to fightagainst those activities in all regions of the country; and

(iii) propose an amendment to the Criminal Code to reverse the burden of proof, so thatmembers of a criminal organization (and not the Crown) will have to prove at the timeof seizure that the goods were not acquired through criminal acts committed fororganized crime. Specific criteria will govern this measure to respect the principle ofthe presumption of innocence of the accused.

G. Young Offenders

(i) A Conservative Government will introduce measures to hold young lawbreakersaccountable to their victims and the larger community. A Conservative Governmentwill introduce measures to ensure that violent or serious repeat offenders 14 and overare tried as adults.

(ii) A Conservative Government will work with the provinces and territories to put inplace early identification and intervention strategies for youth at risk. The justicesystem for young people will provide effective punishment that deters criminalbehaviour and instils a sense of responsibility in young offenders for their behaviour;

and gives young people better opportunities for rehabilitation.

H. Family Violence

The Conservative Party believes that the consequences of family violence are harmfulto all of society. The Conservative Party will ensure that sentences for crimes offamily violence reflect our belief in the serious nature of violent criminal activity, itseffect on individuals, on families and on communities. The protection of children infamily violence situations is paramount.

I. Child Protection

A Conservative Government will act to protect children by eliminating all defensesthat are used to justify the possession of child pornography.

A Conservative Government would rename the Age of Consent to the Age ofProtection and raise it from 14 to 16 years of age.

J. Missing Persons Registry

A Conservative Government will enact a national missing persons registry to assist in the


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location and identification of persons reported missing. The registry would operate inconjunction with the Canadian Policy Information Centre (CPIC) and DNA databankscurrently in place. We would streamline and improve the existing computer systems,including DNA databanks, CPIC and the sex offender registry.


The commitment to security was extensive in the election platform. It includes thefollowing sets of policy proposals:

A. Serious Crime, Serious Time

A Conservative government will protect our communities from crime by insisting ontougher sentences for serious and repeat crime and by tightening parole. The drug,gang, and gun-related crimes plaguing our communities must be met by clearmandatory minimum prison sentences and an end to sentences being served at

home. Parole must be a privilege to be earned, not a right to be demanded. AConservative government will:

(i) Introduce mandatory minimum prison sentences for designated drug traffickingoffences, weapons offences, crimes committed while on parole, and repeat offendersto ensure that serious crime results in real punishment.

(ii) End conditional sentences ("house arrest") for serious crimes, includingdesignated violent and sexual offences, weapons offences, major drug offences,crimes committed against children, and Impaired driving causing death or seriousinjury.

(iii) Create presumption-of-dangerous-offender designation for anyone convictedand sentenced to federal custody for three violent or sexual offences.

(iv) Repeal section 745.6 of the Criminal Code-the so-called "Faint Hope Clause"-that allows a criminal serving a life sentence to apply for early parole.

(v) Create mandatory consecutive sentences (instead of concurrent sentences, as isusually the case) for select multiple violent or sexual offences.

(vi) Replace statutory release (the law entitling a prisoner to parole after serving

two-thirds of his sentence) with earned parole.

(vii) Toughen parole provisions once you have been convicted of committing acrime while on parole, and eliminate parole for life after the third such conviction.

(viii) Prevent courts from giving extra "credit" for pre-trial custody for personsdenied hall because of their past criminal record or for violating bail.


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(ix) Create a reverse onus for bail hearings for anybody charged with an indictablefirearms offence.

(x) Work for a constitutional amendment to forbid prisoners in federalinstitutions from voting in elections.

(xi) Review the operations of Correctional Service Canada with a view to enhancingpublic safety.

(xii) Ensure federal corrections officers have the tools and training they require to dotheir job as peace officers.

(xiii) Adopt, in collaboration with the provinces, a national strategy to fight organizedcrime, including the creation of a joint national task force on security.

(xiv) Increase the financial resources allocated to the RCMP to help them combat

organized crime in all regions of the country.

B. More police on streets

Canada needs more front-line law enforcement. According to Department ofPublicSafety documents, there is currently a shortage of 1,059 RCMP officers infederal, provincial, and municipal policing roles. In addition, many provincialand municipal police forces are underfunded and overstretched. It is time toreinvest in front-line law enforcement in Canada. A Conservative governmentwill:

(i) Reinvest savings from cancellation of the ineffective long-gun registry programinto hiring more front-line enforcement personnel, including filling 1,000 RCMPpositions.

(ii) Negotiate with the provinces to create a new cost-shared program jointly withprovincial and municipal governments, to put at least 2,500 more police on the beatin our cities and communities.

(iii) Invest $100 million per year of new federal money on criminal justice priorities,including working with the provinces and municipalities to hire more police, aswell as victim assistance and youth crime prevention programs.

C. Invest in effective gun control

When the Liberals first introduced Bill C-68, the federal long gun registry, they said itwould cost around $2 million. Today, at a cost ofalmost $2 billion - 1,000 timesmore than promised - the registry is incomplete, riddled with errors, and according tothe former Toronto Chief of Police, "ineffective in helping catch criminals."


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Canadians demand more than simple cosmetic reforms to failed programs.The wasteful long gun registry must end and the money must be redirected togenuine law enforcement priorities. Canadians want to see effective gun controlthat stops crime in our streets. A Conservative government will:

(i) Repeal the wasteful long-gun registry legislation (Bill C-68).

(ii) Reinvest savings from scrapping C-68 into hiring front-line law enforcementofficers and assisting victims of crime.

(iii) Maintain the existing handgun registry and bans on all currently prohibitedweapons.

(iv) Work with the provinces on effective gun control programs designed to keepguns out of the hands of criminals while respecting the rights of law-abidingCanadians to own and use firearms responsibly. Measures will include:

Mandatory minimum prison sentences with restricted paroleeligibility for the criminal use of firearms, trafficking or possessionof stolen firearms, or illegal possession contrary to a bail, parole, orfirearms prohibition order.

Strict monitoring, including tracking place of residence, of high-riskindividuals prohibited from owning firearms.

Tighter restrictions on individuals on bail or parole for firearmsoffences, including the use of electronic monitoring.

Cracking down on gun smuggling. - Safe storage laws. - Firearms safetytraining.

A certification system requiring a background check and safetytraining for all those wishing to acquire and use firearms legally. Eliminating exceptions to firearms prohibition orders following criminal

conviction.

D. Get tough with sex offenders

Families should be able to raise their children without fear of sexual predators inour communities. Women should be able to live without fear in any Canadiancity. A Conservative government will:

(i) Require the registration of all convicted sex offenders and dangerous offenders.The registry will include mandatory DNA sampling of all those convicted orcurrently in custody on such offences.

(ii) Rename the Age of Consent to the Age of Protection and raise the age from 14to 16 years of age to stop adults from sexually exploiting vulnerable young people.


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(iii) Adopt a zero tolerance policy for child pornography, eliminating the so-called"legitimatepurpose" defence.

(iv) Prohibit conditional sentences for sex offences committed against children.Anyone who commits these crimes should serve prison time.

(v) Amend the Criminal Code to permit the participation of the prosecutorsinvolved in the original trial, as well as the victims of the crime and their families,at the hearing. Allow judges to impose residency restrictions on offenders, andextend the term of the order.

E. Youth at risk

Too many crime-related problems begin when our youth are not equipped with thenecessary life skills to make the right choices, to say "no" to drugs, gangs, andviolence. We need to invest in positive opportunities for young people to say

"yes". A Conservative government will:

(i) Work with provinces, municipalities, police, and community leaders in areasthreatened by gun and gang violence to support programs which reach out to youngpeople. We must help them recognize the dangers of violence in their schools andcommunity, so that they reject gang and gun violence.

(ii) Support results-oriented, community-based initiatives for addictions treatment,training, and rehabilitation of those in trouble with the law.

(iii) Direct $50 million in funding into community-based, educational, sporting,cultural, and vocational opportunities for young people at risk.

F. Strengthen the youth criminal justice act

The youth criminal justice system must provide effective punishment foradolescents who commit serious crimes, instill a sense of responsibility inyoung offenders for their behaviour, and give young people betteropportunities for rehabilitation. A Conservative government will:

(i) Ensure that anyone 14 years or older who is charged with serious violent orrepeat offences is automatically subject to adult sentencing provisions.

(ii) Amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act to include deterrence and denunciationas mandatory sentencing principles to be considered.

G. Establish a national Victims' Ombudsman Office

A Conservative government will give victims of crime an advocate withingovernment . A Conservative government will:


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(i) Establish a national Victims' Ombudsman Office with a budget allocationequal to that of the Office of the Correctional Investigator to ensure victims have avoice in the federal corrections and justice system.

(ii) Provide $10 million pet year for victim assistance, including support for victimappearances at parole hearings.

H. Enact a national drug strategy

Parents and police officers alike know that the last thing Canada needs is more drugson our streets. A Conservative government will:

(i) End house arrests and ensure mandatory minimum prison sentences and largemonetary fines for serious drug offenders, including marijuana grow operators andproducers and dealers of crystal meth and crack.

(ii) Prevent the decriminalization of marijuana.

(iii) Make precursor chemicals of crystal meth, such as pseudoephedrine, harder toget.

(iv) Introduce a national drug strategy with particular emphasis on youth. Thisstrategy will encompass all drugs, not just marijuana, in implementing a nationwideawareness campaign to dissuade young people from using drugs.

(v) Expedite deportation of non-citizens convicted of drug trafficking, drugimportation, or running grow operations.

(vi) Restore the Canada Ports Police disbanded by the Liberals, which resulted inthe growth of organized crime at Canadas seaports.

III FISCAL MEASURES

1. Policy Declaration National Policy Convention 2005

A. Tax Relief

(i) A Conservative Government will provide immediate and long-term broad based taxrelief, starting with reducing personal income tax rates and substantially raising boththe Basic Personal Exemption and the Spousal Exemption under the Income TaxAct. Reducing personal income taxes will hike the take home pay and raise the livingstandard of all Canadians.

(ii) A Conservative Government will reduce business taxes. Reducing business taxeswould encourage both foreign and domestic businesses to invest in Canada, meaningmore and better jobs for Canadian workers. Lower business taxes mean greater


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returns for pension plan members and those who own RRSPs, mutual funds andcommon shares.

(iii) A Conservative Government will reduce capital gains taxes. Lower capital gainstaxes encourage saving and investment which means more capital for Canadianbusinesses, more jobs for Canadian workers and bigger returns for Canadian investors.

(iv) A Conservative Government will reduce payroll taxes. Payroll taxes that exceedthe amount necessary to properly fund Employment Insurance are a tax on jobcreation. Lower payroll taxes encourage hiring and business expansion.

(v) Canada's tax system must be built on a foundation of fairness. The ConservativeParty will take steps to close loopholes such as the use of offshore tax havens whicherode the Canadian tax base and allow companies to avoid paying Canadian taxes.

B. Family Tax

(i) A Conservative Government will create tax fairness for families by eliminating inequities

between single and dual income families and introducing a deduction for dependentchildren.

(ii) A Conservative Government will amend the Income Tax Act to eliminate all taxdisadvantages to families including those who care for children at home and torecognize the economic value of stay at home parents by introducing tax fairnessmeasures such as income splitting.

(iii) The Conservative Party also recognizes that many of our seniors lived on singlefamily incomes as one parent stayed home and cared for their children. Our seniorsdeserve tax fairness to eliminate the discrepancy between single and dual familyincome in retirement. A Conservative Government will review income splitting as a

means of creating this tax fairness.

C. Equalization

Equalization is an essential component of Canada's nation building efforts. TheConservative Party supports changes to the equalization program to ensure provincesand territories have the opportunity to develop their economies and sustain importantcore social services. We will remove non-renewable natural resource revenue from theequalization formula to encourage the development of economic growth in the non-renewable resource sectors across Canada. The Conservative Party will ensurethat no province is adversely affected from changes to the equalization formula.

2. Election Platform 2006The fiscal commitments in the election platform includes the following:

A. Tax Relief

A Conservative government will deliver real, visible, and immediate tax relief to


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all Canadians. A Conservative government will:

(i) Reduce the GST by one point right away, to six percent. And we will reduce theGST by another point, to five percent, over five years. The GST affects everyone -families, seniors, and young people just getting started in life. Cutting the GST will

help everyone deal with the rising cost of living, put money in people's pockets, andspur the economy immediately.

(ii) Maintain the GST/HST credit in the federal personal income tax.

(iii) Eliminate the capital gains tax for individuals on the sale of assets when theproceeds are reinvested within six months. Canadians who invest, or inherit cottagesor family heirlooms, should be able to sell those assets and plough their profits backinto the economy without taking a tax hit. It is time government rewarded Canadianswho reinvest their money and create jobs.

B. Fiscal Imbalance

It is time for a comprehensive agreement with the provinces to pay foreducation, health and other social programs. A Conservative government will:

(i) Work with the provinces in order to achieve a long-term agreement whichwould address the issue of fiscal imbalance in a permanent fashion.

(ii) Ensure that any new shared-cost programs in areas of provincial/territorialresponsibility have the consent of the majority of provinces to proceed, and thatprovinces should be given the right to opt out of the federal program withcompensation, so long as the province offers a similar program with similaraccountability structures.

(iii) Work to achieve with the provinces permanent changes to the equalizationformula which would ensure that non-renewable natural resource revenue is removedfrom the equalization formula to encourage economic growth. We will ensure that noprovince is adversely affected from changes to the equalization formula.

IV HEALTH

1. Policy Declaration National Policy Convention 2005

A. Health Care

(i) The Conservative Party believes all Canadians should have reasonable access totimely, quality health care services, regardless of their ability to pay.

(ii) The provinces and territories should have maximum flexibility to ensure thedelivery of medically necessary health services within a universal, public health care


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system. The Conservative Party supports adding a sixth principle to the Canada HealthAct to provide stable and transparent federal funding. We will work with theprovinces in a co-operative and constructive manner.

(iii) Flexibility for the provinces and territories in the implementation of healthservices should include a balance of public and private delivery options. This approach

would ensure that health services remain publicly funded, while services are providedthrough the most appropriate public or private provider based on quality and cost.

(iv) We will work with the provinces and territories in the development of nationalquality indicators and objectives.

B. Medicare Audit

A Conservative Government will conduct a social audit, under the existing office ofthe Chief Actuary, to help Canadians and their governments determine how welltheir medicare is working. The audit would include actuarial advice on programdesign and health care financing issues.

C. Public Health

The Conservative Party supports the creation of a Canada Public Health Agency andthe appointment of a Chief Public Health Officer of Canada. We recognize theimportance of wellness promotion and disease prevention in enhancing the health ofCanadians and contributing to the sustainability of our health care system.

3. Election Platform 2006The health commitments in the election platform included three related sets of policyproposals.

A. Patient Wait Time GuaranteesThe Conservative Party is committed to ensuring that all Canadians haveaccess to timely, quality health care services regardless oftheir ability to pay. Weare committed to a universal, publicly funded health care system that respects thefive principles ofthe Canada Health Act and the Canadian Charter ofRightsand Freedoms. A Conservative government will:

(i) Push ahead with implementing the September 2004 federal-provincial HealthAccord.

(ii) Ensure that evidence-based benchmarks for medically acceptable wait times,starting with cancer, heart, diagnostic imaging procedures, joint replacements, andsight restoration are established as soon as possible, as promised in the HealthAccord.

(iii) Ensure patient wait-time reduction targets for priority procedures identified byprovinces are established by the end of 2006.


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(iv) Ensure that Canadians get regular reports on progress towards meeting thesewait-time targets, as promised in the Health Accord.

(v) Work with the provinces and territories to increase the numbers of, and expand

educational programs for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals.

(vi) Work with the provinces to develop a Patient Wait Times Guarantee to ensurethat all Canadians receive essential medical treatment within clinicallyacceptable waiting times, or can be treated in another jurisdiction, as required bythe Supreme Court of Canada's Chaoulli decision and the Canadian Charter ofRights and Freedoms.

B. Other health issues

A Conservative government will:

(i) Work with the provinces to develop comprehensive plans for the prevention andtreatment of cancer, mental illnesses, and heart disease. We will implement a $260million, five-year Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control to improve screening,prevention, and coordination of resources among the federal government, canceradvocacy groups, and the provinces, and work to develop new national plans formental illness and heart disease.

(ii) Immediately compensate all individuals who contracted hepatitis C from taintedblood, as recommended by the Krever Inquiry.

(iii) In conjunction with the provinces, allow for a mix of public and private healthcare delivery, as long as health care remains publicly funded and universallyaccessible.

(iv) Improve access to natural and complementary health products and supplements.

C. Promoting Health and Wellness

The most important part of health care is prevention, including insuring thatCanadians, especially children, have proper diet and exercise. A Conservativegovernment will promote a wellness and physical fitness agenda to helpCanadians and their children stay fit and healthy. A Conservative governmentwill:

(i) Commit to spending at least one percent of total federal health funding annuallyon physical activity, including amateur sport and programs for school age childrensuch as the Awards of Excellence program.


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(ii) Allow the parents of young people under 16 years old who register their childrenin programs that promote physical fitness to claim a federal tax credit on spendingup to $500 per year per child spent on registration fees and memberships.

V SOCIAL PROGRAMMES

1. Policy Declaration National Policy Convention 2005The Conservative Party is committed to well-funded post-secondary education and aneffective safety net so that Canadians will be able to face the challenges of life at thebeginning of the 21

8tcentury. We will work with the provinces and territories to

strengthen the social fabric of Canada to improve the quality of life for all Canadians butespecially children, seniors and the disabled.

A. Post-Secondary Education

The Conservative Party believes in greater accessibility to education by eliminating asmany barriers to post-secondary education as possible. The transfer will be distributed

to provinces and territories on the basis of the numbers of enrolled students. Webelieve strongly that provincial jurisdiction must be respected. However, the federalgovernment must play a role in addressing tuition and standards.

(i) A Conservative Government will remove post-secondary education funding fromthe Canada Social Transfer and create an independent Canada Education Transfer. TheTransfer will be funded at a base level and increased annually according to inflationand demographic growth. The Transfer will be negotiated with the provinces andterritories to ensure the funding is targeted to post-secondary education.

(ii) A Conservative Government will change the current policy and make scholarshipsand bursaries tax free.

B. Student Loans

(i) A Conservative Government will revamp the federal student loan program toeliminate the inclusion of parental income and assets in the assessment of loan applications.

(ii) A Conservative Government will provide greater flexibility to students payingback federal student loans by implementing Income Contingent Loans and provide apreferred interest rate on student loans post-graduation.

(iii) As the Millennium Scholarship Program currently only assists six per cent ofstudents, a Conservative Government will channel these funds into the student loan

program to help more students obtain post-secondary education.

C. Employment Insurance

A Conservative Government will encourage the establishment of an independentemployment insurance system, with a self-accounting fund administered by employeesand employers, the surplus of which being used to increase workers' benefits orreduce contributions.


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D.Family and Marriage

(i) The Conservative Party believes that the family unit is essential to the well-being ofindividuals and society, because that is where children learn values and develop asense of responsibility. Therefore government legislation and programs should support

and respect the role of the Canadian family.(ii) The Conservative Party believes in the right and duty of parents to raise their ownchildren responsibly according to their own conscience and beliefs. We believe noperson, government or agency has the right to interfere in the exercise of that duty exceptthrough due process of law.

(iii) The Conservative Party believes that Parliament, through a free vote, and not thecourts should determine the definition of marriage. A Conservative Governmentwould support the freedom of religious organizations to determine their own practiceswith respect to marriage.

(iv) A Conservative Government will support legislation defining marriage as the

union of one man and one woman.

E. Support for Parents

A Conservative Government will consider, in collaboration with the provinces andterritories, establishing the policies required to give parents who choose to stay hometo take care of their preschool children the recognition and financial support they needto carry out this important task.

F. Shared Parenting

A Conservative Government will make the necessary changes to the Divorce Act toensure that in the event of a marital breakdown, the Divorce Act will allow bothparents and all grandparents to maintain a meaningful relationship with theirchildren and grandchildren, unless it is clearly demonstrated not to be in the bestinterests of the children.

G. Child Care

The Conservative Party recognizes that parents are in the best position to determinethe care needs of their children, and that they should be able to do so in an environment thatencourages as many options as possible, and in a manner that does not discriminateagainst those who opt to raise their children in family, social, linguistic, and religiousenvironments. We also recognize that the delivery of education and social services

are provincial responsibilities under the constitution. We believe that support shouldgo to all parents and families raising children, especially to lower and middle incomeparents. All existing levels of support will be maintained and improved if necessary.

H. Women

The Conservative Party supports gender equality through all policy and legislativeconsiderations.


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(i)The Canadian workforce has evolved to include more women than ever before.The Conservative Party believes all Canadians have the right to freedom fromdiscrimination in the workplace and equality of opportunity.

(ii) Individuals should be only judged on skills, qualifications and merits. Womenmust be entitled to equal pay for work of equal value.

(iii) The Conservative Party recognizes the value of the caregiver. We will examinemeasures within the tax system to help offset economic costs without discrimination.

I. Seniors

The Conservative Party recognizes that those over the age of 65 are becoming adominant segment of our population. We also recognize that in ten years, the babyboomers will have reached retirement age, representing a significant portion of thepopulation. We are committed to ensuring that seniors continue to have quality of life,

accessible health care and the ability to stay in their homes longer.

(i) Four million Canadians are now over the age of 65, a number that is growingrapidly as Canadians are living longer. Many Canadians wish to continue working butare penalized by the loss of retirement benefits. A Conservative Government wouldend the discriminatory practice of mandatory retirement and give Canadians the choiceof retirement or continuing to work without the loss of federal retirement benefits.

(ii) Canadians over the age of 65 who cannot collect Employment Insurance yet arerequired to pay premiums when working. A Conservative Government would end thisunfair practice and ensure that those over the age of 65 would not pay Employment

Insurance premiums.

(iii) Policies must be developed in order to enable a greater number of seniors in needof care to remain in their own homes, rather than in more expensive institutionalaccommodations where their independence suffers and costs are higher to thetaxpayer. A Conservative Government would create tax incentives for non-professional caregivers to look after elderly parents or other elderly or disabled relatives inthe home.

(iv) A Conservative Government would take tough measures to prevent elder abuse,and to implement more severe punishment for those who commit this crime.

(v) A Conservative Government would appoint a Minister Responsible for Seniors toensure that the unique needs of seniors are being properly addressed acrossgovernment departments.

(vi) A Conservative Government will appoint a Seniors Council comprised of seniorsand representatives of seniors' organizations to advise the Minister Responsible forSeniors on issues of national importance.


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(vii) A Conservative Government would work with provincial counterparts to identifyseniors entitled to either federal or provincial benefits. A Conservative Governmentwould review the retroactivity policy of entitlement to federal benefits.

J. Retirement Savings(i) A Conservative Government values retirement security as a vital element ofindependence. We confirm our commitment to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) andOld Age Security (OAS).

(ii) A Conservative Government will pursue economic and fiscal policies that willensure government retirement programs are affordable and sustainable over thelong run, protecting the sanctity of the CPP investment fund so that it will not beavailable to be raided as a vehicle to balance the budget or for any other political purpose.

(iii) A Conservative Government will ensure that the CPP Investment Fund is mandated to

seek maximum security and to maximize the rate of return being earned on behalfof Canada's pensioners. No other policy objective will be permitted to interfere withthe objectives of security and maximum rate of return.

(iv) A Conservative Government will recognize the efforts put forth by Canadians toprepare for retirement and consider the splitting of registered retirement income andhow best to enable flexibility in pension withdrawals.

(v) A Conservative Government will increase financial flexibility by implementing aRegistered Lifetime Savings Plan which would allow Canadians to withdraw theirsavings tax-free.

K. Housing and Homelessness

(i) The Conservative Party believes that all Canadians should have a reasonableopportunity to own their own home and to have access to safe and affordable housing.

(ii) A Conservative Government would develop a policy of broad based tax relief,income support programs and tax incentives, to make home ownership and rentalaccommodation more attainable and accessible.

(iii) A Conservative Government will address homelessness by assisting in the

provision of shelters and by recognizing, addressing and seeking solutions to contributingfactors of homelessness.

(iv) A Conservative Government will partner and link with the respective jurisdictionsof provincial, territorial and municipal governments, business initiatives and the workof social agencies and non-profit organizations, in dealing with housing,homelessness, social infrastructure and related support services, such as skillsdevelopment, literacy, substance abuse treatment, health and social development.


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(v) A Conservative Government will work with the provinces and municipalities todevelop framework agreements that help low-income city dwellers access affordablehousing, through the use of tax incentives for private sector builders. The ConservativeParty recognizes that most renters live in urban centres, and that the pressures ofpopulation growth as well as certain economic factors have made it increasingly

difficult for many renters to find housing.L. National Disability Act

A Conservative Government would introduce a National Disability Act designed topromote reasonable access to medical care, medical equipment, education, employment,transportation and housing for Canadians with disabilities.


The social measures in the election platform include the following sets of policy proposals.

A. Child Care Allowance

The Conservatives believe in freedom ofchoice in child care. The best role forgovernment is to let parents choose what's best for their children, and provideparents with the resources to balance work and family life as they see fit -whether that means formal child care, informal care through neighbours orrelatives, or a parent staying at home. A Conservative government will;

i) Provide all families a new $1,200 peryearChoice in Child Care Allowance for eachchild under six, to be taxable in the hands of the spouse with the lower income,starting in 2006. This will be in addition to the current Canada Child Tax Benefits,National Child Benefit Supplement, and the Childcare Expenses Deduction. The

Choice in Child Care Allowance will let parents choose the childcare option thatbest suits their family's needs.

ii) Help employers and communities create child care spaces in the workplace orthrough cooperative or community associations by allocating $250 million a year in taxcredits to employers who cover the full cost of creating spaces. We will provide similarsupport to non-profit associations to create spaces. We estimate that this programwill create 125,000 new child care spaces ever five years and make it easier forworking people to juggle child care and work responsibilities. The program willbe designed to ensure that small business and rural communities will be able toaccess it as well as larger employers and cities.

iii) Honour the government's existing bilateral child care commitments for one year.

B. Security for seniors

It is time for a government that respects those who have spent their livesraising families, saving for their retirement, and building this country. AConservative government will:


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i) Confirm its commitment to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security(OAS) as well as the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) as fundamentalguarantees of income security In retirement years.

ii) Preserve income trusts by not imposing any new taxes on them.

iii) Protect the integrity of the CPP investment fund to stop politicians from raidingit to balance the budget or pay for other political projects.

iv) Protect seniors from over-taxation by raising the pension income tax amount thatis eligible for a federal tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per year in 2006, and to$2,500 in five years.

v) Appoint a Seniors Council comprised of seniors and representatives of seniors'organizations to advise the minister responsible for seniors on issues of national

importance.

C. Students and families with students

The rising cost of postsecondary education puts a heavy load on Canadian students andtheir families. A Conservative government will:

(i) Invest $100 million per year in measures to improve support for postsecondarystudents, including the enhancement of the Canada Student Loans program.

(ii) Work with the provinces to increase family income thresholds for student loaneligibility.

iii) Exempt the first $10,000 of student scholarship or bursary income from taxation.

(iv) Provide students or their parents with a federal tax credit on spending up to$500 per year on textbooks.

(v) In cooperation with the provinces, remove postsecondary education fundingfrom the Canada Social Transfer and create an independent Canada Education andTraining Transfer to ensure that there is dedicated funding for postsecondaryeducation and training.

D. Giving MPs a free vote on marriage

We believe that Parliament alone, based on a completely free vote, should be able todetermine the definition of marriage. A Conservative government will:

(i) Hold a truly free vote on the definition of marriage in the next session ofParliament. If the resolution is passed, the government will introduce legislation to


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restore the traditional definition of marriage while respecting existingsame-sexmarriages.

E. National Disability Act

A Conservative government will introduce a National Disability Act to promotereasonable access to medical care, medical equipment, education, employment,transportation, and housing for Canadians with disabilities.

social policy proposals_conservative party of canada

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