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Each year, Orchestras Canada’s federal budget submission reflects our unwavering commitment to advocating for Canadian orchestras, putting a spotlight on your contributions, potential, and challenges, and recommending actions and investments by government that will help unlock the creative, social and economic value that orchestras bring to our communities.   

In 2025, the Government of Canada has made clear that new investments must be focused, coordinated, and outcomes-driven—advancing national unity, productivity, and Canadian cultural identity. 

Accordingly, we’ve worked in close collaboration with members and colleagues across the arts and culture sector to advocate for 1% of federal spending to be dedicated to arts and culture. If acted on in Fiscal 2025-26, this would result in a $140 million increase to the Canada Council for the Arts, and a $190 million increase to the Department of Canadian Heritage.  

You can read the complete brief here.

Download complete brief

Our friends at the Canadian Arts Coalition have developed New/Mode, a program that gives you an email template automatically and allows you to fill in your postal code. Then, the letter automatically goes where you need it – to your MP as well as to the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada, and the Minister of Heritage. Simple! We’ve tested it out, and it will literally take you 1 minute to send a letter!

Get your letter and send it directly here

In the lead-up to April’s federal election, Orchestras Canada kept our Government Relations Advisor, Eric Dubeau, busy analyzing policy commitments relevant to the arts and culture sector from the various political parties. If you’d like a refresher on what he learned and shared, you can find it here: https://oc.ca/en/resource/election-2025/ 

Now that the election results are known, Orchestras Canada has written to Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity Steven Guilbeault, congratulating them, reminding them of the long-standing relationship between Canadian orchestras and various federal departments and programs, and sharing some powerful statistics on orchestras’ reach and impact. 

We urge you to take up the cause of orchestras in your communications with your MPs. To help, we’ve prepared a customizable template letter that you can use to introduce yourself and your favourite orchestra to your Member of Parliament. You can find it here: 

Download MP Congratulations Letter Template

As we wait for the expected fall budget, we will continue to work on our own and in collaboration with the Canadian Arts Coalition to make the case for the impact of the arts in Canadian communities. 

With the help of OC’s government relations advisor Eric Dubeau, OC will be keeping a close eye on relevant arts and culture policy announcements during the campaign, especially those with potential to affect orchestras.

Over the course of the campaign – and in the days that follow – we’ll be undertaking an analysis of arts and culture commitments within each of the main party platforms, as soon as possible after each platform is published. The analysis will be shared on this webpage.

• You can download a Summary of key points from each major party’s platform in PDF format.

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Bloc Québécois (BQ) | Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) | [Revised] Green Party of Canada (GPC) | Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) | New Democratic Party (NDP)

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Bloc Québécois (BQ) 

Notes 

• The BQ platform was launched March 29, and is available in French only. Notes below reflect a translation undertaken in-house for Orchestras Canada. 

• The following are several key platform elements items that may be of interest to Canadian orchestras.  

Arts and culture  

• The BQ states that they will “do everything in our power to protect culture in international trade accords, and to preserve intellectual property of content creators in the arts and information, whose advertising dollars are literally being pirated by Web Giants.”[1] 

• The BQ platform contains an entire section containing arts and culture commitment, including the following: 

• “Repatriate all federal legislative and funding powers pertaining to culture to Québec and create a Québécois Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTQ).”[2] 

• “Oppose the cancellation of the digital services tax that has been requested by Donald Trump.”[3] 

• “Reform federal funding programs for arts and culture to ensure that funds be better directed to organizations and presenters supporting Québécois culture.”[4] 

• “Reform copyright to account for challenges stemming from the digital age, including the obligation to divulge sources used by AI and a review of the fair use provisions”[5] 

• “That businesses no longer benefit from a tax credit for social media ad buys, to the detriment of traditional media”[6] 

• “Renewal of support measures for written press, including sharing ad revenues generated by Web Giants, newsroom support and support for the distribution of local newspapers.”[7] 

• “Allow artists to average their income over several years for tax purposes.”[8] 

• “Work with cultural industries and the Union des Artistes to facilitate artists’ access to employment insurance as seasonal workers.”[9]  

Key points and analysis  

• The BQ platform is typically rich with cultural policy proposals. Arts and culture is top of mind for the BQ – and for the people of Quebec. 

• The repatriation of cultural powers (legislative, funding, etc.) from the Federal to the National (Québécois) level is a long-standing BQ policy pillar. 

• The BQ’s platform positions the defense of culture and cultural sovereignty as key in 2025.  

• The proposed copyright reform and other measures aimed at protecting intellectual property developed in Quebec are consistent with asks from the Québec arts community. 

• The arts and culture platform is not costed. 

 

[1] Bloc Québécois, Choisir le Québec : Plateforme politique 2025, 2025, page 7. 

[2] Ibid, page 20. 

[3] Ibid. 

[4] Ibid. 

[5] Ibid. 

[6] Ibid. 

[7] Ibid, page 21. 

[8] Ibid, page 21. 

[9] Ibid, page 21. 

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Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) 

Notes

• The Conservative Party was released on April 22.
• The platform is divided into 8 chapters: Axe the Tax to boost the economy and make life affordable for a change; Build the homes for a change; Stop the crime for a change; Fix the budget to kill inflation for a change; Stand up for Canada for a change; Make life better for all Canadians for a change; Protect our shared Canadian identity for a change; Fiscal track.
• The Conservative platform also contains a Quebec Platform.

 

Arts and culture

• “Supporting Indigenous languages and culture through community-led media and education”[1]
• “A new Conservative government will restore free speech, protect personal liberties, honour our shared story, and promote Canadian culture and history.”[2]
• “We will support media freedom by:
  • Introducing a Freedom of Speech Act to repeal Liberal censorship laws and restore Canadian news on Meta and other platforms.
  • Boosting the Local Journalism Initiative by $25 million for local news.
  • Ensuring all domestic government advertising dollars are spent on Canadian platforms only.
  • Providing $25 million in support for Indigenous language media.
  • Supporting remote-area internet connectivity so every Canadian has reliable access to news.
  • We will save by defunding the CBC and reforming Crown corporations while maintaining Radio-Canada services. English-language CBC should be a Canadian-owned, self-sufficient media organization that is a not-for-profit and supported by listeners, donations, sponsorships, ad revenue, and licensing revenue.”[3]

• “Erecting national monuments to honour Canadian Armed Forces veterans who served in the Second World War and those who served in Afghanistan. ”[4]
• “Funding the first made-in-Canada documentaries about Canadians’ contributions to winning the World Wars so future Canadians do not forget the courage and sacrifice of those generations and their stories live on.”[5]
• “Restoring Canadian monuments and heroes like Terry Fox and Vimy Ridge, as well as our Indigenous Peoples, to our Canadian passport.”[6]
• “Quebec is not just a province. As the previous Conservative government recognized, it’s a nation within a united Canada. A Conservative government will respect Quebec’s autonomy and protect its language and culture.”[7]
• “A Conservative government is committed to maintaining all funding in support of Quebec and Francophone culture.”[8]
• “A Conservative government is committed to preserving francophone Radio-Canada services across the country.”[9]
• “In the future, a Conservative government commits to appointing a bilingual Governor General, perfectly at ease in both of Canada’s official languages.”[10]

 

Francophonie canadienne and official languages

• “Doubling the number of language exchange spots so that every year 10,000 youth who would not otherwise be able to afford it will have the opportunity to bridge the two solitudes and strengthen our two official languages.”[11]
• “A Conservative government recognizes that the French language is in decline and must be protected. It is committed to working with the Government of Quebec and Canada’s Francophonie to protect and promote the French language. The Conservative Party recognizes the unique role of the Government of Quebec in ensuring the survival of the French language and Quebec culture.”[12]

 

Human Rights

• “Stop intimate partner violence with stricter conditions, first-degree murder charges, and aggravating factors for violence against vulnerable women.”[13]
• “Combat human trafficking with consecutive sentences, automatic bail restrictions, and life sentences for the worst cases.”[14]
• “Protect places of worship and stop antisemitic riots with tougher sentences for religious property mischief and penalties for masked rioters.”[15]
• “Canada must be a voice for freedom, justice, and human rights in the We’ll call out brutal regimes and support the people who resist them.”[16]
• “Strengthen alliances and ties with countries that share our values to stand up against hostile and authoritarian regimes that threated global security and stability.”[17]
• “Continue to strongly support Ukraine’s war to defend itself against Putin’s illegal invasion, including by sending Ukraine $22 billion in frozen Russian assets, and by always recognizing the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine’s territory.”[18]
• “Stand up against the tyrannical regime in Tehran and ensure justice for the Canadian citizens murdered in the downing of Flight PS752, including seizing the assets of the Iranian regime in Canada and giving them to the families of the victims. We will also expel any agents of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and support the political freedoms of the Iranian people including those involved in the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.”[19]
• “Defund international institutions like UNRWA and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank that don’t uphold Canada’s interests and values.”[20]
• “Expel agents of foreign governments engaged in intimidation and coercion in Canada.”[21]
• “Recognize the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s election. A Conservative government will recognize Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of the 2024 election in Venezuela and as Venezuela’s rightful president.”[22]
• “Process refugee claims faster on a last-in, first-out basis and implement departure tracking so we have a clear idea of how many people are overstaying their visa.”[23]
• “Our plan protects the rights of lawful gun owners while cracking down on the violent offenders and illegal guns that cause almost all the gun crime in Canada.”[24]

 

Education

• “Requiring universities to enforce the standards of section 2 of the Charter’s freedom of expression as a condition for federal funding.”[25]
• “We will restore integrity to the system by cracking down on fraud and dramatically reducing the number of temporary foreign workers and foreign students and limiting permanent immigration to a sustainable rate similar to the levels under the Harper government.”[26]
• “Bringing home Canadian students studying medicine abroad by expanding residency spots for them here, where they want to work in our healthcare system.”[27]
• “Funding 1,000 Autism Support Worker training spots annually to better support students, families and schools.”[28]
• “Introduce a “three strikes, you’re out” rule. After three serious offences, offenders will face mandatory minimum 10-year prison sentences with no bail, parole, house arrest or probation. Even after the 10-year sentence, the offender will not be eligible for release without spotless behaviour and drug tests in prison, and measurably improving their lives, such as through education or learning an employable skill.”[29]
• “Working with provinces to create nationally-recognized licenses for doctors, nurses, early childhood educators and other professions.”[30]
• “Require criminal background checks for individuals entering Canada on a student permit.”

 

Environment and Climate Change

• “Bring in “One and Done” approvals and accelerate priority resource projects. Create a single Rapid Resource Project Office to streamline all regulatory approvals into one application and environmental review, in cooperation with provinces, with a target of six-month decisions and a one-year maximum timeline to reduce delays and duplication.”[31]
• “Ending the dumping of raw sewage into Canada’s waterways.”[32]
• “Adapting Marine Protected Areas to ensure science, not ideology, determines where harvesters can land their catch.”[33]
• “Reform Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) to reward clean Canadian manufacturing and production to help lower emissions and fight climate change.”[34]
• “Use Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to bring home jobs while exporting cleaner resources like Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and technologies to help lower global emissions.”[35]
• “Create an Outdoor Heritage Fund to support hunting, fishing, and conservation efforts.”[36]
• “Implementing a Made-in-B.C. Owner/Operator Policy to prohibit foreign and corporate ownership of new BC commercial fishing access, grandfathering current cases pending ownership transparency ”[37]
• “Ensuring that fishing is allowed only in accordance with DFO regulations.”[38]
• “Implementing “marked selective salmon” fisheries for hatchery salmon to protect vulnerable species.”[39]
• “Investing in fisheries science and Integrated Fisheries Management Plans.”[40]
• “Balancing ecosystems by managing pinniped predation”[41]
• “We will be champions of Canada’s auto sector by maintaining all existing federal supports, including the clean incentives for the auto-sector supply chain as a part of our Technology, Not Taxes policy to reduce emissions and fight climate change.”[42]
• “Use Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to dramatically reduce global emissions and fight climate change by exporting cleaner Canadian resources and technologies.”[43]
• “Scrap the job-killing emissions cap on oil and gas production, which the PBO reports will kill 54,400 full-time jobs and cost Canada $21 billion in GDP.”[44]

 

Key points and analysis

• The Conservative platform includes a detailed costing.
• The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer has produced a number of cost estimates of proposals included in the Conservative platform, including: Increasing the conversion date for Registered Retirement Savings Plans/Registered Retirement Income Funds, Returning Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation Operating Expenses to 2015 Levels, Ending all tolls on the Confederation Bridge, Reducing alcohol duty rates, Ending the Housing Accelerator Fund, Removing the Underused Housing Tax, Refundable Canada caregiver credit, Reducing operating spending by the Department of Public Works and Government Services and Shared Services Canada, Cancelling the increase in the capital gains inclusion rate, Increasing the basic personal amount for working seniors, Reducing the size of the public service through natural turnover, Reducing the federal tax rate on the lowest taxable income bracket to 12.75 per cent, Increasing the GST/HST New Housing Rebate for all buyers, Reducing spending on professional and special services, Increasing the Tax-Free Savings Account contribution limit.

[1] Conservative Party of Canada, CHANGE: For an affordable life. For safe streets. For Canada First. page 22.

[2] Ibid, page 23.

[3] Ibid, page 23.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid, page 24.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid, page 11.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid, page 16.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Ibid.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Ibid, page 17.

[24] Ibid, page 12.

[25] Ibid, page 16.

[26] Ibid, page 17.

[27] Ibid, page 19.

[28] Ibid, page 19.

[29] Ibid, page 11.

[30] Ibid, page 18.

[31] Ibid, page 6.

[32] Ibid, page 18.

[33] Ibid.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Ibid.

[36] Ibid.

[37] Ibid.

[38] Ibid.

[39] Ibid.

[40] Ibid.

[41] Ibid.

[42] Ibid, page 9.

[43] Ibid.

[44] Ibid, page 6.

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[Revised] Green Party of Canada (GPC) 

Notes 

• Excerpts of the Green Party of Canada platform are embedded on their website and has been available since the election was called.
• A revised, complete, Green Party platform was launched on April This report provides updated information pertaining to the complete Green Party platform.
• The platform is divided into 12 sections, each corresponding to a priority issue or theme for the Green Party: Affordable Housing, Climate Action, Peace and Security, Fair Taxation, More Health Care, Green Economy, Caring for Canadians, Strong Democracy, Stop The Hate, Emergency Preparedness, Disability Justice, Indigenous Reconciliation.

Arts and culture 

• The platform contains a section on “Arts, Culture and Heritage” under the heading Government That Works for You. The section contains a number of statements, proposals and commitments pertaining to arts and culture. Specifically:
  • “The arts are a vital component of Canada’s economic, social and intellectual well-being. The Green Party is invested in seeing an arts, culture and heritage sector not just survive but thrive. ”[1]
  • “significant increases for the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, orchestras and performing arts organizations nationwide.”[2]
  • “stable, multi-year base funding for community arts programs across Canada, ensuring long-term sustainability and access to cultural activities at the community level.”[3]
  • “targeted funding to help museums and cultural institutions fully recover from pandemic impacts, improve digital accessibility, and broaden public engagement. ”[4]
  • “permanent federal funding dedicated to festivals, events, and celebrations that showcase Canadian culture, heritage and diversity. ”[5]
  • “targeted additional funding specifically to the Canada Council for the Arts, National Film Board, and Telefilm Canada to support creative projects that focus explicitly on climate action, sustainability, and raising public awareness about the climate crisis.”[6]
  • “federal incentives to provinces and territories to restore, expand, and enhance arts education programs, especially within rural and remote schools, promoting equal educational opportunities in arts and culture sector.”[7]
  • “Implement income averaging for artists and cultural workers to stabilize their financial circumstances, accommodating the income fluctuations typical within the creative sector.”[8]
  • “Establish dedicated federal funding to support touring artists and cultural events, particularly in rural and underserved communities, ensuring equitable access to arts and cultural experiences across Canada.”[9]
  • “Fund initiatives that support communities in reinterpreting historical monuments, plaques, and heritage sites associated with Canada’s colonial past, emphasizing accuracy, reconciliation, and Inclusivity. ”[10]
  • “Provide dedicated federal funding to support the creation, conservation, and public accessibility of Indigenous art and cultural expressions.”[11]
  • “Protect Indigenous intellectual and artistic property rights by legislating and enforcing meaningful recognition and protections, ensuring  Indigenous artists and communities retain full control over their cultural creations and heritage.”[12]
  • “Fund initiatives for Indigenous artists to travel and provide mentors in Indigenous communities, supporting cultural transmission, artistic development, and youth engagement.”[13]
  • “Provide targeted federal funding to ensure that all museums and cultural institutions across Canada fully comply with UNDRIP and the TRC Calls to Action, facilitating accurate representation and meaningful reconciliation.”[14]
  • “Establish dedicated national funding for reconciliation-focused commemoration projects, supporting initiatives that recognize and honour Indigenous histories and experiences.”[15]
  • “Provide stable federal funding dedicated specifically to the preservation, revitalization, and promotion of Indigenous languages across Canada, in alignment with the Indigenous Languages Act.”[16]
  • “Increase CBC/Radio-Canada funding to match per-capita funding levels of internationally recognized public broadcasters like the BBC, ensuring robust national public broadcasting.”[17]
  • “Provide stable, multi-year core funding to CBC/Radio-Canada, indexed to inflation, guaranteed for minimum periods of seven years through a formal memorandum of understanding to maintain independence and stability.”[18]
  • “Restore CBC local news outlets to historical levels, specifically re- establishing local news bureaus and daily suppertime TV news programming in multiple locations within each province and territory, in both official languages (English and French).”[19]
  • “Fund CBC TV news and information programming to be commercial-free or minimally commercial, implementing a maximum of four minutes of advertising per hour to preserve program integrity and reduce commercial influence.”[20]
  • “Develop a public, community-oriented online service through CBC/Radio- Canada, offering essential local updates including emergency alerts, fire notifications, and community events, providing an effective alternative to commercial social media platforms.”[21]
  • “Expand CBC Indigenous broadcasting significantly, ensuring culturally relevant, Indigenous-led content is widely accessible and reflects diverse Indigenous experiences and perspectives across Canada.”[22]
  • “Prohibit CBC from airing syndicated foreign entertainment programming (“junk food TV”), such as S. commercial game shows, prioritizing quality Canadian cultural content that reflects Canada’s unique identity and creativity.”[23]
  • “Reform CBC/Radio-Canada’s governance structure to ensure appointments to its board are transparent, merit-based, and free from political interference.”[24]
  • “Significantly increase public funding for Canadian-owned media, reducing reliance on foreign media, supporting domestic journalism, and safeguarding media independence. ”[25]
  • “Restrict foreign ownership of Canadian media, introducing clear legislative measures to protect cultural sovereignty, promote ownership diversity, and limit exposure to foreign propaganda or misinformation campaigns.”[26]
  • “Create an Independent Commission to study media ownership in Canada, with a clear plan to break up media monopolies, support local journalism, encourage diverse ownership, and ensure Canadians have access to trustworthy, independent news sources.”[27]
  • “Direct all government advertising spending exclusively to Canadian-owned publications and platforms, ensuring federal support prioritizes domestic media and journalism.”[28]
  • Strengthen CRTC regulation of digital streaming platforms (as outlined in Bill C-10), mandating contributions to Canadian content production and cultural programming.”[29]
  • “Increase CRTC bandwidth allocation specifically for independent, non-profit, and community broadcasters, ensuring these voices are clearly heard within Canada’s media landscape.”[30]
  • “Modernize and maintain Canadian Content (CanCon) regulations, ensuring they effectively sustain domestic creative industries and Canadian storytelling in a rapidly evolving digital environment.”[31]
  • “Increase sustained, reliable long-term funding for the Local Journalism Initiative with a continued focus on Canadian media organizations offering local civic journalism in underserved communities.”[32]
  • “Implement a federal income tax credit for restoration expenditures on heritage properties, encouraging private owners to preserve historic buildings and sites, enhancing community heritage and local tourism.”[33]
  • “Establish charitable tax credits for donations of heritage easements, encouraging private contributions to preserve culturally significant properties, landscapes, and heritage sites.”[34]
• Under Stop the Hate, the platform includes a commitment to “make online platforms fully responsible as publishers. This means they’ll be legally responsible for everything they publish, just like newspapers and TV stations.”[35]
• The Protecting Canada Plan proposes “a public relations offensive that enrolls well- known Canadian personalities and cultural ambassadors to remind key international partners of our long history with them and the undeniable need for an independent Canada in world affairs”[36]

Francophonie canadienne and official languages

• “stable federal funding for minority-language post-secondary institutions, supporting cultural preservation and linguistic diversity across Canada.”[37]
• “Modernize the Official Languages Act to strengthen protections for French and English minority communities, ensuring robust linguistic rights and services across Canada.”[38]

• “Guarantee bilingual federal government services in every province and territory, actively supporting French-speaking immigration and integration, and ensuring linguistic equality nationwide.”[39]
• “Prioritize implementation of a modernized Official Languages Act within the first year of the next Parliament, underscoring federal commitment to linguistic equity and minority-language rights.”[40]
• “Actively defend and promote the equal status of Canada’s two official languages (English and French), ensuring full linguistic equality and accessibility across all Canadian communities.”[41]
• “Significantly increase federal funding for French immersion programs and second-language education, providing enhanced opportunities for bilingualism to students throughout Canada.”[42]

Youth

• The Green Party Platform contains an entire section dedicated to Youth. In addition, a number of issues of interest to young Canadians are addressed in other sections.

Key points and analysis 

• The website mentions the Green Party intends to release additional information pertaining to their fiscal plan as the campaign Thus far, the Green Party has not provided a detailed costing of its platform.
• The Parliamentary Budget Officer has provided a number of cost estimates of the Green Party Platform, including detailed analysis of key initiatives such as : Implementing an annual wealth tax, Raising the Federal Minimum Wage, Issuing retail bonds, Increasing support for labour market training, Eliminating resource deductions for the oil and gas sector and Increasing the corporate income tax rate.

 

[1] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 111.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 111.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid, page 112.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 112.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 112.

[22] Ibid, page 113.

[23] Ibid.

[24] Ibid.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Ibid, page 114.

[27] Ibid.

[28] Ibid.

[29] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 114.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Ibid.

[32] Ibid.

[33] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 115.

[34] Ibid.

[35] https://www.greenparty.ca/en/our-plans/stop-the-hate

[36] Green Party of Canada, Protecting Canada, February 26 2025, page 6.

[37] Green Party of Canada, CHANGE: Vote For It – 2025 Election Platform, 2025, page 112.

[38] Ibid, page 114.

[39] Ibid.

[40] Ibid.

[41] Ibid.

[42] Ibid.

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Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)

Notes

• The Liberal Party of Canada platform was released on April 19, 2025.
• The platform is divided into 7 chapters: Canada Strong, Unite, Secure, Protect, Build, Fiscal and Costing Plan, Gender Based Analysis +

Arts and culture

• The Liberal platform contains a section that is dedicated to “Reinforcing the CBC/Radio Canada, Protecting Canadian Voices,” which includes commitments pertaining to the public broadcaster and to arts and
• “Enshrine and protect CBC/Radio Canada (sic) by introducing legislation to establish statutory Funding for our national public broadcaster should not be subject to the whims of government; our national institutions deserve to be protected by Parliament and changed only with the consent of the House of Commons and the people it represents.”[1]
• “Developing a governance plan with CBC/Radio Canada (sic) to improve accountability, empower leadership, streamline processes and tap into the spirit of innovation. This will also improve citizen engagement and understanding of our country, from the West Coast to the East Coast and to the far reaches of the Canadian North. It is only by engaging all parts of our country that we can tell its stories.”[2]
• “Equipping them to further promote and support Canadian culture including Quebec’s unique culture, which is at the heart of our national identity.”[3]
• “Strengthening local news, so that all Canadians have access to timely, relevant and reliable news.”[4]
• “Adding to their mandate the clear and consistent transmission of life-saving information during emergencies.”[5]
• “Including a commitment of including Indigenous perspectives.”[6]
• “Fully equipping them to combat disinformation so that Canadians have a news source they know and trust.”[7]
• “Bolstering innovation and investing in new digital tools so that they can deliver the news when and how Canadians want it.”[8]
• “Provide an initial $150 million boost in annual funding while directing CBC/Radio Canada (sic) to develop a strategic plan consistent with this new mandate. We will work towards bringing CBC/Radio Canada’s long-term funding levels in line with the average funding of other national public broadcasters over time.”[9]
• “Support Canadian artists and creators by increasing funding to agencies such as the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm, the Canada Media Fund, and the National Film Board, recognizing the economic importance of Canada’s creative industries and creators. The more our perspectives that are brought to life, the better we understand Canada, and the more we can show the world what makes Canada strong.”[10]
• “The nature of work is changing as the economy of the future arrives. Workers need new skills so they have access to good, well-paying jobs. And workers need the security of knowing that even if they are in the gig economy or artists, the social safety net will be there for them. ”[11]
• “Revitalize Indigenous languages by supporting community-driven projects that restore, protect, and promote this important part of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures and histories.”[12]
• “Continue to respect that immigration, both permanent and temporary, is a shared responsibility with the Government of Canada. We share their commitment, within the Canada-Québec Accord, to responsible immigration levels that protect the French language and Quebec’s unique culture.”[13]

Francophonie canadienne and official languages

• The Liberal platform contains a section dedicated to Official languages.
• “Establish a 12% target for Francophone immigration outside of Quebec by 2029, a 20% increase from current targets. ”[14]
• “Support entrepreneurs in Official Language Minority Communities looking to scale their businesses, notably by facilitating access to Francophone and bilingual workers.”[15]
• “Continue to invest in community spaces for English-speaking minorities in Quebec and French speaking minorities across the country.”[16]
• “Promote French-language educational pursuits across Canada by collaborating with provinces and territories to invest in educational and community spaces, such as early learning, and child care that serve official language minority communities; creating a scholarship for Francophone students who continue their post-secondary studies in French in a minority context.”[17]
• “Protect and modernize CBC/Radio-Canada to ensure that it continues to provide vital programming in both French and English”[18]
• “Build alliances to protect our sovereignty including work to build a security and economic partnership with our Nordic partners to promote Arctic security, Canadian sovereignty, and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. This will build on our close relationships, and we will continue to leverage our close relationships with the Commonwealth and La Francophonie to present a united front against threats to sovereignty around the globe. ”[19]

Youth

• The Liberal platform contains an entire section dedicated to Young Canadians.  A range of issues of interest to young people are also addressed elsewhere throughout the platform.
• “Get young Canadians started with their first job by connecting young people with the jobs and skill development opportunities they need to launch their professional We will do this by doubling down on what works and fixing what does not.”[20]
• “Provide funding and expand the mandates, where appropriate, for the Student Work Placement Program, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), Canada Summer Jobs, and the Canadian Service Corps. We will work to better align the mandates with critical and emerging sectors such as green technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing. This will increase opportunities within the not-for-profit organizations, the public sector, and private sector organizations.”[21]

Key points and analysis

• The Liberal platform includes a detailed Fiscal and Costing Plan. The plan separates capital and operating spending across government in order to “create a more transparent categorization” of Federal spending. It commits to increase capital spending over the next four years while bringing operating spending in line with revenues by Budget 2028 and continuing to reduce total deficit as a share of GDP.
• The Liberal platform also includes a Gender Based Analysis. This section includes a commitment to equality and explains a GBA+ equity Lens that has been used to review every measure proposed throughout the platform.

 

[1] Liberal Party of Canada, Canada Strong: Mark Carney’s Plan – Unite. Secure. Protect. Build., page 5

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid, page 6.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid, page 51.

[12] Ibid, page 35.

[13] Ibid, page 42.

[14] Ibid, page 29.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid, page 20.

[20] Ibid, page 30.

[21] Ibid.

 

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New Democratic Party (NDP)

Notes

• The NDP platform was released on April 19 and is embedded on the NDP website.
• In order to facilitate readers’ ability to find original text and contextual information, footnotes throughout this document refer to section headings on the Campaign Commitments page of the NDP
• The platform is divided into 9 chapters: Better health care, starting with a family doctor; Homes for families, not corporate landlords; Lower bills, starting with a cap on grocery essentials; Lower taxes for working people, not for billionaires; A  stronger and more independent Canada; Supporting a green economy that’s fair for everyone; Putting reconciliation into action; Strengthening Canada’s Democracy; A better fiscal approach.

Arts and culture

• “We would expand supports for the CBC and for local journalism, so critical during this time of misinformation, disinformation and US threats.”[1]
• “We will introduce legislation to combat residential school denialism—because truth is essential to reconciliation, and survivors deserve more than words. The House of Commons has unanimously recognized that the residential school system was a genocide, deliberately designed to erase Indigenous cultures, languages, families, and identities. Survivors and their families must be protected from hate and historical erasure.”[2]

• “We will ensure equitable access and self-determination over land, culture, language, housing, child care, income security, employment, education, and physical, mental, sexual and spiritual health.”[3]

Francophonie canadienne and official languages

• “We would ensure Indigenous Treaty rights, Charter rights, French language and labour protections, and environmental safeguards are never sacrificed in trade negotiations.”[4]

Key points and analysis

• The NDP platform includes a detailed costing of commitments.
• The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer has produced a number of cost estimates of proposals included in the NDP platform, including: Increasing Guaranteed Income Supplement, Removing tax exemptions for Real Estate Investment Trusts, Surtax on corporations with taxable income over $500 million, Implementing annual wealth tax, Resuming the Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles program, Canada Mental Health Care Plan, Including the capital gains inclusion rate, Changing the Basic Personal Amount, Increasing the Canada disability benefit.

[1] Protecting what makes us Canadian

[2] Work Towards Truth and Justice for Indigenous Communities

[3] Work Towards Truth and Justice for Indigenous Communities

[4] Protecting what makes us Canadian

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