On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled what the Conservatives are calling “his low-tax, balanced-budget plan to protect Canada’s fragile economy over the next four years.
“The platform sets out concrete plans to keep Canada’s budget balanced, to keep taxes low and lower them further, to open new markets for Canadian businesses and workers, to create more and better jobs, and to help more Canadians own their own homes,” the party said in a news release.
“Our number one priority is protecting Canada’s economy,” Harper is quoted as saying in the release.
“Our low-tax, balanced budget plan will keep it moving forward and creating jobs over the next four years.”
The Conservative plan is focused on the following key priorities:
- Keeping the federal budget balanced.
- Lowering taxes on small businesses and workers.
- Aiming to create another 1.3 million new, well-paying jobs by 2020.
- Opening new markets for Canadian businesses and products through new trade agreements.
- Aiming to add more than 700,000 new homeowners by 2020.
- And providing new tax relief and benefits to families and seniors.
“The global economy remains weak and in turmoil,” the release said. “Yet Canada has continued to fare relatively well. We have led the G-7 in economic growth and job creation.”
The Canadian economy has created more than 1.3 million net new jobs since the depths of the global economic recession, the release said, adding that the vast majority of the jobs are in full-time positions in high-wage, private sector industries.
“While the Canadian economy is stronger than other countries’, it remains fragile and needs to be protected,” Harper said. “Keeping the budget balanced, lowering taxes, and making affordable, targeted investments is the right plan in the face of global economic turmoil.”
He said the Conservative Party’s platform is the only one that does not raise taxes on businesses and workers and has a clear, credible plan to keep the budget balanced each and every year.
“Canadians face a clear choice in this election,” Harper said. “The choice is between our low-tax, balanced budget plan to protect our economy and create new jobs, and the permanent deficits and higher taxes proposed by the Liberals and NDP that will ultimately harm our economy and put jobs at risk.”
