The auto sector, and the workers and communities that depend on it, matter – and New Democrats will always fight for them. A New Democrat government will urgently convene an auto summit with provincial, municipal, industry and labour leaders to develop a consensus on a National Automotive Strategy to attract and retain jobs and investment. This strategy will make sure that Canadian product lines and manufacturing processes are adapted to meet changing consumer needs and evolving realities in the manufacturing industry – while protecting workers for the long term.

We will also restore the Automotive Innovation Fund and make contributions to automakers tax-free to help secure next generation production capacity. And we will commission an independent study into the causes and consequences of the trade deficit in automotive products with Mexico, along with potential strategies for reducing it.

New Democrats will help Canadian industry lead in the development and manufacturing of the vehicles of tomorrow. We’ll work with labour and industry to make sure that Canadian workers have the skills they need to benefit from the adoption of these new technologies – and drive demand by ensuring that federal incentives for zero-emissions automobiles prioritize made-in-Canada vehicles. Buying Canadian-made zeroemissions cars for government fleets will help us lead by example on sustainability, while creating good jobs here at home.

Finally, in a manner consistent with its arms-length commercial status, a New Democrat government will give Export Development Canada a stronger mandate to recruit and retain investment in automotive plants and export-focused manufacturing here in Canada.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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We will also work with Statistics Canada to strengthen local labour market data, so that Employment Insurance can better reflect local labour market realities, especially in large and diverse regions.

From Forward, retrieved 2019-10-01.

To help people whose jobs and livelihoods are affected when disaster strikes, we will move forward with a new Employment Insurance Disaster Assistance Benefit, to be developed in consultation with experts, workers, and employers. This new benefit will launch in 2021 and will help replace the income that is lost when families need to temporarily stop working to protect their homes, or because they need to relocate to safety.

From Forward, retrieved 2019-10-01.

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A New Democrat government would immediately put in place a universal qualifying threshold of 360 hours to make sure that many more Canadians can access benefits, no matter what kind of work they do – and restore the appeals system to make decisions fast and fair.

New Democrats understand that seasonal workers face particular challenges accessing EI. To help Canadians in seasonal industries bridge the cap between the end of EI and the start of seasonal work, we'll bring back the former Extra Five Weeks pilot project and make it permanent, and we will restore the economic regions in the territories and PEI to their 2014 boundaries.

Parental leave should be available for all Canadian families, in the way that works best for them. Eighteen months of leave is an attractive option for many parents, but not many Canadians can afford to live on just 33 percent of their salary. New Democrats will bring in a new special leave that allows parents to take shorter parental leave at a higher replacement rate. We'll also allow self-employed workers to opt-into parental benefits at any time before taking the leave, and move to double leave for parents of multiples.

To help make ends meet while on EI, we'll increase the income replacement rate to 60 percent – and create a low income supplement so that no one receiving EI regular or special benefits receives less than $1,200 a month.

For many Canadians who need to rely on EI when they're dealing with an illness, the current system falls far short and doesn't provide flexibility to support those who do want to work when they can. To make sure that Canadians can count on EI when they're dealing with a serious illness, a New Democrat government will extend sickness benefits to 50 weeks, expand access to re-training, and create a pilot project to allow workers with episodic disabilities to access EI sickness benefits periodically, as they need them.

Finally we will also protect the EI Operating Account in law, so that future governments can't raid it for general revenue.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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cutting the cost of federal incorporation by 75 per cent, to $50 from $200

eliminating all fees from the Business Development Bank of Canada, Export Development Canada, and Farm Credit Canada, for business advisory services like mentorship and training

eliminating the “swipe fee” on HST and GST for credit transactions – which will save businesses nearly $500 million a year in fees, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business;

implementing a voluntary, real-time e-payroll system to automate records of employment so that small businesses no longer have to submit detailed records to Service Canada; and

giving $250 to every new business looking to expand their online services

From Forward, retrieved 2019-10-01.

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And to make sure that Canadian exporters have the help they need when they need it, we will give Canadian companies facing commercial or trade disputes abroad immediate, on-the-ground help through a Canada Commercial Consular Service.

From Forward, retrieved 2019-09-30.

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Revamp national trade policy to align with national and international climate change plans. This includes reducing the distances over which food is shipped by increasing domestic and local food production.

Protect supply management and ensure that products which are banned in Canada are not imported in food from other countries, for example bovine growth hormone in milk products.

Facilitate a global effort to reform the World Trade Organization. Building on General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) article XX, which was always intended to insulate legislated domestic conservation efforts from trade disciplines, revamp the World Trade Organization to the World Trade and Climate Organization to ensure that trade is consistent with a global carbon budget. Tariffs will be assigned based on the carbon intensity of imported products.

Renegotiate Canada’s trade and investment agreements to remove the Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions that give foreign corporations extraordinary powers to challenge the laws and policies of democratically elected governments, and include binding labour, health, safety and environmental standards.

From Election Platform 2019, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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New Democrats support fair trade that broadens opportunity in all areas of the country while protecting our industries and upholding labour standards, environmental protections and human rights. That’s why we’ll always defend Canadian workers in trade negotiations, protect supply management and stand up against unfair tariffs.

We’re committed to improving the transparency of trade negotiations, so that Canadians can clearly understand the costs and benefits of any proposed agreement and have their say before it’s signed. That’s why a New Democrat government will directly engage with Canadians on the expected costs and benefits of potential trade deals, as well as ensure that all trade agreements are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We will evaluate all potential trade deals for their social, environmental and gendered impact on Canadians.

When it comes to what’s on the negotiating table, Canadians know that there are some things that we shouldn’t be willing to compromise on, like investor-state dispute settlement measures that hand too much power to corporations and undermine the rules that keep us safe and healthy. Trade agreements should have enforceable labour, human rights and environmental protections – and New Democrats will always protect Canadians against measures that could increase the cost of pharmaceuticals, weaken our cultural protections, or undermine privacy rights.

A New Democrat government will also do more to defend Canadian workers and, communities from unfair trading practices. We will modernize Canada’s trade remedy system and make sure that trade unions have full standing in trade cases and the ability to initiate trade disputes, as is the case in other countries.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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Embed just transition principles in planning, legislative, regulatory and advisory processes to ensure ongoing and concrete actions throughout the fossil-fuel phase-out transition, including:

• Meeting directly with affected communities to learn about their local priorities, and to connect them with federal programs that could support their goals.
• Establishing a dedicated, comprehensive, inclusive and flexible just transition funding program for affected communities.
• Developing and implementing a just transition plan for workers in fossil fuel sectors, championed by a lead minister who oversees and reports on progress.
• Integrating provisions for just transition in federal environmental and labour legislation and regulations, as well as relevant inter-governmental agreements.
• Establishing a targeted, long-term research fund for studying the impact of the sector phase-out and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Ensure locally available supports, including funding the establishment and operation of locally-driven transition centres in affected communities.

Identify and fund local infrastructure projects in affected communities.

Provide a pathway to retirement by creating a pension bridging program for workers who will retire earlier than planned due to the phase out.

Transition workers to sustainable employment by:

• Creating a detailed and publicly available inventory with labour market information pertaining to oil, coal and gas workers, such as skills profiles, demographics, locations, and current and potential employers.
• Creating a comprehensive funding program for workers staying in the labour market to address their needs across the stages of securing a new job, including income support, education and skills building, re-employment, and mobility.
• Investing in comprehensive retraining and apprenticeship programs for industrial trades workers for jobs in the transition to a zero-carbon economy, especially the renewable and energy efficiency sectors.

From Election Platform 2019, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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A New Democrat government will bring together all levels of government, together with business and labour leaders, to develop a national industrial strategy to build an advanced low carbon manufacturing economy in Canada that will provide good middle-class jobs to Canadian workers. We will also take measures to grow the domestic market for Canadian manufactured goods, and provide strategic supports to our long-neglected steel and aluminum industries to attract and retain jobs and investments in communities across the country.

When the Liberal government signed a new trade deal with the United States that contained damaging steel and aluminum tariffs, New Democrats fought alongside labour and the industry get the tariffs permanently removed – and won. But there is still much work to be done to protect Canadian jobs against the risk that the U.S. could impose new tariffs. For New Democrats, no tariffs against our steel or aluminum will ever be acceptable. That’s why we will adopt measures to stabilize the Canadian steel market, and protect the sector from predatory practices of foreign producers who are shut out of other markets.

Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to use Canadian government infrastructure procurement to support Canada’s manufacturing economy, and have often negotiated trade deals that put domestic procurement policies at risk. New Democrats will require the use of Canadian-made steel and aluminum for infrastructure projects across the country.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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Establish a universal Guaranteed Livable Income (GLI) program to replace the current array of income supports, such as disability payments, social assistance and income supplements for seniors. Building on the MBM, payment would be set at a “livable” level for different regions of the country. The negotiation to implement a livable income across the country would take place through the Council of Canadian Governments. Unlike existing income support programs, additional income would not be clawed back. Those earning above a certain total income would pay the GLI back in taxes.

From Election Platform 2019, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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New Democrats will work with the provinces to launch a national basic income pilot project in addition to continuing Ontario’s program, in order to gather data about this approach to tackling income precarity.

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Ensure the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) remains robust and adaptive to changing needs and circumstances by increasing over time the target income replacement rate from 25 per cent to 50 per cent of income received during working years.

Regulate the CPP Investment Board to require divestment of coal, oil and gas shares and ensure that all investments are ethical and promote environmental sustainability.

Protect private pensions by amending the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act and Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to establish the preeminence of pensioners and the pension plan in the creditor hierarchy during company insolvency proceedings.

From Election Plan 2019, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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[...] we will make sure that pensioners are at the front of the line when a company goes bankrupt, and make sure unfunded pension liabilities owed to workers and employees’ severance pay are the top priority for repayment.

We’ll stop companies from paying out dividends and bonuses when pensions are under-funded and we’ll create a mandatory, industry-financed pension insurance program to make sure that no worker is deprived of the retirement benefits they’ve earned.

The federal government has a critical role to play in protecting defined benefit pensions across the country. The Liberals’ openness to target benefit plans in the public sector, which don’t guarantee stable benefits for retirees, puts defined benefits at risk for all Canadians – and we will immediately put a stop to this chipping away of retirement security.

We are committed to strengthening public pensions and improving retirement security for all Canadians. A New Democrat government will create a Pension Advisory Commission to develop a long-term plan to protect and enhance Old Age Security, boost the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and strengthen the Canada Pension Plan. We’ll also make automatic enrollment (sic) in OAS and GIS retroactive, so no retiree misses out on benefits that they should be receiving, and we will support efforts to make sure Canadians have good retirement financial literacy.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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A core component of our approach is enshrining the right to housing in law and starting work now with a goal of ending homelessness in Canada within a decade. In a country as wealthy as Canada, there is no excuse to leave any Canadian living in poverty without a safe roof over their head.

Our affordable housing strategy will include measures to support Canadians at risk of becoming homeless, take the lead from communities about local needs, and adopt a “housing first” approach. To help people find an affordable home in the long term, we will support the creation of more social housing and other affordable options.

Poor health and poverty are linked and a national pharmacare program will mean that all Canadians can access the prescription medicine they need, regardless of their income, or address. Better access to mental health and addictions support will also form a key part of our approach to tackling poverty.

New Democrats will work with the provinces to launch a national basic income pilot project in addition to continuing Ontario’s program, in order to gather data about this approach to tackling income precarity. Developing a national, public, universal child care program is also critical for lifting women and their families out of poverty and is an important way to give all kids a good start in early learning.

Finally, making sure that all Canadians can access healthy, affordable food is a cornerstone of our Canadian food strategy. A national school nutrition program will make sure that no child enters their classroom hungry. Children should always have access to healthy food and the ability to concentrate on learning. In addition, New Democrats will ensure that a reformed Nutrition North program is able to better respond to the needs of Northern families, to put an end to chronic food insecurity in the North.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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To make sure that the infrastructure that people and communities need is built, we will require that all provinces and territories identify and approve all of their long-term infrastructure priorities within the next two years. Funds that aren’t designated for specific projects by the end of 2021 will be reinvested directly in communities through a top-up of the federal Gas Tax Fund.

From Forward, retrieved 2019-09-30.

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Our vision is one where communities can afford to build the infrastructure they need to thrive, from roads and bridges to community centres and child care centres, and everything in between. These investments will create good jobs in every part of the country. To get there, we will partner with provinces, territories, First Nations, and municipalities to deliver reliable public infrastructure funding that puts people – not profit – first. By using Community Benefit Agreements, we will guarantee that good jobs, training, apprenticeships, and support for local businesses are part of every infrastructure project.

When it comes to getting around, public transit should be a convenient and affordable option that makes your commute easier, all while taking cars off the road, cutting emissions, and reducing gridlock. New Democrats understand that getting our communities moving is critical for our economy and our quality of life. That’s why we’ll put in place a permanent, direct, allocation-based funding mechanism for modern public transit across Canada for the long run. We’ll also step up investments now to help cities transition their bus fleets to electric and to expand affordable rail and bus options in all parts of the country. And for municipalities that make it a priority, a New Democrat government will work with them towards fare-free transit to ease commutes and make life more affordable.

Nothing is more important than having a place to call home. No matter who you are, you need a safe and affordable place to live and raise your family. But Canadians across the country are facing a housing crisis and we need a government that gets back to work building new affordable housing to help confront it. A New Democrat government will partner with provinces and municipalities to create half a million units of affordable housing over the next ten years. This will include social housing, community, and non-market housing, as well as co-ops. We’ll also streamline the application process and immediately provide dedicated fast-start funds to help communities get the expertise and assistance they need to get projects off the ground now, not years from now. Wherever possible, we’ll encourage provinces to work with social enterprises to make sure that the training and jobs associated with building affordable housing go to those who need opportunities the most.

As the impacts of climate change are felt across the country, New Democrats believe that all levels of government have to step up to help communities cope with the impacts of extreme weather. That’s why a New Democrat government will expand federal funding to respond to disasters and support communities in proactively adapting their infrastructure to withstand floods, forest fires, and other extreme weather events. We will also partner with Canadians and communities to make serious investments in making buildings more energy efficient to help families save money and fight climate change.

In our digital age, technological infrastructure is more important than ever. That’s why we’re committed to making sure that every community in Canada has access to high-speed internet. We’ll also ensure that the right investments are made to expand cell phone coverage to all parts of the country, so that Canadians can stay connected – affordably – no matter where they are.

From A New Deal for People, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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Entirely eliminating the backlog of outstanding pay issues for public servants as a result of the Phoenix pay system, so that they can focus on their work and not on resolving long-standing payroll problems;

Reducing the time it takes to hire new public servants, with the goal of cutting in half the average time from ten to five months;

Improving project management capabilities, so that all major projects in government are led by a certified professional with at least five years of experience; and

Reducing the number of significant deficiencies identified by the Auditor General in subsequent follow-up audits of a department or program.

From Forward, retrieved 2019-09-30.

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Respect the unionized employees of the federal public service and the bargaining process by rejecting back-to-work legislation as a bargaining tool.

Establish a federal Ombudsman to provide impartial and non-departmental help to harassed and demoralized employees.

From Election Platform 2019, retrieved 2019-09-22.

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