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Affordability platforms

Here's what the candidates in District 8: Stanhope - Marshfield, and their parties, are promising.

Cell & Internet services

NDP

  • Recognise cell and Internet services as essential
  • Complete an Island-wide fibre high-speed network
  • Subsidise Internet packages for all families with students in school
  • Eliminate cell phone dead zones

Childcare

PC

  • Create a $20M fund to provide grants to Early Learning Centres to expand
  • Build childcare centres in all new public buildings, until wait lists are eliminated
  • Designate six more early learning centres this year
  • Create a pension plan for Early Childhood Educators this year
  • Start a national recruitment campaign for Early Childhood Educators to live and work in PEI
  • Give grants to private developers who build childcare centres into multi-unit buildings in under-served regions
  • Pilot a universal afterschool programme for K-6

    "Work with existing providers and engage with our school system to pilot a universal afterschool program for grades K to 6 and develop an action plan to expand the program to all areas of the province" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Pilot extended-hour childcare facilities close to hospitals

    "Pilot extended-hour childcare facilities that are in close proximity to our hospitals" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

NDP

  • Implement free, universal public childcare

    "Go above and beyond the current federal child care initiative to establish permanent, free and universal public child care – creating jobs and helping Islanders get back to work." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Develop province-wide before- and after-school childcare programmes
  • Increase wages of childcare workers

Dental care and optometry

PC

  • Provide insurance for health, dental, and medications for part-time, seasonal, contract, and gig workers

    "Create a Portable Health Benefits Program to provide health, dental, and medication insurance for workers who may not be employed full-time, year-round, or those facing barriers to insurance coverage like seasonal workers, contract employees, and gig economy workers." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-10

  • Expand the Eye See...Eye Learn Program to ages 0-12

    "Expand the Eye See...Eye Learn Program to provide children with two free eye exams and two free pairs of eyeglasses between birth and age 12" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

NDP

  • Work with the federal government to create a universal dental care programme

Food prices

PC

  • Consider a universal breakfast program for schools

    "Explore the creation of a universal breakfast program with the English and French language school boards" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Fund organisations that run community fridges

    "Provide core funding to organizations that run community fridges and fund an umbrella organization to work with community leaders across the province" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

NDP

  • Provide a $30/week coupon for farmers' market of community-supported food purchases

    "Introduce a market nutrition coupon, providing a minimum of $30/week toward farmers’ market or community-supported food purchases." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Call for an investigation into rising food prices

    "Follow the federal NDP’s lead and call for an investigation into out-of-control food costs on Prince Edward Island." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Remove the $5.50 cost for the PEI lunch programme, and provide a free breakfast and lunch programme for all students

    "Remove the suggested $5.50 cost of the PEI lunch program and implement a free breakfast and lunch program for all Island students." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Fuel and transportation costs

PC

  • Work with the federal government to reduce bridge and ferry tolls to $20

Minimum wage

We don't have any PC policies on Minimum wage.

NDP

  • Increase the minimum wage to $17/hour, and tie it to inflation
  • Create a plan for providing a guaranteed livable basic income

Poverty

We don't have any PC policies on Poverty.

NDP

  • Raise incomes for Islanders receiving social assistance

    "Raise social assistance rates to realistic levels that boost households above the Market Basket poverty line." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Create a plan for providing a guaranteed livable basic income
  • Extend inflationary support payments through 2025

    "Extend inflationary support payments to individuals and families through 2025." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Broaden eligibility and double annual support through the PEI Home Heating Program until 2025

Prescription drugs & pharmacare

PC

  • Provide insurance for health, dental, and medications for part-time, seasonal, contract, and gig workers

    "Create a Portable Health Benefits Program to provide health, dental, and medication insurance for workers who may not be employed full-time, year-round, or those facing barriers to insurance coverage like seasonal workers, contract employees, and gig economy workers." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-10

  • Reduce the co-pay for the generic drug programme to $5
  • Add more drugs to the formulary covered by the government

    "Continue to work with the federal government towards a PharmaCare program by adding more drugs to the formulary covered by the government" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

NDP

  • Work with the federal government to create a universal pharmacare programme

Public transit

PC

  • Invest in an Island-wide transit system
  • Keep fares at $2/trip, and monthly passes at $10-$20

    "Lead the country in low-cost public transit by subsidizing the transit system to $2 per ride or $10 - $20 for a monthly pass" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Add more routes

"Continue to make investments in the Island-wide transit system, keeping fares at $2 per trip and adding more routes, to make it more affordable to get to and from work." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-17

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NDP

  • Develop a regional and urban public transit network
  • Offer free public transit for people with incomes under $40K
  • Create a province-wide, publicly-owned transit system, run on renewable energy

Student loans

We don't have any PC policies on Student loans.

NDP

  • Convert government loans to grants

    "Giving young people a chance by converting government loans to grants, so students aren’t graduating with massive debts." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Retroactively remove interest on provincial student loans

Tax measures and rebates

PC

  • Roll back property taxes to 2020 rates
  • Provide a $500 tax credit for volunteers with registered charities and non-profits
  • Increase the Seniors Tax Credit to $6,510, and raise the threshold to $36K
  • Increase the Basic Personal Exemption Amount to $15K over the next 4 years
  • Reevaluate the provincial income tax brackets

    "In addition to raising the basic personal exemption amount to $15,000 over four years, we will also re-evaluate the provincial income tax bracket model to be more competitive and leave more money in the pockets of Islanders, especially low-income Islanders." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-17

NDP

  • Give back more of the provincial portion of the quarterly HST rebate to eligible Islanders
  • Lobby for a federal wealth tax

    "Create a new bracket for PEI’s highest income earners, while lobbying for a federal wealth tax and closing of tax loopholes for the rich." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Create a new tax bracket for the highest income earners