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 Political parties issue huge policy documents before elections - listing their positions on tons of issues. Without wading through it all, how can you be sure the party you're voting for is aligned with your thoughts on the issues you care about? With our friends from Youthography, we've put together summaries of the platforms of most of the major political parties so you can decide for yourself. EnvironmentThe environment is an important social, political and economic issue for many Canadians. The Kyoto Protocol, increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions, pollution (water, air, land) and non-renewable resources are only some of the reasons why the environment continues to be an important issue. And don't forget that managing electrical power, dealing with garbage and gas prices are all connected to environmental issues. EducationTuition rates are on the rise and funding for Canadian colleges and universities has been in decline. The average tuition for an arts degree increased 67.1% from 1992 to 2002. According to Statistics Canada, the average university student will owe $20,000 and college students will owe $13,000. Over 40% of post-secondary graduates will owe upon graduation. If post-secondary education is important to you, find out more. Health CareHealth Care consistently ranks at, or near the top, of Canadian public opinion polls regarding issues facing our country. Over the past decade, the percentage of Canadians rating Canada's health care system as "Excellent" or "Very Good" dropped from 61% to 29%. While the system is stable, the Federal government and Provincial governments will have a great deal of negotiations to go through in the next few years. Crime & JusticeAlthough crime rates in Canada are at their lowest in decades, many Canadians feel 'unsafe' when walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark and criticism about whether our justice system is capable of protecting society from offenders has arisen. Gay RightsIn 1996 the Human Rights Act was amended to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, and in June 2000 homosexual couples were given the same rights as heterosexual common law partners, making Canada one of the most liberal countries in the world. Gay rights are a powerful symbolic issue because they have implications as to how the parties would treat other minorities. Youth EmploymentThe unemployment rate of young Canadians between the ages of 15 and 29 is anywhere from 14% to 17%, depending on the province or territory. This roughly doubles that of Canadians over 30. Along with general unemployment, youth unemployment has declined over the past five years. However, finding a job is especially difficult for the estimated 30% of youth who do not go on to post-secondary education. PovertyAs many as 200,000 Canadians live on the streets, in shelters, or in run-down substandard housing. Poverty affects another estimated 2 million Canadians, including hundreds of thousands of children. A majority of Canadian children have no regulated childcare. Less than half of families living on social assistance receive any funds from the Child Tax Benefit. Aboriginal IssuesThe rights of Canada's First Nations population, including self-government, land entitlement, health and socio-economic well-being are important issues for any prospective federal government. |
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Go to Environment Issues page
