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Almost 5.8 Million Cast Advance Ballots For Federal Election

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Elections Canada has released estimates on the number of Canadians who cast ballots during four advance polling days for the upcoming federal election.

Chief Electoral Officer Stephane Perrault says preliminary figures show 5,780,000 electors voted at the advance polls between September 10th and 13th.

This is a 18.46% increase from the 4,879,312 electors who voted in advance of the 2019 election.

Perrault notes these are estimates, as some polls may not have reported yet.

A breakdown of the number of electors who voted in all 338 districts will be available in the coming days on the Elections Canada website.

Federal election day is September 20.

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Day 29 Of The Election Campaign

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The federal party leaders entered the final week of the election campaign on Sunday.

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole announced plans to support parents experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or loss of a child.

O’Toole says his party would extend EI parental leave for at least eight weeks after a child’s death, and provide parents with three days of paid bereavement in the event of a miscarriage.

“Canada’s Conservatives will end the stigma and ensure parents have access to the financial support and time they need to mourn,” O’Toole said in a news release.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh repeated his commitment to close loopholes and crack down on big corporations avoiding their fair share of taxes.

The party pointed to figures from the Parliamentary Budget Office which shows Canada misses out on up to $25 billion a year in taxes.

Singh said he would invest in the Canada Revenue Agency to help with audits on large companies and the wealthy.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau was in Quebec to highlight what his party would do for that province if re-elected.

Voters will head to the polls on Sept. 20.

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Federal Leaders Make Pitches As Advance Voting Begins

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We are entering the final ten days of the federal election campaign as advance polls open across Canada.

In Ottawa before heading home to his British Columbia riding to vote, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh believes his party offers the best option for voters.

“We’re saying we’re not going to cut the help you need. We’re not going to put the burden back on you. We’re going to offer a third option which is to make the billionaires pay their fair share.”

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau made another pitch for his party’s $10 per day child care plan in Hamilton, Ontario.

“To save families across the country, thousands and thousands of dollars per year.”

During a stop in Mississauga, Erin O’Toole says the Conservatives have the only viable pandemic recovery plan.

“To recover a million jobs… to tackle Canada’s mental health crisis with a new mental health action plan… to protect the health of Canadians.”

During a rare campaign stop outside of her Toronto area riding, Green Party leader Annamie Paul was in Ottawa where she told supporters her party will not forget about Canadians who were thrown into financial crisis when the pandemic began.

People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier is campaigning in the West with a public rally and a meet and greet planned in Edmonton on Saturday.

Meantime, the advance polls will be open this weekend and on Monday.

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Climate change key takeaway from federal leaders’ debate

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The stakes were high as the five major party leaders fought to earn your vote.

Climate change, reconciliation, and Afghanistan were key themes during Thursday night’s leaders debate.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole slammed Justin Trudeau for calling an election as the deadline to withdraw troops loomed.

Meantime, Trudeau took a shot at the Conservatives over their position on climate change.

“You can’t have a strong economy unless you tackle climate change,” Trudeau said. “Mr. O’Toole can’t even convince his party that climate change is real because they voted against that.”

Trudeau was pointing to the Conservative party’s convention earlier this year when members voted down inserting wording in their policies that climate change is real.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole admitted his party came up short on its climate plan heading into the last election.

“We put our plan out in April because we had to restore some trust on this issue to make sure we can show Canadians we can get emissions down and get the economy working again,” said O’Toole. “That is key.”

Meantime, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Indigenous people have been let down too often.

“How do you restore trust in a country as wealthy as ours that still does not provide clean drinking water to every single Indigenous nation?,” Singh asked. “It starts by actually walking the path of reconciliation. Not with empty words, but real action.”

Green Party Leader Annamie Paul says she wants Indigenous people to be able to make decisions for themselves.

Election Day is September 20.

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Vote on Campus Not Happening This Election: Elections Canada

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Elections Canada has said it will not be offering its Vote on Campus program previously offered in both the 2015 and 2019 federal elections.

The program aimed to provide easier voting access for students and allowed those eligible voters to cast a ballot by providing polling locations on campuses across the country.

According to Elections Canada Regional Media Advisor, Francoise Enguehard, a decision was made when the writ was dropped in August by Elections Canada not to pursue the program due to logistical reasons, saying it was too late of notice.

“With the pandemic we have had challenges in recruiting and with an increase in demand for mail-in voting which led to us having to prioritize our resources to help the most vulnerable of the electorate,” she said.

Enguehard adds Elections Canada had to devote time and people to ensuring voting options are available to people in long-term care homes and hospitals and that those residents are educated on those options.

With the Vote on Campus program not an option this time, Enguehard says Elections Canada does intend to revitalize the program for the next election, assuming there is not a major pandemic still looming over the nation.

With Vote on Campus not going ahead this election, there are still options for students to vote.

The first, by advance voting which can be done by visiting an Elections Canada office where students can ask to vote in whatever they consider their home riding, an option available until September 14.

The second option is to contact Elections Canada either in person or over the phone and request a mail-in ballot.

In 2019, 110,000 students utilized the Vote on Campus program across over 100 campuses nationwide.

 

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Five Party Leaders Debate In English Tonight

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Canada’s five party leaders will debate affordability, reconciliation, climate, leadership and accountability during the English language television debate on Thursday night.

University of New Brunswick political science professor J.P. Lewis said seeing political violence in the United States, it’s not surprising to see it creep into the Canadian political landscape.

With violence impacting campaign stops by the Liberal party recently, Lewis said there is nothing new in seeing anger for the incumbent government.

“What changes the dynamics of this sort of thing is obviously social media in terms of individuals’ ability to share messages and organize with like-minded individuals,” Lewis said.

A lot may be riding on the debate for some party leaders.

Lewis said for many Canadians the debate will be an introduction to Conservative leader Erin O’Toole even though he’s been an MP since 2012 and served as a cabinet minister under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

“If you are not following things daily, this may be a new politician to you. Because the Tories have been up in the polls for a couple of weeks now, I’d say the spotlight may be on him and we’ll see how the other leaders react,” Lewis said.

Lewis thinks this will be a very close election.

Joining O’Toole will be Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, The Green party’s Annamie Paul, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet.

The two-hour debate begins at 8 p.m. Central.

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Have You Received Your Federal Election Guide Yet?

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Canadian households will find a Guide to the federal election in their mailbox this week.

The Guide contains a numbers of tips and reminders for Canadian voters.

Those include what to do if your voter information card contains the wrong information.

It also has details on how to vote at advance polls or by mail. Advance polls will be open September 10th through to the 13th.

Voters can also read about safety measures and voter identification requirements for September 20th.

Canadians can also turn to the guide for important Elections Canada phone numbers if more information is needed.

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Federal Election Campaign: Day 23

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Workers were the main focus for Canada’s federal party leaders during their campaign stops on Labour Day.

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole pledged to double the Canada Workers Benefit to $2,800 for individuals and $5,000 for families.

It represents a $1 per hour raise for someone earning between $12,000 and $28,000 a year, according to the party.

The Conservatives also promised to double the disability supplement from $713 to $1,500.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said he would table legislation to ensure every business that requires proof of vaccination can do so without fear of a legal challenge.

During a campaign stop in Ontario, Trudeau also highlighted his election platform, such as extending the Canada Recovery Hiring Program through March and expanding the Canada Workers Benefit to support one million additional Canadians.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, also campaigning in Ontario, outlined his party’s plan to support workers, which includes $10 a day universal childcare, a $20 federal minimum wage, and 10 days of paid sick leave for workers in federally regulated workplaces.

Singh said his party would also fix the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit so more Canadians have access to paid leave when and how they need it.

Voters across the country will head to the polls on Sept. 20.

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Municipalities Unveil Federal Election Priorities

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The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has laid out its priorities for the upcoming federal election.

Members of the national organization representing more than 2,000 municipalities held a virtual news conference on Thursday.

President Joanne Vanderheyden said they want parties to work directly with communities to address major national challenges.

“After everything we’ve been through, Canadians deserve a recovery they can see and feel in their daily lives. As the government closest to Canadians, that is what local leaders do best,” said Vanderheyden.

FCM laid out its recommendations under four categories: building for the future; affordable places to live; digital inclusion for all Canadians; and governments working together.

Ray Orb, chair of the rural forum, said one of their priorities is to bring high-speed Internet to all Canadians.

“While millions of people in this country have gone online for work, school, and basic human interaction, too many rural Canadians still don’t have that option,” said Orb.

The federation also wants the next government to permanently double the Canada-Community Building Fund, formerly the Gas Tax Fund, which Orb said directly empowers local leaders to create jobs and build better lives.

Mike Savage, the mayor of Halifax and chair of the big city mayors’ caucus, said they have also put forward several solutions to address the housing crisis.

“We’re proposing constructive ways to end chronic homelessness and boost affordability across the housing spectrum, from scaling up the Rapid Housing Initiative to expanding affordable rental options in ways that work locally,” he said.

The full plan, called Frontline Solutions for Canada’s Recovery, can be viewed on FCM’s website.

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Day 11 Of The Federal Election Campaign

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Canada’s three main party leaders made announcements in Ontario on Day 11 of the election campaign on Wednesday.

The NDP released a plan to lower cell phones and internet bills and save the average family $1,000.

Leader Jagmeet Singh committed to working with the CRTC to force telecom giants to reduce prices on plans and cap fees.

“Most Canadians are paying hundreds of dollars a month for barebone cellular and internet plans — often with terrible service. That’s wrong,” said Singh.

“The pandemic showed us just how important affordable access to these services are for Canadians when it comes to work, school or even connecting with loved ones.”

Conservative leader Erin O’Toole unveiled his party’s mental health action plan, which includes more mental health funding for provinces.

O’Toole committed to helping an additional million Canadians to receive mental health treatment every year and creating a national three-digit suicide prevention hotline.

The Tories are also promising a tax credit for employers who add mental health coverage to the employee benefit plans or boost their coverage.

“As a country, we need to recognize that mental health is health,” said O’Toole. “We have tremendous work to do to end the stigma and build more integrated mental health care systems across the country.”

The Liberals are promising to raise taxes on the country’s largest banks and insurance companies.

Leader Justin Trudeau said his party would raise the corporate income tax from 15 to 18 per cent on earnings over $1 billion.

If re-elected, Trudeau said the Liberals would also establish what he called the “Canada Recovery Dividend.”

“Big banks and insurance companies have been doing very well over these past many months,” he said. “Because you sacrificed, because you saved, big banks got a windfall.”

Voters will head to the polls on Sept. 20.

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