Conservative Party - Parenting and Family Issues

This post describes some of the parenting and family related promises outlined in the Conservatives platform. It should be noted that much of their platform focuses on what they have already achieved, rather than what they promise to do. In this post, I will focus primarily on new promises that they are making (to keep the post forward looking) but may reference their record where it is related to their future promises.

Family Needs and Finances

• Indirect tax relief by reducing federal exise tax on diesel and aviation fuel to help bring downward pressure on consumer prices


• Stronger competition laws to decrease price fixing, bid rigging and deceptive marketing practices


• Prevent telecommunications companies from charging fees to customers receiving unsolicited commercial text messages and prohibiting the use of spam to collect personal information under false pretenses


• Allowing income splitting for caregivers of family members with disabilities and make it easier for families to save for family members with disabilities by improving the disability savings plan


• Tax credit of up to $5000 of eligible closing costs on the purchase of a new home for first-time homebuyers


• Expand RESP to allow charities and not-for-profit organizations to establish RESPs in partnership with parents for children from low-income families that don't have the ability to save


• Fully index the $100 per month Universal Child Care Benefit so that its value does not erode over time and make it tax-free for single parents


• Giving self-employed Canadians access to EI Parental Benefits (maternity and parental leave). Note: The province of Quebec has its own program run by the Quebec government which is more generous than the federal program and is already available to self-employed Quebeckers, so this promise will not make any difference in Quebec.


• Create a new refundable tax credit on up to $500 of eligible fees for children under 16 who participate in eligible arts or cultural activities, such as music lessons, drama or arts classes (see my critique of the proposed Children's Arts Tax Credit) and make the Children's Fitness Tax Credit refundable

Children and Youth

• Increase funding for the Youth Gang Prevention Fund


• Ensure that young offenders who are convicted of very serious and violent crimes will face appropriate sentences and that upon convinction they will be named

Women's Rights

• Amend the Criminal Code to make the pregnancy of a woman an aggravating factor in sentencing if a woman is assaulted or killed, without opening the issue of fetal rights


• Will not initiate or support any legislation to regulate abortion

Family Health and Safety

• Consumer product safety legislation providing for more inspection and testing of food, toys and consumer products to ensure that dangerous products are swiftly recalled and stiff offences and penalties applied.


• Ensure that the regulation of natural health products balances the protection of Canadians' health and safety with the freedom to choose alternative products


• Strengthen the Canadian Environmental Protection Act to help control or reduce the environmental and human health impacts of chemical substances


• Prevent the exploitation of children by the tobacco industry by setting a minimum package size for cigarillos that is less affordable for children, prohibiting flavour and additives that would appeal to children, and banning all tobacco advertising and promotion in print and electronic media which may be viewed and read by youth


• End the gun registry, but ensure that all firearms are registered (huh?)


• Require mandatory DNA sampling for all sex offenders and dangerous offenders and permit police to use the registry as a proactive investigative tool to prevent further offences from occuring

The information in this post was taken from The True North Strong and Free - Stephen Harper's plan for Canadians, released on October 7th, 2008.

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