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View candidates' main stances organized by topic
Housing and Affordability
To help families and people with low-incomes deal with the rising cost of living, the Bloc Québécois wants to double the when gets too high.[7]
The NDP plans to build 3 million new homes by 2030. To achieve this goal, the NDP would spend $1 billion over five years to buy more land to build homes. They would speed up the approval process on government land so building can start faster, and create a Bank. This is a special kind of bank that helps people and groups build homes–not to make money, but to support communities. It would give loans and funding to non-profit groups, housing co-ops and Indigenous communities.[2][3]
A Liberal government wants to speed up homebuilding to 500,000 new homes a year.[1]
A Green Party government would make sure that rent or mortgage payments on government-funded housing stay affordable. They would do this by making sure families living in government-funded housing don’t pay more than 30% of their income on housing. The Green Party would also introduce rules to keep affordable housing affordable, stop large companies from buying single family homes just to make money, and build more public housing for those who need it.[5][6]
The Conservative Party will take several actions to make housing more affordable and accessible. They will remove the on newly built homes (costing up to 1.3 million) to help lower costs for buyers and reduce mortgage payments, turn thousands of government buildings and public lands into space for new homes, and encourage cities to approve building permits faster and reduce housing-related taxes.[4]
Healthcare
A Green Party government would make consistent, long-term investments to improve healthcare in each province/territory. They would hire more doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, and give more support to people who need care at home. They want to focus on strengthening public healthcare instead of expanding private services. They also support making prescription drugs, dental care, and mental health free under Canada’s Medicare program.[15][16]
The Bloc Québécois wants the federal government to increase the amount of money it gives to provinces and territories for healthcare by 35%. They are also asking for control of the federal dental care program in Quebec, so that it can be included in the RAMQ (Quebec's health insurance board) and help lower management costs.[17][18]
To address healthcare staffing shortages, the Conservatives want to create a new test to help people like doctors and nurses get licensed to work in Canada faster. This plan would make it easier for skilled workers to start working more quickly and move between provinces.[13][14]
The Liberal Party has promised to expand access to its dental care program for Canadians between the ages of 18 and 64, who have a household income of less than $90,000. This will help them save around $800 a year on dental costs.[8][9][10]
If elected, an NDP government would bring in full public pharmacare within four years. This means the government would cover the cost of prescription drugs. They would start by making the most common prescription drugs free, including birth control (contraceptives).[11][12]
Economic recovery and job creation
A Liberal government would aim to create one united Canadian economy by making it easier for goods to be traded between provinces and for individuals working in key industries to work across the country. They say these steps could help protect Canada’s economy from the harm caused by American tariffs.[19][20][21]
The Bloc Québécois is committed to helping people who lose their jobs because of the trade war with the United States. They suggest giving money (called grants) to businesses affected by tariffs so they can keep their workers. This money would come from , which are taxes Canada puts on U.S. goods in response.[7]
If elected, an NDP government would create a Workers for Canada plan to help the economy recover. This plan includes building more affordable housing, creating a new energy system that connects the country from East to West, and making (EI) easier to get for workers who lose their jobs.[22][23]
The Conservative Party wants to protect Canadian workers and jobs by making trade rules fairer. Their plan includes adding a 100% tariff (tax) on electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, adding a 50% tariff on things like computer chips (semiconductors) and solar panels, and adding a 25% tariff on steel, aluminum, EV batteries, battery parts, and other important materials. The Conservatives also plan to stop for electric vehicles made in China.[24][25]
The Green Party would invest in clean energy projects to create jobs and help Canada become a leader in clean technology. One of their ideas is to build a national electrical grid to connect the entire country. They would also create a large fund with billions of dollars to support Canadian business owners and help them grow their clean energy ideas.[26][27][28]
Climate change and energy policy
The Green Party wants to rely less on the United States for energy. To do this, they would build a national clean energy grid to connect all parts of the country, invest a lot in renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, and remove trade barriers between provinces so energy can be shared more easily across Canada.[35][36]
The Liberals want to make Canada a top country for energy. Their plan includes investing in clean energy and important minerals that are needed for things like batteries.[29][30]
The Conservative Party would remove all carbon pricing, even for big industries. Instead, they would give more to businesses that lower their emissions and support clean energy technology.[33][34]
To fight climate change, the NDP says they will keep the for big industries and limit or cap how much pollution companies can create. They plan to stop giving $18 billion of payments to oil and gas companies and will add a tax on goods from countries that don’t have carbon pricing.[31][32]
The Bloc Québécois supports the and encourages other provinces to join Québec's carbon pricing system. They want to stop giving money to oil and gas companies and instead make them pay a tax to help cover the damage they have caused to the environment. They also want to charge extra taxes on products coming into Canada, if they created a lot of greenhouse gases (GHG) when they were made.[7]
Immigration
The Liberal Party has not yet made major announcements about immigration policy. However, Liberal leader Mark Carney has said he plans to keep the reduced cap set by the previous Liberal government until Canada has expanded housing.[37]
The Bloc Québécois wants to be shared more fairly between provinces. They want to improve how asylum applications are handled by making the process faster and making stricter rules for who can apply. The Bloc wants to create a special emergency team in the Ministry of Immigration to help refugees more quickly during major crises. The Bloc also wants to create a new role called the Minister of Borders, who will be in charge of border services.[7]
The Green Party believes that immigration levels should be based on Canada’s ability to welcome, house, and support newcomers.[37]
The Conservative Party says it would set a limit on the number of people allowed to immigrate to Canada. They do not support a plan to grow Canada’s population to 100 million, especially when people are struggling to find housing.[38][39]
Defence
To protect Canada from growing threats, the Green Party would update the country’s military plan in response to President Trump's comments about taking control of Canadian land. They would build up a reserve of weapons and ammunition, cancel contracts for purchasing military aircraft from American companies, and work more closely with allies like the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to keep Canada safe.[27][46][47][48]
A Liberal government would make a lot of investments in Canadian defence. This includes building new submarines and icebreakers to protect Canada’s North, making sure soldiers in Canada have the same quality equipment as those serving overseas, making it easier and faster for the military to buy the equipment they need, and expanding the Canadian Coast Guard’s role to fight crime at sea and protect our borders, including more patrols and new equipment. The Liberals will also work with allies to buy new aircrafts and create stronger drone technology to protect Canada’s land, sea, and Arctic.[40][41]
An NDP government would invest in defence through their ‘Protecting our Protectors, Defending the North Plan’. This plan includes more funding, training, and equipment for members of the Canadian Armed Forces. It would also make housing, healthcare, and childcare more affordable for veterans and their families.[42][43]
The Bloc supports Canada allocating 2% of its on defence spending by 2030, in line with the .[7]
If elected, the Conservative Party would commit to the for Canada. They would focus on rebuilding the Canadian military, with an emphasis on gaining more control over border security.[44][45]
Public safety and crime prevention
The Conservative Party says it would take several steps to protect people and communities in Canada. This includes listing dangerous groups as terrorist groups, tracking people who work for foreign governments and are trying to influence or scare Canadians, helping at-risk communities get funding for security more easily and faster, and creating a special team to prevent hate crimes and support religious communities.[52][53]
A Green Party government would make laws stronger to help stop hate speech and hate groups. Their goal is to protect people from growing hate, especially Muslims, Jews, Black people, Asian people, 2SLGBTQA+ people, women, and other groups who may face unfair treatment.[54][47]
The Liberal Party’s plan to address gun safety in Canada includes restarting a program to assault-style firearms and taking away gun licenses from people convicted of violent crimes, especially those involving domestic violence. They will also make gun licensing rules stronger and improv how warning signs are enforced.[49][50]
The NDP has said they will hire more border guards to stop the number of illegal guns from entering Canada.[51][32]
The Bloc wants stronger punishments for human traffickers and those who commit family violence. They also want to make sure serious crimes have minimum jail time and aren’t dropped just because the court takes too long.[7]
Foreign relations and trade
As Prime Minister of Canada, Mark Carney has stated that Canada can no longer rely on the United States as a partner on trade, security and military matters. He wants to prioritize building closer relationships with ‘like-minded countries’ in Europe instead.[55][56][57]
The Bloc supports the independence and freedom of Ukraine.[7]
If elected, the NDP would respond to threats to Canada with their "Build Canadian Buy Canadian Plan." This plan supports Canadian companies that have unions and helps reduce Canada’s reliance on American products. It would also raise certain taxes () on U.S. goods to help Canadian workers affected by the trade war.[58][59]
The Green Party of Canada has two main goals for foreign relations: promoting peace and defending Canada from new threats.[62][63]
The Conservative Party says that to respond to trade problems with the United States, they would focus on improving trade within Canada. Pierre Poilievre says he would work with provincial leaders to remove trade barriers so goods and services can move more easily across the country. This would include creating one set of rules for trucking and encouraging provinces to make these changes by sharing extra tax money earned from increased trade. The goal is to help Canada become more self-reliant and less dependent on trade with the U.S.[60][61]
Indigenous reconciliation
The Conservative Party has focused on economic reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and has expressed support for the First Nations Resource Charge (FNRC). This program would allow First Nations to manage their own resources and keep the money made from them.[67][68]
Liberal leader Mark Carney has committed to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, especially by supporting the .[64][65]
The NDP says they would officially follow the , which is a guide that countries can follow to show respect and support for Indigenous peoples and work toward reconciliation.[66]
The Bloc Québécois will ensure that the and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are respected.[7]
A Green Party government would work on every recommendation from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry. Their goal is to support Indigenous communities, make meaningful changes, and help build a stronger relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada.[69][70]
Digital regulation and online safety
A Green Party government would change Canadian laws to make sure online platforms like Facebook and X are fully responsible for the content published on their sites. They would support programs to help Canadians identify and take action against false information online.[54][73]
The Liberals say that they would make new laws to protect kids online from crimes like exploitation and sextortion. Carney says he wants to give more money to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection and make it a crime to share digitally altered sexual images or private images without permission.[71]
The Bloc Québécois will require AI tools to say the sources they use. They will also review the laws about how AI can use other people’s work.[7]
The Conservative Party says they are against government control over what people can see or say online. They believe Canadians should be free to make their own choices about what content they view, without interference. They are concerned about recently proposed bills that would give the government too much power to control and prioritize online content. Conservatives say they support free expression and want to protect a free and open internet.[72]
Democratic institutions
The Bloc Québécois wants to bring back public funding for political parties.[7]
In the past, the NDP have said that they would look into exploring different electoral systems to potentially replace the existing voting system.[74][75]
If elected, a Conservative government has not stated that they would make any changes to Canada’s current electoral system.[76][77]
A Green Party government would make several changes to Canada’s voting system. First, they would replace the system with . This means the number of seats a party gets in the government would better match the number of votes they get from people across the country. Secondly, they would lower the voting age from 18 to 16.[78][79]