1. Canadian Election 2015: Income security policy commitments and claims of the four main political parties Michael J. Prince October 6, 2015 Ambrosia Centre Victoria

2. Focus on income security Social policy: – education – employment programs – health services – housing – human rights – income security – immigration – social services (e.g. child care, family services) Income security – public provision of financial assistance to specific groups of people and relationships and for certain activities, needs or risks Delivered through various mechanisms: means- or needs testing; income- tested; loans; social insurance; savings plans; tax measures (non- refundable or refundable); universal grants 2

3. Conservative Party 2015 Federal budget measures on income support: – Increased payments to Universal Child Care Benefit for children under age 6 and new benefit for those aged 6-17 years old – New and expanded benefits for veterans and their families – Employment Insurance (EI) Compassionate Care benefit extended from 6 weeks to 6 months – Increased contribution limit of Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) – New Home Accessibility Tax Credit for seniors or people with disabilities – Reduce EI premiums by 2017 from current $1.88 per $100 earnings to $1.49 – Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) enhancements – Children’s Fitness Tax Credit doubled – Child Care Expense Deduction limit raised – Income splitting for families with children 3

4. Conservative Party 2015 Campaign promises: – Improve Earnings Loss Benefit for veterans with service-related disabilities or injuries – Increase and make refundable Adoption Expense Tax Credit – New tax break on membership fees to registered service charities – Expand federal loan program to new Canadians completing foreign credential recognition process – Increase Canada Disability Savings Grant – Raise federal contribution in Canada Education Savings Grants when families invest in Registered Education Savings Plans – New tax credit for single and widowed seniors – Increase amount first-time home buyers can withdraw tax free from RRSPs – Increase apprenticeship job creation tax credit and extend to third and fourth years of eligible training 4

5. Green Party Post-secondary education: – By 2020 abolish tuitions fees for post-secondary education and skills training for Canadians – Eliminate existing and future student federal debt above $10,000 – Abolish charging interest on new student loans – Increase available funding for bursaries – Cancel student tax credit Supports expansion of Canada Pension Plan as most reliable pension plan A federal minimum wage of $15 an hour Equal pay for equal work: fight to end gender-based wage discrimination Leave alone the Universal Child Care Benefit Carbon Fee and Dividend system will provide a cheque to every Canadian over 18 and “help to those who need it most” Tax expenditures and other tax measures: – Eliminate Income Splitting for all but pensioners – Eliminate tax credits for children’s fitness and art – Oppose TFSA limit increase from $5,500 to $10,000 Working with provincial governments and their programs and federal programs, phase-in a national Guaranteed Livable Income “to ensure no Canadian lives in poverty” 5

6. Liberal Party Family benefits : Introduce a new Canada Child Benefit and “cancel child benefit cheques for millionaires” – Replace the Universal Child Care Benefit, Canada Child Tax Benefit, and National Child Benefit Supplement – A larger income-tested, tax-free, monthly child benefit Employment Insurance: – Reduce waiting period to one week from two – Reduce EI premiums from $1.88 to $1.65 – More flexible parental leave over an 18 month period – Wider eligibility to compassionate care benefit – Waive employers’ premiums for a year on any net hire of a full-time, employee aged 18 to 24 – End the higher 910-hour eligibility rule for new workers and re-entrants to enhance access benefits and training supports Veterans: – Expand Permanent Impairment Allowance – Increase Earnings Loss Benefit – New Veterans Education Benefit – Restore lifelong pensions for injured veterans – Increase the veterans’ survivor pension amount 6

7. Liberal Party Elderly and Pension Benefits: – 10% increase to Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) for single, lower income seniors – Restore eligibility to Old Age Security (OAS) and GIS to age 65 – Apply a new Seniors Price Index to OAS and GIS for cost of living of seniors – Work with provinces/territories to enhance the Canada Pension Plan Post-secondary education: – Increase student support program for Indigenous peoples – Increase Canada Student Grants by 50% for low-income full-time and part-time students – Exempt graduates from repaying loans until earning at least $25,000 a year Tax expenditures and other tax measures: – Enhanced flexibility of RRSP home buyers’ plan – New refundable tax credit - Teacher and Early Childhood Educator School Supply Tax Benefit – Increase marginal tax rate on Canada’s top one percent (33 percent on individual incomes over $200,000) – Lower taxes for “the middle classes” (lower the tax rate to 20.5 percent on incomes between $44,700 and $89,401) – Cancel TFSA limit increase (from $5,500 to 10,000) – Cancel family income splitting (not pension income splitting) – Increase tax deductions for northern residents 7

8. New Democratic Party Post-secondary education: – Phase out interest on federal student loans over 7 years – 74,000 new grants for students in most financial need Employment Insurance: – Freeze EI premiums for four years – Ease eligibility restrictions for EI benefits Federal minimum wage of $15 an hour Elderly and Pension Benefits: – Raise the Guaranteed Income Supplement for low income seniors – Cancel the planned increase in the eligibility age for OAS and GIS from 65 to 67 – First Ministers’ meeting within 6 months of taking office to discuss expansion of Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan – Protect workplace pensions by ensuring retirees do not have benefits reduced by their employers 8

9. New Democratic Party People with Disabilities – “Work with provinces, territories, indigenous communities and disability organizations to conduct a review of existing income support programs for persons living with disabilities in order to coordinate benefits and increase accessibility” – Fix the broken appeal process for Canada Pension Plan disability appeals Veterans: – increase survivor’s pension – increase federal allowance for funeral and burial expenses – improve the lump-sum payment for injured veterans – explore option of a federal tax credit for private employers hiring veterans – end claw-back of service pensions when members collect CPP pension or CPP Disability benefit Tax expenditures and other tax measures: – Cancel the TFSA contribution limit increase by Harper government (return it to $5,500 per year) – Cancel family income splitting (but continue pension income splitting for seniors) – Allow self-employed artists to average their income 9