Liberal election promises from the campaign trail so far - Action News
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Liberal election promises from the campaign trail so far

Here's a running list of the promises made by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau in the run up to the Oct. 19 federal election. The list will be updated as the campaign continues.

Liberal Leader Justin has pledged to run deficits in order to invest billions in infrastructure

Justin Trudeau Interview with Peter Mansbridge

9 years ago
Duration 30:03
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau sits down with Peter Mansbridge for an exclusive interview.

As the Oct. 19 federal election approaches, here's a running list of promises made by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau since the campaign began Aug. 2.

Oct. 7:Sign the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty, which covers conventional weaponry.

Oct. 5:Increase Canada Student Grants by 50 per cent to $3,000 a year. Allow students to wait until they're earning at least $25,000 a year before requiring them to start repaying student loans. Impose new restrictions on marketing unhealthy food and drinks to children.

Oct. 1: Help fund a Montreal rapid transit expansion, as well as a light-rail project on the Champlain Bridge linking Montreal to the suburban South Shore.

Sept. 30:Spent $3 billion over four years on home care and improve access to and reduce the cost of prescription medications through bulk purchasing. Establish a pan-Canadian Expert Advisory Council on Mental Health.

Sept. 29: Put up $200 million a year for three years to help research facilities, small business incubators and exporters and invest another $100 million a year for an industrial research assistance program.

Sept. 25: Ease rules to speed up family reunification forimmigrants. Scrap the visa requirement for Mexicans travelling toCanada.

Sept. 22:Provide $380 million in additional funding for thearts and undo Conservative funding cuts to the CBC.

Sept. 20: Scrap the purchase of theF-35fighter jet andinstead buy cheaper planes to replace the agingCF-18sand use thesavings to pay for offshore Arctic patrol vessels for the navy beingbuilt in Halifax.

Sept. 16: Provide $1.5 billion for public transit in Calgary aswell as unspecified financing for flood control measures in thecity.

Sept. 15: Give $500 million to the provinces for skilled tradestraining, and devote $200 million for federal training programs. Setaside another $50 million to help aboriginal people improve theirskills and job prospects.

Sept. 11: Spend about $1.5 billion over four years on a youthjob strategy to help 125,000 young people find a job.

Sept. 10: Put a moratorium on tanker traffic along the northerncoast of British Columbia. Reinstate $40 million cut from the oceanscience and monitoring program at the Department of Fisheries andOceans. Increase protected marine and coastal areas to five per centfrom 1.3 per cent by 2017, and to 10 per cent by 2020.

Sept. 9: Change the rules to allow people to dip into theirRRSPsmore than once to buy a home.

Sept. 8: Reduce EI premiums drop to $1.65 per $100 earned from$1.88. That's less than the $1.49 rate that the Tories committed toin the 2015 budget, but the Liberals say the extra money would bereinvested, with $500 milliongoing to the provinces for skillstraining. Reduce wait times for a first EI payment to one week fromtwo at a cost of $710 million.

Sept. 3: Kill a planned toll system on a rebuiltChamplainBridge in Montreal.

Aug. 27: Increase federal infrastructure investment to almost$125 billion, from the current $65 billion, over the nextdecade.Provide new, dedicated funding to provinces, territories andmunicipalities for public transit, social infrastructure and greeninfrastructure.

Aug. 26: A refundable tax benefit of up to $150 for teacherswho spend their own money on school supplies.

Aug. 24: $300 million a year to reform veterans' benefits anddelivery of services to vets.

Aug. 20: Make employment insurance compassionate care benefitsavailable to anyone caring for a seriously ill family member andmake the program more flexible by allowing the six-month benefit tobe claimed in blocks of time over a year-long period.

Aug. 19: Change labour laws to ensure that employees infederally regulated industries have the right to ask their bossesfor flexible work hours.

Aug. 18: Invest $200 million a year to develop cleantechnologies in forestry, fisheries, mining, energy and farming. Put another$100 million into organizations that promote cleantechnology firms.

Aug. 17: Lower the federal income tax rate to 20.5 per cent onincomes between $44,700 and $89,401, paying for it by raising taxeson the wealthiest one per cent. Bring in a new, tax-free childbenefit to replace the Conservative universal child benefit.

Aug. 13: Add $515 million a year to funding for First Nationseducation, rising through the mandate to a total of $2.6 billion.Add another $500 million over three years for educationinfrastructure and $50 million more a year for a program that helpsaboriginals in post-secondary education.

Aug. 11:Bring in a merit-based appointment process for theSenate.

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