Toronto, Ontario — Election day is already only a few weeks out and Collision Repair wanted to make sure its readers are up to date on what the key federal candidates are promising for the Canadian automotive industry.
Canadians have a big decision to make–and even less time than usual to make it. That’s why Collision Repair has compiled some of the promises made by the leading candidates and published them here for your perusal.
Liberals
- Permanently eliminate the federal interest on Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans to support young Canadians who choose to invest in post-secondary education
- Double the Union Training and Innovation program to $50 million a year to support more apprenticeship training opportunities and additional partnerships in the Red Seal trades across Canada, and target more participation from women, Indigenous people, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and Black and racialized Canadians
- Move forward on our plan to establish a new Apprenticeship Service that will connect 55,000 first-year apprentices in Red Seal trades with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers
- Extend the Canada Recovery Hiring Program to March 31, 2022, so businesses can hire more workers and Canadians can get back on the job
The full Liberal Platform can be found here.
Conservatives
- Canada Job Surge Plan: paying up to 50% of the salary of new hires for six months following the end of CEWS.
- Canada Investment Accelerator: getting companies spending money and creating jobs by providing a 5% investment tax credit for any capital investment made in 2022 and 2023, with the first $25,000 to be refundable for small business.
- Rebuild Main Street Tax Credit: providing a 25% tax credit on amounts of up to $100,000 that Canadians personally invest in a small business over the next two years, to get money flowing into main street businesses and create jobs.
- Main Street Business Loan: providing loans of up to $200,000 to help small and medium businesses in hospitality, retail, and tourism get back on their feet, with up to 25% forgiven
The full Conservative Platform can be found here.
New Democrats
- Convene an auto summit with provincial, municipal, industry and labour leaders to develop a consensus on a National Automotive Strategy to attract and retain jobs and investment
- Restore the Automotive Innovation Fund and make contributions to automakers tax-free to help secure next generation production capacity
- Commission an independent study into the causes and consequences of the trade deficit in automotive products with Mexico, along with potential strategies for reducing it
- Adopt measures to stabilize the Canadian steel market, and protect the sector from predatory practices of foreign producers who are shut out of other markets
The full New Democrat Platform can be found here.
Bloc Québécois (based on translations from the CBC)
- Complete abolition of fossil fuel subsidies and redirect towards clean energy projects
- Electrify the entire federal fleet and demands that Ottawa slash Canada’s hydrogen strategy
- Call for a study of the impact of bankruptcies on small and medium-sized businesses and is pushing for reforms to employment insurance to better support all workers, including seasonal and gig workers
- strategy to support local purchasing and help small businesses make the digital shift
The full Bloc Québécois platform can be found here.
Green Party of Canada
- Achieve net zero emissions as quickly as possible, while aiming to be net negative in 2050
- Expand charging stations for electric vehicles, including all parking lots associated with federal facilities
- Ban the sale of all internal combustion engine passenger vehicles by 2030, and expand charging stations for electric vehicles, including charging stations in smaller communities and rural areas
- Develop programs to encourage the retirement of existing gas-powered vehicles, including government-funded grants for the purchase of new and used electric vehicles and ‘buy-back’ programs to encourage vehicle users to give up their existing vehicle
