Party Platforms on Toronto Issues

The following summary has been compiled from the party platforms and pronouncements of party leaders and candidates.

Party platforms can be found at the following websites. Links will open in a new window.

Liberal: www.liberal.ca
Conservative: www.conservative.ca
New Democratic Party: www.ndp.ca
Green Party: www.greenparty.ca

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
Cut the federal assisted housing program in 1993. Platform promises a $2 billion social and affordable housing program and a further $1.5 to $2 billion over the next five years	No mention of a federal government funded housing program in platform. Believe that housing should be the preserve of the private sector.	Promise to build 200,000 affordable and co-op housing units and renovate 100,000 existing units and underwrite low-interest mortgages. Promise funds to restore downtown buildings, work to stop urban sprawl, and renovate buildings to make them more energy efficient.	Promise to revive the social housing program through credit and loan guarantees to non-profits. Promise to provide funds to environmentally retrofit buildings.

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
Promise to share gasoline taxes with municipalities, starting in 2005, reaching 5 cents a litre in five years.	Reject the Kyoto Accord. No mention of public transit or the return of gasoline tax to municipalities and no mention of automobile pollution.	Promise to immediately share one half of the gasoline tax (5 cents a litre) with municipalities. Programs to reduce traffic, air pollution and urban sprawl and promise of federal funds for public transit.	Key part of their platform is to reduce automobile pollution, with strong support for public transit. No mention of gasoline taxes.

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
Promise to maintain the existing programs and level of arts funding. They support the initiative for an International Protocol on Cultural Sovereignty.	Stephen Harper says no cuts to arts funding. No mention of arts or culture in the platform. Promises of tax cuts and the elimination of corporate subsidies have artists deeply worried that there will be no funds for the arts in a Conservative government.	Strongly support the arts and promise to increase arts funding. They support Canadian cultural sovereignty in international agreements.	Strongly support the arts and promise an increase for community arts funding.

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
The political support of Dennis Mills and Tony Ianno led to the creation of the TPA and they continue to support it.	Promised to look at dissolving the TPA if elected.	Would kill the bridge, dissolve the TPA and turn its assets and responsibilities over to the city.	Would kill the Island Airport bridge and the TPA.

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
The Liberals now say they will kill the bridge. However, the Toronto Port Authority, a federal government agency filled with Liberal patronage appointments, were the proponents of the bridge. The federal Liberal government gave the TPA all federal approvals after Toronto City Council voted to kill the bridge in November 2003, despite their promise to honour the wishes of city council.	Currently state they do not support the bridge but some candidates continue to support the project.	Would kill the bridge. NDP politicians supported the community fight to kill the bridge.	Would kill the bridge to the Island Airport.

Liberal	Conservative	NDP	Green
Claim that their leadership led to the creation of the TWRC and promise to continue funding it. However, the federal government has provided only $11 million of the $625 million promised to the TWRC since 2000. The Prime Minister has endorsed Liberal MP Dennis Mills' waterfront plan, which ignored most of the TWRC plans and was strongly criticized by community groups and opposition politicians.	Criticize the Liberals for making promises of Waterfront renewal and then not delivering the funding. Conservatives are critical of the Front Street extension, a project of the TWRC.	Criticize the Liberals for playing politics with the Waterfront. They would fully fund the TWRC and urge the implementation of the plans. Supports a large component of affordable housing in the project.	Would provide the promised funding for Waterfront renewal. Greens are critical of plans for studio and a gas electric power plant in the Portlands. They would kill the Front Street extension.