The economy

See how the party platforms stack up on a number of key issues. This list will be continually updated as more platform information is announced

Conservative Party of Canada

No tax raise on families and consumers, and no tax raise for businesses that create jobs for Canadians
Provide a one-year EI break for 525,000 small businesses
Aim to complete negotiations on a Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement by 2012 and a Canada-India Free Trade Agreement in 2013
Extend the 50 per cent straight-line accelerated Capital Cost Allowance rate for manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment by an additional two years
Party website | Party platform

Reverse corporate tax cuts, saving $5.2-billion
Reduce the size of the deficit to about $18.9-billion by the year 2012 -2013.
Find $500-million through a program review reallocation, $225-million from ending the oil sands tax break and $263-million from canceling the Public Private Partnerships program.
Party website | Party platform

Reward small businesses and companies by cutting the small business tax rate to 9 per cent from 11 per cent. Meanwhile, the NDP would boost the corporate tax rate to 19.5 per cent from its current 16.5 per cent, though maintain the combined federal/provincial corporate tax rate below the U.S. federal corporate tax rate
A job creation tax credit for employers of $4,500 for every new hire.
Limit credit card interest rates to a maximum of 5 percentage points over prime rate
Reinstate federal minimum wage law
Party website | Party platform

Increase support for the forest industry.
Secure $2.2-billion from Ottawa in compensation to Quebec for harmonizing its sales tax.
Changes to Employment Insurance which include: Eliminating the two-week waiting period, increasing the benefit rate to 60 per cent of wages earned from 55 per cent, and studying the possibility of extending the program to the self-employed
Increase the Canada Summer Jobs budget to $123.5 million - indexed to the minimum wage level and rising cost of living
Impose a 2 per cent surtax on annual incomes of between $150,000 and %250,000 and a 3 per cent surtax on incomes over $250,000 in order to generate $4.8-billion in revenue.
Introduce a tax on non-monetary bonuses.
Eliminate tax shelters for banks and big business
More support for small and medium businesses and the return of the Canadian Textiles Program
Equalization payment reform
Party website | Party platform

Cancel scheduled corporate tax rate reductions, rolling rate back to 19 per cent, level of 2009; also close tax haven loopholes for companies on worldwide income
Establish a minimum wage of $10 an hour under the Canada Labour Code
Provide federal funding to local green business start-ups and to locally-raised venture capital
Create jobs through investment in renewable energy, expansion of passenger and industrial rail infrastructure and building retrofits
Cancel various corporate tax credits including logging tax credit, mineral exploration tax credit and introduce a toxic tax on dangerous substances to discourage their use
Eliminate subsidies on fossil fuels, with a first-year reduction of $1.4-billion
Cut both employer and employee contributions to EI and CPP by a third, with the federal government making up the difference
Reduce the size of deficit to $14.9 billion in 2012-2013 and to $5.5-billion in 2013-2014, and contributing $4.1-billion annually to bringing down the deficit in 2013-2014
Party website | Party platform