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Federal Election Cheat Sheet: Who’s Running?

This article was sourced through an original cheat sheet written by Pressed News – to read the full guide click here.

In this series, we have covered how, what, and when. Now, it is time to cover debatably the most important segment, WHO. 

For more in-depth descriptions of the candidates and their backgrounds, what they are best known for, and their platforms/beliefs, Pressed News has a comprehensive and informative guide

So, Who’s Running? 

Liberal Candidate – Justin Trudeau 

Many Canadians voted for Trudeau back in 2015 because they “want the way we vote to become more representative of the diversity of political views within the country.” 

However, Trudeau is not without his share of scandals, including the SNC Lavalin affair, multiple photos of him wearing brown face, as well as the Saudi Arms Deal. 

In terms of his top priorities, they are: 

  • Support seniors 
  • Spark entrepreneurship
  • Implement UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) 
  • Develop a national pharmacare plan 

Regarding his campaign back in 2015, has Trudeau kept his promises? 

The answer is that he has done pretty well. According to a 237-page analysis, Trudeau has fully delivered on roughly 50% of his promises, partly delivered on 40%, and broken 10%, which is better than his predecessor, Stephen Harper. Depending on who you ask, the bar may not be set that high from the Harper administration. However, it still leaves ample room for improvement. 

Trudeau hopes that a second term will provide him with another opportunity to follow through on his promises, old and new.  Regarding his standing in the polls, the race for PM is looking pretty close following the SNC Lavalin scandal. However, the Liberals have been focusing on Andrew Scheer’s socially conservative political roots (such as previous statements that he has made about gay marriage and abortion) to discourage voters from supporting him. 

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Conservative Candidate – Andrew Scheer 

Since winning the race for Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2017, Andrew Scheer has increased the party’s popularity in the polls, especially following the SNC Lavalin Scandal. Known as “Harper with a Smile,” Scheer is noted for supporting the same issues that former Prime Minister Stephen Harper did. These issues include strengthening the Canadian energy industry, lowering the deficit, and reducing the size of government. 

His views reflect the name of his party, though, conservative, to say the least. It can be observed by looking at his views on LGBTQ issues, his stance on abortion rights, as well as his support of some problematic individuals such as Justina McCaffrey. 

In terms of his top priorities, they are: 

  • Eliminating carbon tax and focusing on ‘green technology, not taxes’ 
  • Making housing more affordable 
  • Shaking up foreign policy 
  • Cutting the costs of starting a family 

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NDP Candidate – Jagmeet Singh

Following his win for federal NDP leadership in 2017, Singh ran for – and won – a parliamentary seat in Burnaby, BC. He is the “first visible minority to permanently lead a federal political party.” 

Jingh is primarily known for advocating against racial and religious discrimination, speaking candidly about falling victim to racially-motivated bullying as a child. He also champions police reform, as well as tackling auto-insurance rates. 

In 2017, outrage erupted when prominent news outlets constructed controversy through associating Singh’s Sikh faith with violent features of Sikh separatism. Even though he has never endorsed violent separatism, as a result of this controversy, Singh was forced to condemn it. In summary, as the only non-white Canadian political candidate, Singh was faced with a double standard by being called upon to publicly dismiss a form of violence that he never supported or took part in. 

In terms of his top priorities, they are: 

  • A new green deal 
  • Health and nutrition 
  • The economy 

Regarding his stance in the polls, it’s not looking super positive. The NDP used to be the official federal opposition party, however, right now they are currently in third place sitting at 17.4%. Recently, Singh has been criticized for not being as active in his campaigning as his competitors. Whether or not that is true, it may be in his best interest to ramp up his campaigning leading up to the election. 

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Green Party Candidate – Elizabeth May 

May has written eight books, including “Global Warming for Dummies.”  She is also the only female, mother, and grandmother candidate vying for the position of Prime Minister. 

In terms of her top priorities, they are: 

  • The environment 
  • Democratic reform 
  • Healthcare 
  • Universal basic income 

In terms of current poll standings, experts believe that this might be the year for the Greens. According to the CBC Poll Tracker, the Green Party is currently sitting at 9.1%

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People’s Party of Canada (PPC) Candidate – Maxime Bernier 

A 57-year-old leader of the newly established People’s Party of Canada, Maxime Bernier, comes from Beauce, Quebec, where he has been an MP for 13 years. Following a loss for the leader of the Conservative Party, as well as clashing with Andrew Scheer and other party leaders, Bernier formed the PPC in August of 2018. Quickly glancing at his tweets makes it easy to see where the PPC stands. The party favours anti-immigrant, transphobic values. 

Bernier also vehemently denies climate change. He is specifically noted for once cyber-bullying 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, who is autistic, by  calling her ‘clearly mentally unstable,” going on to Tweet:

“Not only autistic, but obsessive-compulsive, eating disorder, depression and lethargy, and she lives in a constant state of fear. She wants us to feel the same: ‘I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I fear every day.”

Let’s just leave it at that.  

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Bloc Québécois Candidate – Yves-François Blanchet 

Although Blanchet won leadership of the Bloc party in January 2019, he does not actually have a seat in the House of Commons, having only acted as a provincial representative. He is running to be the MP for the riding of Beloeil-Chambly. Should Blanchet not win a seat in this election, the Bloc will most likely need to find a new leader. 

However, that being said, things are looking pretty good for Blanchet overall. He has been able to boost the Bloc’s standing in the polls, causing some to venture that the party may be able to regain the seats they lost back in 2011. In terms of what Blanchet and the Bloc stand for, he will continue the separatist advocacy that the party is known for. The idea of separating has seen decreased support in recent years. The party will also defend the province’s highly controversial Bill 21, which prohibits public servants from wearing religious garments and symbols at work, for example, turbans, hijabs, yarmulkes, etc. 

Additionally, the party stands firm with a ‘non’ to pipelines and wants to end ‘inefficient’ fossil fuel subsidies. 

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This article was sourced through an original cheat sheet written by Pressed News – to read the full guide click here.

Emily Rumball

Emily is a freelance writer, blogger, tea addict, and animal lover based out of Vancouver, BC. You can follow her at www.callherem.com and @callherem.