Agenda for Canada

without a referendum

Individual rights and freedoms

Right to work legislation:  Canada lags far behind the rest of the developed world when it comes to right to work legislation. Canada's public and private unions force their members to pay dues off of every paycheque - even if they did not want to join the union in the first place. Workers must have the choice to opt out from joining a union, and should never be forced to join a union as a condition of employment.

Union transparency:  Prime Minister Trudeau was elected on a platform that promised transparency. Yet, his first act was to repeal union transparency legislation. Workers have a right to know exactly how their dues are being spent, but union bosses are currently allowed to keep this information secret without any legislation to compel financial disclosure. Major union groups - including PSAC, CUPE, and OPSEU - have been subsidizing separatist political parties and paying for international vacations for union officials. None of these issues have to do with collective bargaining - so why are hard-working Canadians being held hostage by union bosses?

Eliminate Supply management boards: It is time for this government to deliver economic freedom to industries that are over-regulated and stifled by marketing boards. Canada’s tightly regulated dairy industry is an example of one sector that urgently needs reform. The current regime leaves consumers paying higher prices at grocery stores to support an inefficient system. Research from the Conference Board of Canada suggests that these inflated costs have led Canadian families to overspend $26-billion on dairy products over the last decade. This government was elected to find efficiencies and reduce red-tape for the business community, and this is an excellent opportunity to achieve both goals.

Abolish Canadian Human Rights Tribunals: The Canadian Human Rights Tribunals have gotten outrageously out of hand, yet Prime Minister Trudeau has signalled his intentions to expand their authority even further. These tribunals are adjudicated by bureaucrats with little or no legal background, and as a result Canada’s business community has seen its rights eroded, and onerous new regulations implemented. These farces are damaging to Canada’s legal process – legitimate complaints should be heard in a court of law.  Each year these commissions and tribunals cost taxpayers more than $70-million.

Legislative accountability

Government Transparency: Canada’s federal government is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to transparency. This is despite a platform promise by Prime Minister Trudeau to make transparency a top priority. Taxpayers are now being essentially shut out of the budget consultation process and other important discussions regarding expensive new program spending. This is an outrage. Having a majority government does not diminish the need for accountability. In fact, the opposite is true – a majority government has an even greater duty to uphold transparency and maintain accountability.

No electoral reform without a referendum: Prime Minister Trudeau has already announced his intentions to move ahead with controversial, self-serving electoral reform without even holding meaningful public consultations. This is not only undemocratic, it is unconstitutional. Prime Minister Trudeau must back down from these outrageous claims and respect the strict constitutional limits of his authority.  Any unilateral action by the Liberal party to pursue electoral reform will certainly be challenged and struck down by the Supreme Court, but taxpayers should never be forced to endure this expensive and wasteful ordeal.  If Prime Minister Trudeau thinks Canadians want electoral reform he must engage in a national referendum and respect the Constitutional amendment process – it was designed for exactly these reasons.

Canada’s place in the world: Prime Minister Trudeau is failing to live up to the ideals that Canada stands for. What’s more, he is also failing to live up to our treaty obligations and international agreements, without consulting Canadians in the process. Justin Trudeau has already pledged to remove Canada from the international coalition fighting against ISIS in the Middle East, turning his back on Canada’s most important military allies and trade partners. Canada must continue to play a leading role in international affairs if we hope to maintain our standing among nations. 

Reform the Senate: Canadians have repeatedly said that Senate reform should be a top priority. The ongoing expense scandal and RCMP investigation into numerous Senators’ activities has only underscored the importance of this issue. Yet, instead of addressing this issue Prime Minister Trudeau has sought to avoid it and to maintain the status quo, which will preserve Liberal influence in the Upper Chamber. In recent years the Canadian Senate has become much more active in the legislative process, vigorously debating and readily intervening in important policy matters. If the Senate is going to play a meaningful role in Canadian government, hard-working taxpayers deserve a say in the selection of our Senators.

Recall legislation : Direct democracy is essential to a healthy government. Recall legislation and citizens’ initiatives empower voters and help to hold government accountable. Canadians must be consulted before controversial legislation is implemented, and there must be a mechanism in place to hold politicians accountable if this contract is not followed. These systems to deliver direct democracy work very well in other countries, and they will work well in Canada too. Politicians have demonstrated that they require additional oversight, and hard-working Canadian voters are the best people to provide it.

Fiscal accountability

Spending reform: Prime Minister Trudeau’s spending plans are very dangerous for the Canadian economy. His plans call for more than $100-billion in new spending over the next ten years, and Canada’s economy is already showing signs of slowing down.  Canada needs to urgently reduce public spending, not increase it. Recent volatility in the resource sector and oil markets have shown exactly why spending reform is required – our government cannot count on increased revenues to pay for new spending promises. Increased spending on controversial pet projects has already crowded out available funding for important services that all Canadians rely upon. Canada spends more than $32-billion each year in interest fees on our federal public debt, and this total will continue to grow every year until our government commits to dramatically reducing spending.

Income tax policy: Canada’s taxpayers and business community have already been squeezed by the current economic situation. Prime Minister Trudeau, however, has outlined plans to increase the corporate tax rate which will drive businesses out of the country and eliminate thousands of Canadian jobs. This will be a disaster for Canada and will end up reducing the revenues available to the federal government instead of increasing them. Furthermore, new taxes on earnings above $250,000 will discourage investment and retirement savings by the Canadian public, further restricting the opportunities for economic growth across the country.

Green energy policy: Canada’s federal government must commit to an energy policy that serves taxpayers, not unfounded ideals. Prime Minister Trudeau has already outlined more than $5-billion in new investment in green energy and research, which is something the Canadian public has repeatedly indicated is not a priority. Trudeau has also placed ‘international climate change’ ahead of critical domestic issues such as job creation and economic stability. There is no way Canada can afford billions of dollars in international aid each year until we ensure our own economy is on solid footing.

No Carbon taxes: The Liberal government has claimed that they will reduce taxes for Canada’s middle class, yet Prime Minister Trudeau has also outlined the largest single tax increase in recent history. The carbon tax alone will have the effect of dramatically increasing taxes for all Canadians, with businesses and consumers alike forced to pay higher prices for all goods and services across the country. This will impact every sector of the Canadian economy, from manufacturing and transportation to retail and resource extraction.  There will be no going back for Canada if a carbon tax or a cap and trade system is implemented this year, and it will only compound the economic challenges we are facing.