Party Policy Platforms: A Gender Based Analysis

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FEDERAL PARTY POLICY PLATFORMS
A COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS

Liberal Policy Platform

NDP Policy Platform

Conservative Policy Platform

LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA
Leader: The Right Hon. Paul Martin

LIBERAL POLICY PLATFORM

Moving Canada Forward: The Paul Martin Plan for Getting Things Done
http://www.liberal.ca/platform_en.pdf (PDF)

Much of the Liberal Platform is dedicated to highlighting the past achievements of the Liberal government, as well as discussing the Liberal vision for the Canadian economy of the future. No specific commitments to women's equality, nor to women in general, are found in this platform.

The only places where women are referenced in the document at all are in the introductory message from Paul Martin about the Liberal vision for a 21st century economy, and in the highlights of Liberal accomplishments from 1993-2003:

A Liberal vision for a 21st century economy sees……a Canada where there are supports to help people balance work and family responsibilities so that all Canadians, especially women, have the opportunity to fully participate in the workplace (p. 3).

Took a number of steps to protect the safety of women and children, including tighter parole rules for inmates serving life sentences; restricting access to the personal information of victims of sexual abuse; and strengthening criminal provisions against stalking (p. 55).

No references to issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage exist within the platform. Much of the document is an overview of the achievements of the Liberal government followed by generally vague promises that either lack specific details or dollar amounts, or in some cases use ambiguous language such as "this fund could be used toward…" or "we will provide up to $1 billion…" and is therefore open to interpretation.

Following is a partial list of Liberal Platform promises that may be of interest and/or concern to women.

Guaranteed Income Supplement (p. 24-25)

The GIS base will be increased to reflect the fact that wage growth has exceeded inflation. Once fully implemented, this improvement will result in an increase of roughly 7% to the income of GIS recipients. This increase is in addition to the quarterly inflation adjustments.

Family Caregiver Support (p. 23-24)

Commit up to $1 billion over the next 5 years to help implement a family caregiver support strategy jointly with the provinces. If within 24 months there has been no agreement in new support mechanisms, the federal government will ensure that alternative ways are developed to make the new resources available to caregivers.

As a concrete first step, double to $10,000 the amount of medical and disability-related expenses that can be claimed by a caregiver on behalf of a dependent relative.
National Home Care Program (p. 21-22)

The program will begin with services in the following areas: home care services for post-acute patients, including coverage for medication and rehabilitation services; home mental health case management and intervention services; and palliative home care services to support people at the end of life.

Create a new Home Care Fund totaling $2 billion over five years to encourage the needed reforms. The Fund will be allocated on a per capita basis to provinces and territories that have passed legislation governing the provision of at least an agreed-upon, minimum basket of home care services.

Prescription Drugs (p. 22)

Agree with provinces and territories on a national pharmaceuticals strategy by 2006. Meanwhile, needed drugs will be included in the proposed home care program.

Health Care Funding (p. 17-19)

Already committed $37 billion in new money over five years from 2003-2004.

Close the "Romanow gap" by increasing federal health transfers to the provinces by a total of $3 billion (beyond existing commitments) by April 2006.

A new National Waiting Times Reduction Fund of $4 billion will be available to help provinces and territories close the gap between current performance and waiting time targets.
Primary Health Care (p. 20-21)

A portion of the National Waiting Times Reduction Fund could support proposals to increase primary care options and thus reduce waiting times.

Work with provinces and professional associations to determine an appropriately expanded role for nurse practitioners and other health care professionals to reduce the load on doctors in front-line care.

Continue to financially support Canada Health Infoway's development of a national electronic health record system.

Aboriginal People (p. 25-27)

Establish an Aboriginal Health Transfer Fund to better integrate health services with provincial and territorial systems, ensuring better access and the availability of quality health services.

Improving the quality of water and wastewater treatment in First Nation communities. $600 million over 5years is already committed to this.

Work with provincial, territorial and municipal governments to provide affordable off-reserve housing.

All Aboriginal communities to have, by 2008, clean water and adequate housing.

New Canadians (p. 21)

Work with provinces to increase number of medical spaces in universities and accelerating the qualification of new immigrants with medical credentials.

Support a program to train 1,000 new Canadians to provide first-class primary care physicians right across the country.

Child Care (p. 28-30)

Create Foundations: The National Early Learning and Child Care Program. Phase in a contribution of $5 billion over the next five years, beyond funds already committed, to accelerate building the national system. The Foundations program will ensure that children have access to high quality, government-regulated spaces at affordable costs to parents.

Shelter and Affordable Housing (p. 32)

Stimulate assisted housing by providing a further $1 to $1.5 billion dollars over the next five years to:

Extend and enhance existing vehicles such as the Affordable Housing Initiative, Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative, Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program and Aboriginal housing on and off reserve, and;

Support innovative initiatives developed in consultation with provinces, territories and stakeholders groups. This could include a "Housing Works" foundation to leverage contributions for new affordable units from various levels of government, community groups and the private sector.
Environment (p. 34)

Encourage investment; quadruple the objectives of the existing Wind Power Production Incentive from 1,000 megawatts to a 4,000 MW target.
Regional, Rural and Industrial Development (p. 43)

Support a comprehensive commitment to regional, rural and industrial development with $2 billion of new resources over the next five years.

Enhance the capability of regional agencies (ACOA, CED-Q, Fednor, WD) to build the underlying capacity for sustainable economic growth and job creation.

Boost support for community-based economic development through increased resources for the work of the Community Futures Development Corporation.
Economic Outlook (p. 44)

Inflation will be targeted to remain between 1% and 3%, helping to keep interest rates down, and therefore, make homes and cars more affordable.

Continued strong job creation, adding at least 1.3 million new jobs between now and 2009.
Peace and Nation Building Initiative (P. 47-48)

Launch a Peace and Nation Building Initiative with three principal elements:

Increase the Canadian Forces by 5,000 personnel, creating a new brigade and enhancing Canada's capacity for peace support.

Deploy the Canada Corps, which will harness the expertise and idealism of Canadian civilians with a special emphasis on recruiting the energy of young people.

Reduce or forgive debts owed by poor and deserving countries as part of a strategy to get crisis-torn states on the road to recovery.
Strengthening our Reserves (p. 48)

Increase the Army Reserves to 18,500 from 15,500.
Combating AIDS (p. 49)

Dedicate $100 million - fully half the funding required by the WHO to provide technical support for the WHO's "3 by 5" plan to ensure that3 million people suffering from HIV/AIDS in poor countries receive urgently needed drug treatment by 2005.

Increase commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by $70 million.

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CANADA
Leader: Mr. Jack Layton

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY POLICY PLATFORM

Platform 2004
http://www.ndp.ca/uploaded/20040527091443_Fed.NDP.Platform.eng.sm.pdf (PDF)

The NDP platform contains two full sections that speak directly to women's equality issues: "Respecting Women's Equality" (p. 31) and "Respecting Equality" (p. 37).

Additionally, the NDP has set out policies inclusive of women, persons with disabilities, persons of colour, gays and lesbians, new Canadians, etc.

Of the three main federal parties, the NDP platform is the only one which states support for same-sex marriage as well as access to abortion. The main highlights of these sections are included in the policies outlined below. The platform also outlines policies and plans that address issues such as social housing and assistance for low-income earners and families living in poverty. Also addressed are issues such as the fishery, protecting consumers, employment insurance, pensions and community-based economic development.

Of the three platforms, this is the most complete in terms of specific commitments and social policy issues.

Following is a partial list of NDP Platform promises that may be of interest and/or concern to women.

Respecting Women's Equality
Canadian women have not seen the advances in equality that the Liberals promised. Economic equality is still a distant goal. Unemployment and a growing part-time work ghetto for women undermine their economic independence. Access to affordable, high quality childcare is still a major barrier to working, studying or balancing work and family. At least one in four Canadian women will be assaulted some time during her life. It's time to respect and develop strategies to support women in balancing work and family (p. 31).

Respecting Equality
Canadians believe deeply in equality if races, of religions and of people. We collectively suffer when one of us is denied economic opportunity or civil rights based on ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation. Yet too often, platitudes paper over a government record starkly at odds with the values Canadians hold. Wage discrimination still occurs so that people doing the same work do not receive equal pay. Peaceful protest is dangerously close to being criminalized. Canada's Arab and Muslim communities are subjects of dangerous stereotypes. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. And, after a decade of fighting lesbian and gay equality in the courts, Parliament has yet to commit to full equality for same-sex couples. It's time to put our values into action (p. 32)

Pay Equity (p. 32)

Introducing proactive and effective pay equity laws, including timely, efficient, non-bureaucratic ways to help workers and employers resolve disputes and funding for education, training, information and enforcement.

Working towards applying pay equity law to all employers in the federal sector regardless of size and to all employees regardless of employment status (full-time, part-time, temporary, casual, contract).
Funding for Women's Centres (p. 32)

Provide stable funding for women's centres and educational programs designed to combat sexism and violence against women.

Maternity Benefits (p. 32)

Reflecting changes in the workplace and helping women qualify for maternity benefits by extending coverage to dependent contract workers and eliminating the limits on maternity or parental leave that are based on the use of sickness benefits.

Seniors (p. 51)

Improving access to CPP/QPP for women by expanding the current "drop-out" provision for child care to include other unpaid care, such as that for senior family members.

Support a mandatory retirement age of 65.

Reviewing the adequacy of Canada's pension system to develop more effective ways for enhancing income security for seniors.

Home Care (p. 32)

Implementing public or non-profit-based home care throughout Canada, based on the successful Manitoba model. Care in hospitals is $9000 to $16,000 more expensive per patient per year than community-based home care, which plans for an aging population while relieving the burden on families and especially women, who disproportionately care for elderly relatives.

Abortion (p. 32)

Ensuring women have access to safe, therapeutic abortion services.

Child Care (p. 32)

Work with provinces and territories to provide stable, long-term federal funds to create an additional 200,000 high quality, affordable, publicly funded childcare spaces within four years.

GST on Family Essentials (p. 32)

Removing the GST from family essentials, starting with children's clothing and medicine, school supplies, books, magazines, women's hygiene products, and medical equipment.

Proportional Representation (p. 32)

Holding a referendum on whether to change the voting system to one based on proportional representation, similar to systems in Germany and New Zealand that respect voters' choices, protect local representation and require broad levels of support for a party to qualify for seats in Parliament.

Women in Sports (p. 32)

Dedicating some of the recent increases in Sport Canada funding to increasing access to programs for women.

Persons with Disabilities (p. 38)

Working with the provincial and territorial governments to set up a single income support mechanism for persons with disabilities, including a system of national disability supports.

Developing a labour market strategy for persons with disabilities that includes a plan for increased participation in the federal government workforce and expanded measures to help other employers to make workplaces accessible and accommodate persons with disabilities.

Expanding the Special Opportunities Grant Program to recognize the extra costs associated with one's disability and the costs of accommodations for training, post-secondary education and job opportunities.

Making the disability tax credit and medical expenses tax credit fully refundable.

Establishing an independent commissioner who reports directly to Parliament to monitor federal departments' compliance to all policies for persons with disabilities and who advises ministers about the effects on persons with disabilities of upcoming legislation or regulations.

Persons of Colour (p. 38)

Introducing legislation that would ban racial profiling from federal departments and jurisdictions.

Aboriginal Peoples (p, 33-34)

Training 10,000 Aboriginal professionals in health, education and social services.

Ending low-level NATO flying over Innu lands.

Creating Aboriginal seats in Parliament, just as New Zealand has, to ensure Canada's first peoples' voices are always present in national debate.

Opposing any re-introduction of the flawed First Nations Governance Act and instead modernizing Aboriginal governance in consultation with Aboriginal communities based on the principles of self-governance.

New Canadians / Immigration (p. 36)

Allowing people without status who already call Canada home the opportunity to apply for legal status, in the context of compassionate relaxation of the rules.

Freezing immigration fees to prevent gouging those who seek to make Canada their home and allowing immigration fees to be used as credit toward education and skills training in Canada.

Same-Sex Benefits (p. 38)

Recognizing the equality of loving adult partnerships by extending civil marriage equality to same-sex couples, while respecting each religion's right to determine its own definition of marriage.

Abandoning Paul Martin's appeal of the court decision extending retroactive CPP survivor benefits for same-sex couples.

Gender Discrimination (p. 38)

Following the lead of the Northwest Territories and amending the Canada Human Rights Act to ensure a person cannot be discriminated against because of gender identity.

Civil Rights (p. 38)

Replacing the Anti-Terrorism Act with legislation that respects peaceful protest, freedom of the press and civil liberties.

Working with American authorities to ensure the Canadian passport is respected and that Canadian citizens are treated equally at our international borders and by refusing to share intelligence until we receive these assurances, as recommended by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Housing (p. 5)

Re-starting a 10-year national housing program to build 200,000 affordable and co-op housing unit (including homes for seniors, people with disabilities and students), renovate 100,000 existing units, and provide rent supplements to 40,000 low-income tenants, many of whom are single mothers who pay a large percentage of their income in rent. This program would help Canada's forest communities by stimulating Canadian demand for lumber.

Including in the housing program tax incentives for developers to renovate and restore buildings in downtown cores, create new housing stock and rebuilding our city centres and downtowns as an alternative to more urban sprawl.

Using the large profits generated by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to underwrite low-interest mortgages for affordable housing and requiring the CMHA to change its mandate to make it easier for community-based housing organizations to get funding.

Low Income Earners (p. 10-11)

Ensuring all Canadians who earn less than $15,000 per year pay no federal income tax.

Increasing the Child Tax Benefit to $4,900 per child and altering the program to permit Canada's poorest families, who don't pay tax, to qualify.

Building affordable housing and providing rent supplements to low-income Canadians.

Restoring a federal role in partnership with provincial and territorial governments to ensure that federally transferred funds intended for social assistance meet specific Canada-wide goals and that federal support (currently through CHST) is guaranteed to provide secure and stable funding for social assistance and will not be withdrawn or reduced unilaterally.

Increasing the federal minimum wage by raising it annually, tied to the rate of economic growth. (p. 47)

Helping low-income Canadians pay less for energy by making low-income residences the first phase of a residential energy retrofit program. (p. 7)

Access to Education (p. 8-9)

Cutting tuition fees with a national plan to reduce fees by 10% and then freeze them by increasing federal funding for post-secondary education.

Work with the provinces to establish a Canada Post-Secondary Education Act that, in return for stable, long-term funding, would prevent the creation of private, for-profit colleges and universities.

Replacing the privately administered Millennium Scholarship Fund, which helps few students, with needs-based grants so a family's income is not a barrier to education.

Crediting all interest accrued on Canada Student Loans against graduates' income taxes.

Employment Insurance (p. 50)

Freezing EI premium rates at current levels, a measure that will especially help small businesses, which employ more than half of all Canadians. (p. 61)

Eliminate the 2 week waiting period for EI and eliminating counting severance or vacation pay as income for EI purposes.

Allow retraining to occur while on benefits, helping unemployed workers gain the skills to find new work.

Reducing the hours required to qualify for EI to 350 and restoring benefits to two-thirds of eligible salary to provide a greater buffer between the loss of a pay cheque and poverty.

Easing EI Eligibility requirements to factor in a worker's years in the workforce, a measure that would help more women qualify and reflect a worker's true attachment to the workforce.

Prescription Medications (p. 13)

Phasing in a pharmacare program to help Canadians afford the drugs they need, starting with Canadians with low incomes or those facing massive drug costs because of catastrophic illness. If patients in hospital have their drugs covered, patients who can be treated at home should have their drugs covered too.

Reducing the cost of drugs with a national bulk buying program, as Australia uses, to reduce costs for provinces and examining drug patent legislation to ensure corporate protections do not impinge on accessibility of needed drugs.

Outlawing the practice of "evergreening" prescription drugs that delay the availability of cheaper, generic drugs.

Access to Healthcare (p. 12-14)

Implementing the Romanow recommendation of fair, predictable federal funding for public health care and ensuring the federal government returns to being a full partner by paying 25% of provincial health care costs within 2 years.

Working with provinces and territories to establish more community-based clinics to handle medical problems, reducing the expensive reliance on hospital ER's. Using a wide range of health professionals, including nurse practitioners and nutritionists, we can treat small ailments and prevent illnesses through solvent abuse programs, nutrition and safe-sex programs, and pre-natal care.

AIDS (p. 30)

Ensuring cheaper, generic drugs are available to Africa and the developing world for AIDS and all life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer, malaria and tuberculosis, and by reducing the length of patents for prescription drugs in Canada.

Honouring Canada's commitment to the Global AIDS Fund by tripling existing funding.

Working through the United Nations to reform the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to eliminate the drastic lending conditions that cut health and education investment in developing nations, which often result in AIDS treatment and prevention programs.

Pensions (p. 51)

Make it illegal to under fund private pensions.

Protecting pensioners and shareholders by limiting the tax deductibility of corporate executive salaries to $300,000 and requiring that stock options be fully expensed in corporate accounting.

Providing a legislative framework for joint trusteeship of pension funds.

Make employees and their pension plans the preferred creditors in the event of corporate bankruptcies.
Fighting Crime (p. 54)

Addressing the underlying causes of crime by aggressively fighting poverty and investing in children and municipalities.

Making sentences and bail and release conditions tougher for repeat violent offenders under federal jurisdiction.

Developing a Victims' Bill of Rights to ensure victims of crime are treated equally and fairly.

Protecting Consumers (p. 56-57)

Requiring chartered banks to maintain, rather than abandon, branches in Canada's rural and small towns, as well as poor, inner city neighborhoods.

Cracking down on cheque cashing companies that are moving into the poor neighborhoods abandoned by the banks. Including their exorbitant fees, these corporations charge more than 60% interest, exceeding the Criminal Code limit.

Regulating credit card interest rates to 5 points above the prime-lending rate, as opposed to the 10-20 point gap that many credit cards have.

Small Business (p. 58-59)

Reviewing and reworking existing federal programs to improve small business access to venture capital.

Creating a fair taxation system for small business.

Recognizing the proven success of community economic development, making co-operative ventures with business, labour and community groups a priority, and extending the concept of community economic development to fisheries.

The Fishery (p. 59)

Immediately conducting a full public review of the privatization of the fishery, in particular the increasing corporate control of fish quotas.

Ensuring that fishery goals of conservation and sustainability are achieved through community-based, co-management of fish resources.

Advocating for custodial management of the fish stocks on the nose and tail and the Flemish Cap of the Grand Banks.

Decentralizing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and increasing staff in regional offices.

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA
Leader: Mr. Stephen Harper

CONSERVATIVE POLICY PLATFORM

Demanding Better
http://www.conservative.ca/platform/e.pdf (PDF)

There is no commitment to women's equality specifically, nor to women or equality rights in Canada generally, in the Conservative policy platform. In fact, there is a dearth of specific commitments within this platform in relation to social policy issues in general.

The only place in the document where women are specifically mentioned is in the context of developing nations, not Canada. It reads:

We shall support international development policies that will alleviate poverty, disease and pollution and improve the status of women and children. We need to focus on building key regional relationships such as expanding trade and investment throughout North and South America, enhancing Canada's Asia-Pacific presence, and supporting trade, aid and development in Africa (p. 40).

The primary focus of the Conservative platform is on security and defense spending, with a law and order approach to preventing and/or reducing crime. Billions of dollars have been committed to various aspects of military spending (new equipment and personnel, surveillance, border security, etc.) in this platform. However, no new social spending programs have been developed. Tax cuts are promised to business and middle income earners at the expense of grants programs such as ACOA. Low income earners and persons living in poverty will find little in this document that speaks to them beyond minor tax cuts. While the issue of same sex marriage is mentioned, the commitment is that Parliamentarians, not unelected judges, shall decide such issues, and that all such "contentious" social issues shall be decided by free vote.

Following is a partial list of Conservative Platform promises that may be of interest and/or concern to women.

Same-Sex Marriage (p. 14)

Withdraw the current marriage reference case before the Supreme Court and hold a free vote in Parliament on the definition of marriage.

Parliamentary Powers (p. 13)

Make all votes, except the budget and main estimates, "free votes" for ordinary Members of Parliament.

Allow Parliament to review and ratify important appointments, such as Officers of Parliament, Supreme Court Justices, and heads of major Crown corporations and agencies.

Increase the power of Parliament and Parliamentary Committees to review the spending estimates of Departments and hold Ministers to account.

Parliament, not unelected judges, should have the final say on contentious social issues like the definition of marriage.

Children (p. 16)

Introduce a $2000 per child deduction to reduce the tax burden on families with children.

Employment Insurance (p. 18)

Reduce premiums to eliminate the annual surplus in the EI account and ensure that contributions are used to pay for EI benefits, not other expenditures.

Taxes

Increase the size of the GST tax credit by 25%. (p. 31)

Invest in infrastructure by transferring at least 3 cents of the gas tax to provinces. It will phase out the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund and other federally run infrastructure programs while retaining the Border Infrastructure Program. (p. 19)

Economy

Support rules-based trading systems like NAFTA and WTO to promote free and fair trade, especially where the trading partners are unequal in size. (p. 23)

Business Grants (p. 22)

Review of all granting programs - including grants and subsidies to businesses - by Auditor General. Based on results seek to eliminate $4 billion per year in subsidies to business. As savings are generated, they will be redirected to reduce or eliminate taxes on businesses, including: elimination of $14 air security tax; elimination of Capital tax; reduction of Capital Gains Taxes; reduction of business tax rates for all businesses, including small businesses.

Health Care (p. 26-27)

Implement the $36.8 billion in new funding committed under the Health Accord.

Propose to the provinces a federal program for catastrophic drug coverage. Propose the federal government assume direct responsibility for the catastrophic drug plan in the accord.

Low and Fixed Income Earners (p. 20)

We will provide relief to Canadians on low and fixed incomes to help them meet rising utility, insurance and gasoline prices.

Allow Canadians to contribute up to $5000 per year to a Registered Lifetime Savings Plan.

Middle Income Earners (p. 17)

Reduce the federal tax on middle-income Canadians by 25% (p. 31).

Phase out the 22 % tax bracket on taxable incomes between $35K and $70K. All other brackets will be raised at 1% above the inflation rate.

Home Care (p. 32)

Double the size of the caregivers' tax credit to cover $7000 in allowable expenses.

Access to Education (p. 30-31)

Work with provinces to improve the Canada Student Loans Program to help overcome the barriers students face in pursuing post-secondary education and training opportunities. (p. 30)

Increase maximum student loan limits, broaden definition of eligible expenses and increase family income thresholds.

Provide first-year tuition grants for students from low-income families.

Encourage families to save for their children's education, through such measures as the Canada Learning Bond, Canada Education Savings Grants, and the Registered Lifetime Savings Program.

Aboriginal Peoples (p. 33)

Support the development of a property regime on reserves to allow individual property ownership that will encourage lending for private housing and businesses.

Create a matrimonial property code to protect spouses and children in cases of marriage breakdown.

In consultation with the provinces and aboriginals, support the principle of allowing parents to choose which schooling they want for their children, with funding following the students.

Better Security (p. 36)

Ensure that conditional sentences ("house arrest") shall not apply to serious crimes, such as violent and sexual assaults, weapons offenses, and major drug trafficking.

Repeal section 745.6 of the Criminal Code - the so-called "Faint Hope Clause" that allows an offender serving a life sentence to apply for parole after only 15 years.

Establish a "dangerous offender" status for a third violent or sexual offense.

Enforce mandatory consecutive sentences (instead of concurrent sentences, as is usually the case) for multiple violent offenses.

Replace statutory release (the law entitling a prisoner to parole after serving two-thirds of his sentence) with earned parole.
Forbid prisoners in federal institutions from voting in elections.
Require that violent or serious repeat offenders who are fourteen years or older be tried in adult court.

Child Pornography (p. 36-37)

Pass legislation that will adopt a zero tolerance policy for child porn, eliminating the so-called "public good" defense. We will prohibit conditional sentences for child sex offenses, to ensure that all of those charges with these offenses will serve time in prison and be removed from the community.

Law Enforcement (p. 37)

Repeal the long gun registry and work with the provinces on cost-effective gun-control programs designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals while respecting the right of law-abiding Canadians to own and use firearms responsibly.

Strict monitoring of high-risk individuals.

Put more law enforcement officers on our streets.

Registry of convicted criminals who have been prohibited by the courts from owning firearms.

A licensing system for all those wishing to acquire and use firearms legally.

Military (p. 41-42)

Inject an immediate $1.2 billion per year into the military for equipment replacement, with a longer-term goal of moving toward the NATA European average as a percentage of GDP.

Gradually increase our Regular Force strength to at least 80,000, along with simultaneous increases in reserve personnel levels.

Regenerate our land forces through strengthened infantry battalion groups, the procurement of more survivable tanks, and increased army field strength and command capabilities.

Regenerate our Air Force through upgrades to the CF-18 fleet, new tactical and heavy-life aircraft, and new maritime helicopters with enhanced multi-mission capabilities.

Regenerate our Maritime Force through the establishment of a single civilian coast guard agency, new multi-role combatants, and new hybrid carriers for helicopter support and strategic lift.

Increase the use of satellite surveillance and acquisition of a long-range unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for maritime surveillance.

Enhance parliamentary oversight over defense policy and military equipment procurement.

Source: Michelle Smith - Newfoundland and Labrador Advisory Council on the Status of Women

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