MNI BRIEF: Carney's Canadian Election Platform Highlights

Following are highlights of Canadian Liberal Leader Mark Carney's election platform released Saturday.

• "Balance the operating budget by Budget 2028, ensuring responsible fiscal management while making wise, long-term investments to build for Canada’s prosperity and future... Ensure that government debt-to-GDP declines over the budget horizon."
• "Issue Canada’s first-ever transition bonds by 2027, to finance projects that help industrial and agricultural sectors get cleaner and more competitive. The federal government will issue at least $10 billion per year through new bonds."
• "Promote fair competition with our trading partners by developing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism... Promote fair competition with our trading partners by developing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism."
• "We will reduce internal trade costs by up to 15% and expand our economy by up to $200 billion, that is up to $5,000 for every Canadian."
• "Build out Canada’s east-west electricity grid, a nation-building transmission project developed with provinces, territories, and Indigenous partners, and stakeholders."
• "Require the new Major Federal Project Office to render final decisions on projects on a maximum two-year timeline, much faster than the former government’s five-year timeline."
• "Deploy a made-in-Canada procurement strategy that prioritizes, whenever possible, Canadian suppliers and supply chains, and limiting bidders from foreign suppliers to bidding only on what we have agreed to in Canada's Free Trade Agreements. We will prioritize Canadian contractors in our defence procurement, including the Canadian aerospace industry. Crown Corporations with major capital acquisitions, like VIA Rail, will also be encouraged to meet this standard."
• Improve Arctic security “so that we are prepared to face a hostile Russia or emboldened China.”
• "Put Canada on track to exceed our NATO defence spending target before 2030."
• "Forge a new Canada-Europe Arctic security cooperation agreement that deepens ties in the North in recognition of the rapidly shifting security landscape."
• "Respond to existing U.S. tariffs on our economy for as long as is necessary while also ensuring that we are safeguarding Canadian industry from the threat of trade diversion. Every dollar raised from these tariffs will support Canadian workers and businesses."
• "Create a $2 billion Strategic Response Fund to boost our auto sector’s competitiveness."
• "Safeguard our economy and our values and protect Canada from attempts to buy up our businesses, our core public health care, intellectual property, critical minerals and other resources by strengthening the Investment Canada Act."
• "Keep Canada’s supply management off the table in any negotiations with the U.S. We will protect Canada’s commitment to supply management and supply-managed sectors, including dairy, poultry, and eggs."
• "Make mortgage payments more affordable by reviewing Canada’s mortgage market with the objective to offer Canadians more options while retaining stability in the market. This work will look at barriers to longer interest rate terms on mortgages, which would give Canadians more financial stability."
• "Return immigration to sustainable levels by capping the total number of temporary workers and international students to less than 5% of Canada’s population by the end of 2027, from a past high of 7.3%, to ease the strain on housing, public infrastructure, and our social services."
• "It’s time to build Canada into an energy superpower that combines our conventional energy resources with our unlimited potential when it comes to clean, affordable energy."
• "Reduce the cost of investment for Canadian companies and make sure they are internationally competitive by extending immediate expensing for manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment, clean energy generation, energy conservation equipment, and zero-emission vehicles, as well as the Accelerated Investment Incentive."