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By
Derek Miedema, Researcher, Institute of Marriage and Family
Canada
In
this IMFC eReview we look at what each of the major parties
are proposing on key family policy issues. Many parties have
chosen to address family policy, and parents in
particular.
(Note:
please check the chart below for family-related highlights.)
Income
splitting
The
Green Party supports income splitting as part of a plan to
shift taxes from consumers to polluters. Green Party
literature says they will “bring in income splitting and
low-income support as part of our Green Tax Shift.” [1] In
short, the idea is that making polluters pay a larger
proportion of taxes would allow for lower tax
for families.
The
Conservative Party proposes allowing income splitting
incrementally: only for families where one spouse stays home
to care for a child with a disability. [2] (They also
introduced pension splitting for seniors in 2006).
[3]
Income
splitting allows couples to keep more of their own money to
use as they see fit. Furthermore, the system is
inequitable, according to Dr. Jack Mintz of the
University of Calgary. He writes, “ Canada has an ambiguous
approach to family taxation and no clear application of
principle has evolved over time. This has resulted in
inequitable tax treatment for families with the same earning
power.” [4] Currently, a family with one wage earner at
$70,000 annually will pay 37 per cent more income tax than a
family of two wage earners each making $35,000. [5]
Neither
is the concept new or untested. Today, the Czech Republic ,
Germany , Ireland , Luxembourg , Poland , Switzerland and the
United States all allow family members to file jointly and
split income. [6]
Child
care
Every
major national party is promising federal funding for
families. In terms of direct cheques to parents, both the
Liberals and Conservatives promise to continue the Universal
Childcare Benefit, with the Conservatives enhancing it
slightly. [7] The Liberal Party also promises a Guaranteed
Income Supplement of up to $1225 per child for low income
families. [8] The NDP promises to consolidate existing tax
credits into an eventual $5000 per year, per child non-taxable
payment direct to parents. [9] In the form of tax credits, the
Liberals are promising a $350 annual credit for every child up
to age 18. [10]
The
Liberals and New Democrats, as well as the Greens are also
putting forward a national daycare plan. (The Green Party is
more vague about this than the others, saying they will
“ensure universal access to excellent childcare and early
childhood education,” while providing no costs.)
[11]
Based
on the financial values assigned by the Liberals and NDP, it’s
not certain how serious they are about national daycare. The
Liberal Party pledges $1.5 billion over four years, with
funding ramping up to $1.25 billion in year four of a Liberal
mandate. This translates to only $250 million available over
the course of the first three years. [12] The NDP promises
$1.45 billion to create 150,000 spaces in year one, with
annual funding (as government finances allow) to work toward a
universal childcare system. [13]
In
Quebec , where the provincial government has operated a
subsidized daycare program since 1997, the average daycare
centre received a government subsidy at a rate of between
“$11,500 to $15,700, depending on the age of the child.” [14]
In 2003, this calculates to a total subsidy of $2.2 billion in
the province of Quebec alone. [15]
Crime
On
this issue, the parties are offering voters starkly different
approaches.
The
Conservatives maintain a focus on longer sentences as a
deterrent to crime while the Liberals and the NDP focus on
such approaches as banning weapons and hiring more police
officers.
Simultaneously,
municipal leaders have publicly stated that all parties fall
short in terms of truly addressing the issue. [16] “We are
almost at the end of the campaign and we have yet to hear a
comprehensive vision for safer communities,” said Edmonton
Mayor Stephen Mandel. "Election quick fixes and sound bites
won't solve the problems of crime and public safety. We need a
national strategy and the resources to make it work."
[17]
The
chart below summarizes major family-related policies from the
major parties.
Family-related
policy from the major parties
|
Issue |
Conservative
|
Green |
Liberal |
NDP |
|
Child
care |
·
$500
refundable arts tax credit [18]
·
Make
Children’s Fitness Tax Credit refundable
[19]
·
Index the
Universal Childcare Benefit to
inflation
·
Make the
UCB tax free for single-income single
parents |
·
Ensure
universal access to excellent child care and early
childhood education
·
Support
parents who stay home with their
children. |
·
$350 Child
Tax Benefit
·
$1225
added income to low-income families
·
$1.5
Billion over 4 years for national
system
·
Continue
$1200 Universal Childcare Benefit |
·
Consolidate
existing child tax credits to create new, eventually
$5000/year/ child non-taxable income
·
$1.45
Billion in year one to begin building universal
daycare |
|
Income
Splitting |
·
Only when
one parent gives up full time work to care for a
disabled child |
·
Yes for
everyone |
·
No |
·
No |
|
Crime
Prevention |
·
Longer
sentences for serious criminals 14 or
older
·
Publicly
name murderers 14 or older.
·
Eliminate
“Faint Hope” clause |
|
·
Ban
military assault weapons
·
More
funding for RCMP gang prevention
strategy |
·
More
police officers
·
Combat
gangs through tougher punishment and early
intervention |
Note:
The above is for informational purposes only. Readers are
encouraged to read the platforms and policies of each party
for themselves. The IMFC does not endorse or oppose political
parties and/or candidates for public office.
Endnotes
[1] Green Party
of Canada . (2008) Looking Forward: A fresh perspective on
Canada ’s Future. See page 7 “Close the Gap”. Retrieved online
October 6, 2008 at http://www.greenparty.ca/files/Looking_Forward.pdf?q=platform.pdf
[2] Conservative
Party of Canada . (News Release September 19, 2008).
Supporting Families Coping with Disabilities Retrieved
from the internet October 1, 2008 at http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1091/105904
[3] Government of
Canada , Department of Finance. (October 31, 2006). Tax
Fairness Plan. p. 5 Retrieved online October 7, 2008 at http://www.fin.gc.ca/news06/Data/2006-061e.pdf
[4] Mintz, J.
(2008) Taxing Families: Does the System Need and Overhaul?.
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada . Retrieved online
October 3, 2008 at
http://www.imfcanada.org/article_files/b.pdf
[5]
Ibid.
[6]
Ibid.
[7] Conservative
Party of Canada . (News Release, October 6, 2008) Giving
Everyone a Fair Shot. Retrieved online at http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1091/106875
[8] Liberal Party
of Canada . (2008) Richer, Fairer, Greener: An Action Plan for
the 21st Century (2008 Election Platform), pg. 41,
Retrieved online October 1, 2008 at http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/platform/2008lp_action_plan_e.pdf
[9] New
Democratic Party of Canada . (2008) Platform 2008, p. 18.
Retrieved online October 7, 2008 at http://www.ndp.ca/xfer/campaign2008/Platform_2008_EN.pdf
[10] Liberal
Party of Canada . (2008) Richer, Fairer, Greener: An Action
Plan for the 21st Century (2008 Election
Platform), pg. 41, Retrieved online October 1, 2008 at http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/platform/2008lp_action_plan_e.pdf
[11] Green Party
of Canada . (2008) Looking Forward: A fresh perspective on
Canada ’s Future. ( Ottawa ). See page 7 “Close the Gap”.
Retrieved online October 6, 2008 at http://www.greenparty.ca/files/Looking_Forward.pdf?q=platform.pdf
[12] Liberal
Party of Canada . (2008) Richer, Fairer, Greener: An Action
Plan for the 21st Century (2008 Election
Platform), pg. 69, Table 3. Retrieved online October 1, 2008
at http://www.liberal.ca/pdf/platform/2008lp_action_plan_e.pdf
[13] The New
Democratic Party of Canada (News Release, September 17, 2008).
Layton announces new national child care plan Retrieved
online October 2, 2008 at http://www.ndp.ca/page/6881
[14] Lefebvre
Pierre, Merrigan, Philip. (2005) Low-fee ($5/day/child) Regulated
Childcare Policy and the Labor Supply of Mothers with Young
Children: a Natural Experiment from Canada .
Centre
interuniversitaire sur le risque, les politiques économiques
et l’emploi (Montreal) p. 22, footnote 28. Retrieved online
October 1, 2008 at http://132.203.59.36/CIRPEE/cahierscirpee/2005/files/CIRPEE05-08.pdf
[15] The
2004-2005 Annual Report of the ministère de la Famille,
des Aînés et de la Condition féminine, Gouvernement du Quebec
states that in year 2002-2003, the Quebec government was
operating 163 434 subsidized day care spaces.
Using the average
of the two subsidies stated by Lefebvre, above, we approximate
how much the government spends to operate those spaces. See p.
29 of the Report (in French only). Retrieved online
October 2, 2008 at http://www.mfa.gouv.qc.ca/publications/pdf/ADMIN_rapport_annuel_2004-2005.pdf
[16] Federal of
Canadian Municipalities. (News Release, October 3, 2008).
Campaign crime promises come up short, say municipal leaders.
Retrieved online October 3, 2008 from http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/October2008/03/c3056.html
[17]
Ibid.
[18] Conservative
Party of Canada . (News Release, September 29, 2008) Expanding
opportunities for families. Retrieved online October 6, 2008
at
http://www.conservative.ca/EN/1091/106518
[19] Conservative
Party of Canada . (2008) The True North Strong and Free:
Stephen Harper’s plan for Canadians. p. 34
Retrieved online
October 8, 2008 at http://www.conservative.ca/media/20081007-Platform-e.pdf
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appropriate attribution to the
Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
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