CANADIAN PLATFORMS OF THE BIG THREE

ECONOMY, TAXES AND POCKET BOOK ISSUES

 Cosnservatives:
- Introduced a "family tax cut'' that allows couples with children under age 18 to split up to $50,000 of income; caps non-refundable benefit at S2,000.
- Retain Income Splitting for families.
- Increased annual contribution limit for tax-free savings accounts (TFSAs) to $10,000 from $5,500.
- Increased Universal Child Care Benefit to $ 6o a month for children under age six, up from $100; added new monthly benefit of  $ 6o for children age six to 17.
- Reduced small-business tax rate to nine per cent from current 11 per cent by 2019; have reduced corporate tax rate from about 22 per cent to 15 per cent.
- Promise to balance the budget this fiscal year.
- Increased eligibility age for receiving Old Age Security benefits to 67 from 65.
- Are examining ways for Canadians to voluntarily contribute more to the Canada Pension Plan.

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The Liberals promise to:
- Cut middle-class income-tax bracket to 20.5 per cent from current 22 per cent;
create a new tax bracket of 33 per cent for annual incomes of more than $200.000.
- Cancel income-splitting for families.
- Introduce a new income-tested, tax-free monthly Canada Child Benefit that would boost payments to all families with children and annual income below $150,000.
- Cancel TFSA increase to $10,000, saying it helps well-off Canadians who need it the least.
- Retain tax breaks for small businesses but want to ensure this doesn't primarily benefit the wealthy.
- Balance the budget in 2016.
- Cancel Conservative plan to increase OAS eligibility age to 67.
- Increase Canada Pension Plan contributions and benefits for Canadians.

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NDP They  promises to:

- Balance the budget in 2016.
- Not raise personal income-tax rates,
- Cancel  government's income-splitting policy for families.
- Reverse changes to TFSA contribution limits; says higher amount helps the wealthy and does little for middle-class Canadians.
- Increase income-tax rates on Canada's largest corporations to about the levels that existed before the Conservatives took office.
- Cut small-business tax rate to nine per cent from current 11 per cent,
- Honour the expanded Universal Child Care Benefit.
- Create $15.00 -a-day national child care program, and create or maintain one million affordable child care spaces across Canada.
- Cancel Conservative decision to increase OAS eligibility age to 67.
- Increase Canada Pension Plan contributions and benefits for Canadians.