Investing in public infrastructure creates good jobs, makes our communities more livable, and helps fights climate change. It’s one of the most important ways that governments can make people’s lives easier.

But instead of rolling out an ambitious plan to get our communities moving, as they promised in the last election, this Liberal government wasted billions of taxpayer dollars on an infrastructure bank that’s completed no projects since it was set up in 2017, while paying a CEO a million-dollar salary. This privatization of public infrastructure will hit Canadians in the wallet. In fact, private investors have been clear that they plan to profit from tolls and other user fees.

New Democrats believe that Canadians should be able to count on the federal government to invest in infrastructure to make a real difference in communities across the country – not to pad the bank accounts of investment firms.

Our vision is one where communities can afford to build the infrastructure they need to thrive, from roads and bridges to community centres, long-term care, child care centres and everything in between. These investments will create good jobs in every part of the country; and to get there, we will partner with provinces, territories, First Nations and municipalities to deliver reliable public infrastructure funding that puts people – not profit – first. By using Community Benefit Agreements, we will guarantee that good jobs, training, apprenticeships and support for local businesses are part of every infrastructure project.

When it comes to getting around, public transit should be a convenient and affordable option that makes your commute easier – all while taking cars off the road, cutting emissions and reducing gridlock. New Democrats understand that getting our communities moving is critical for our economy and our quality of life – that’s why we’ll put in place a permanent, direct, allocation-based funding mechanism for modern public transit across Canada for the long run. We’ll also step up investments now to help cities transition their bus fleets to electric and to expand affordable rail and bus options in all parts of the country. And for municipalities that make it a priority, the federal government should work with them towards fare-free transit to ease commutes and make life more affordable.

Nothing is more important than having a place to call home. No matter who you are, you need a safe and affordable place to live and raise your family. But Canadians across the country are facing a housing crisis – and we need a government that gets back to work building new affordable housing to help confront it. A New Democrat government will partner with provinces and municipalities to create half a million units of affordable housing over the next ten years. This will include social housing, community and non-market housing, as well as rental assistance for co-ops. We’ll also streamline the application process and immediately provide dedicated fast-start funds to help communities get the expertise and assistance they need to get projects off the ground now, not years from now. Wherever possible, we’ll encourage provinces to work with social enterprises to make sure that the training and jobs associated with building affordable housing go to those who need opportunities the most.

As the impacts of climate change are felt across the country, New Democrats believe that all levels of government have to step up to help communities cope with the impacts of extreme weather. That’s why a New Democrat government will expand federal funding to respond to disasters, and support communities in proactively adapting their infrastructure to withstand floods, forest fires and other extreme weather events. We will also partner with Canadians and communities to make serious investments in making buildings more energy efficient, to help families save money and fight climate change.

In our digital age, technological infrastructure is more important than ever. That’s why we’re committed to making sure that every community in Canada has access to high-speed internet. We’ll also ensure that the right investments are made to expand cell phone coverage to all parts of the country so that Canadians stay connected – affordably – no matter where they are.

Arts and culture are at the heart of who we are as Canadians. It’s how we listen and understand each other better. It’s how we connect across vast distances and celebrate our identities. And in such a diverse country, it’s how we share our incredible stories with each other, in both official languages – and with the entire world.

But the arts and culture sectors have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. This comes on the heels of decades of cuts, a rapidly digitizing media landscape and government inaction are putting Canadian arts, culture and jobs at risk.

It’s time for a different approach.

New Democrats will protect our heritage and support a strong, independent Canadian arts and culture industry. New Democrats will be there to support with a dedicated re-building package for the performing arts, theatre, festivals and other arts that have been most severely impacted by the pandemic.

New Democrats will also make sure that Canadian talent can thrive on both digital and traditional platforms – here at home and around the world. We think that artists should be able to earn a decent living from their art, and that government has an important role to play in making sure that a diversity of Canadian voices tell our stories.

Most Canadians now get their news from Facebook, and Netflix is the largest broadcaster in the country – but despite the Liberals promising to take action, these web giants still don’t pay the same taxes or contribute to funding Canadian content in the same way that traditional media do. Canadian film, television, and media are up against a tidal wave of well-funded American content – and the Liberals have not done what it takes to level the playing field.

That’s why we will step up to make sure that Netflix, Facebook, Google and other digital media companies play by the same rules as Canadian broadcasters. It means that these companies need to pay corporate taxes now, support Canadian content in both official languages, and take responsibility for what appears on their platforms, just like other media outlets.

New Democrats will do what the Liberals failed to do and modernize the Broadcasting Act fairly in order to create a level playing field between Canadian broadcasters and foreign streaming services, to rebalance negotiating power for Canadian independent producers and the Canadian cultural sector, and to ensure Canadian programming is owned by Canadians. In addition, we will prioritize partnerships with Canadian independent producers, increase funding for Telefilm and enhance financial support for the Canada Media Fund.

We’ll also increase funding for CBC and Radio-Canada to help reverse the damage of decades of funding cuts under both Liberal and Conservative governments. Public broadcasting has a remarkable legacy of connecting all points of our country – and it needs to have an even stronger future now more than ever to help make sure that Canadians have access to accurate, relevant information no matter where they live.

We will make sure that arts and cultural institutions receive stable, long-term funding to grow and promote Canada’s diverse cultures and histories. We will also extend support to Canadian media to assist them in making the digital transition.

The arts also have a vital place in reconciliation. A New Democrat government will provide financial support for Indigenous theatre at the National Arts Centre as part of our larger efforts to honour and support Indigenous arts and culture.

Finally, recognizing the special challenges faced by people who make a living in the arts and culture industry, we’ll make life more affordable by putting in place income tax averaging for artists and cultural workers.

We need a government that listens to all of Canada’s regions, and recognizes the incredible contributions that our rural, remote and Northern communities make to the prosperity and strength of our entire country. Unfortunately, for too long Liberal and Conservative governments have tried to pit one region against another – while failing to deliver the help that Canadians living in rural and remote communities need. And the Conservatives made damaging cuts to service delivery in rural Canada, forcing people to drive for hours to get the services they need.

It’s time for change that makes life better in all of our regions. New Democrats have a plan to make life easier, no matter where you live – and make sure that all communities in our country have a bright future.

People in rural Canada deserve better access to services – and the future of our rural communities depends on those services being available. That’s why a New Democrat government will focus on improving access to in-person services in Northern and rural communities. In order to make our rural and Northern communities safer, and to recognize the selfless work of our volunteer emergency responders, we’ll also expand the Volunteer Firefighters Tax Credit and ensure that federal funding for rural and First Nations policing is made available in a fair, predictable and sustainable way.

In many rural areas, simple things like going to the bank have become complicated and difficult. Despite record profits, financial institutions are closing rural branches and cutting services in more and more communities every year. It’s clear that we need to find other ways to deliver these important financial services. Today, almost 1,200 rural communities in Canada have a post office, but no financial services. That’s why a New Democrat government will work with Canada Post to develop a model of postal banking that will help nearly two million Canadians access more affordable, quality banking services where none are currently available.

Travel is a necessity of life in rural Canada – and it should be easier to get around without putting a dent in the family budget. But instead of improving rural transit services, the lack of funding and coordination under this Liberal government made the situation worse. Combined with Greyhound’s route cancellations, too many communities have been left stranded without reliable transportation services.

New Democrats believe that every community in Canada should be able to count on reliable transit to connect them to their jobs, health care services, schools, and family members. Greyhound’s service cuts have hit rural communities hard, and we need a reliable alternative to help people get where they need to go. That’s why we’ll work with the provinces, territories and Indigenous communities to create an affordable public transit service that connects rural areas, including restoring cancelled bus services, expanding into under-served areas, restarting the Ontario Northlander train, re-establishing vital regional air routes and much more to keep our communities connected.

Staying connected digitally is more essential than ever, yet too many rural communities in Canada don’t have reliable cell phone or broadband service. A New Democrat government will change that, delivering high-speed rural broadband to all communities in Canada without delay, and ensuring that reliable cell phone service is expanded to every area of Canada – while keeping rates affordable for families and businesses.

Rural Canada drives at least a third of the country’s economy, but successive Liberal and Conservative governments have missed the opportunity to develop these regions to their full potential. COVID-19 has hit small communities and rural areas hard, and Canada’s economic recovery plan needs to respond to that reality. A New Democrat government will invest in regional economic development agencies and provide economic support for rural areas to invest in job creation in areas like tourism and community development.

Many Northern, rural and remote communities are working hard to retain families, attract workers and stop out-migration, but they can’t do it alone. That’s why New Democrats will put in place a new tax credit for graduates to work in designated rural and Northern communities and make it easier for employers to hire and retain the workers they need.

To make all of Canada’s communities sustainable for the long term, we need to change how we build them. Rural communities need fair access to federal infrastructure and transit funds, and more help to prepare for and deal with the increasingly severe impacts of climate change. New Democrats will work with provinces to put in place a new deal for rural infrastructure programs that provide long-term predictable funding for communities – and we’ll increase the amount of help the federal government provides to communities to adapt to climate change and rebuild when disasters happen. We’ll make sure that affordable housing investments go to rural communities, too – and that federal infrastructure dollars flow now to create good local jobs that stay in the community.

Immigration makes Canada stronger, welcoming new talent and energy from around the world to build our communities and boost our economy. Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world – and we are richer and stronger for it.

Yet, under the Liberal government, too many new Canadians are waiting years to reunify with family members. Highly educated people are struggling to get work in their field of expertise – causing stress for their families as they struggle to make ends meet and to fulfil their potential. And instead of helping, too many Conservatives want to make the situation worse, with dangerous statements that seek to divide our communities.

Our immigration system should be accountable to Canadians and rooted in the values of fairness, respect, and dignity. We know that immigrants strengthen our country, and we will always stand against those who would use fear of our neighbours to divide us. We believe in a Canada where newcomers can rely on a fair process, and find success when they arrive – and where no one is separated from their loved ones for years because of backlogs.

That’s why a New Democrat government will make sure that our immigration policies and levels meet Canada’s labour force needs and recognize people’s experiences, contributions, and ties to Canada. We will work with the provinces to address gaps in settlement services and improve foreign credentials recognition.

We believe that in Canada, family reunification should be a priority. But thousands of families who hoped to apply to bring a parent or grandparent are let down by the lottery system when the available spots were filled in just minutes. New Democrats will end the unfair cap on applications to sponsor parents and grandparents, and take on the backlogs that are keeping families apart. Under the Liberals the backlog of immigration applications for the family members of refugees nearly doubled by 2021 – meaning that people will have to wait years to be reunited with loved ones.

We need all kinds of workers in Canada. Throughout the pandemic, we depended on workers who came here from other countries to work in agriculture, caregiving and more. New Democrats believe that if someone is good enough to come and work here, then there should be a path for them to stay permanently.

New Democrats will protect newcomers by taking on unscrupulous immigration consultants, ensuring that the industry is regulated by the government. And we’ll treat caregivers brought to Canada with respect and dignity, providing them with status and allowing them to reunite with their families without delay.

As the world experiences an unprecedented refugee crisis, Canada also has a vital role to play in resettling people forced out of their homes by conflict, persecution and disasters. But under the Liberal government, the backlog of asylum seekers is set to more than double in the next few years. A New Democrat government will fix the system to get rid of the backlog, and work with Canadians to resettle refugees in our communities, ensuring they are given the support they need to build successful lives and new homes here in Canada.

Every Canadian deserves to feel secure in the knowledge that their streets, home, business and community are safe. New Democrats know that building a sense of community safety is not just about the absence of crime – It’s about making sure that everyone matters, that we address the root causes of crime, and that the justice system treats everyone fairly.

When we focus on increasing social inclusion, promoting public health, ensuring food security, access to education, affordable housing and increasing youth engagement, we not only provide Canadians with important services; we also reduce the risk of crime. But when crime threatens and safety is at risk, there’s much more that the federal government can do to protect Canadians and foster safer communities for the long term.

Police accountability is an important way to make our communities safer. It’s past time to put in place robust and independent civilian oversight of the RCMP. We’ll launch a review of the RCMP’s budget and the RCMP Act in order to ensure accountability of the RCMP to the public. A New Democrat government will release all use-of-force incidents by the RCMP and launch a full review of these practices.

For too long, successive Liberal and Conservative governments have stood by and done nothing while Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities are forced to live in fear and mistrust of the police. New Democrats are committed to putting an end to police violence, and will implement a federal use-of-force standard with a zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate use-of-force. We will overhaul federal police training to ensure that every officer receives robust and ongoing de-escalation, implicit-bias and cross-cultural training throughout their career. New Democrats will also increase investments in non-police interventions, such as mental health and addiction supports.

It’s time for the federal government to tackle white supremacism, terrorism and the growing threat of hate crimes targeting communities in Canada. We will begin work immediately to ensure that all major cities have dedicated hate crime units within local police forces, and to convene a national working group to counter online hate. New Democrats will always stand up against all forms of hate, racism, including anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, gender-based violence, homophobia, and transphobia.

Too many lives have been lost in Canadian cities to rising gun crime. We will work to keep assault weapons and illegal handguns off our streets and to tackle gun smuggling and organized crime.

To help protect our communities against gangs, New Democrats will make sure that communities have access to funding for anti-gang projects that help deter at-risk youth from joining gangs. We’ll address radicalization by focusing on preventing youth from falling prey to violent extremism, including through support for community-led initiatives.

Our vision of public safety is one that is informed by the need for more restorative justice. Victims should have access to the services and supports they need, such as counselling, referrals, police and court-related services, and a voice in decisions that may impact their safety.

New Democrats will deal with threats to our national security, including foreign interference and espionage, terrorism and cybercrime, by working with our international allies, enhancing real-time oversight of security services, and fully respecting the privacy and Charter rights of all Canadians. We will also strengthen protection for Canadians who are victims of foreign interference and threats.