An NDP government would back low-interest mortgages for first-time buyers, Singh said at a campaign stop in Port Moody, B.C., on March 30. He offered few details.
The NDP has also pledged nationwide rent control. At a Halifax campaign stop, Singh said his party would make federal housing grants for provinces conditional on tenant protections and pass a renters’ bill of rights that would apply across Canada. He said it would also ban “renovictions” (evicting tenants under the pretense of major renovations) and fixed-term lease agreements.
Currently, different provinces and municipalities have a patchwork of rent control measures. They are controversial; economists and business groups argue that they are counterproductive in the long term because they take away the incentive for developers to build more rental housing and for landlords to maintain housing stock as rental property.
Canadian issues: Inflation
NDP leader Singh has promised to bring in emergency price caps on food staples such as pasta, frozen vegetables and baby formula. He also pledged higher taxes on grocery chain profits and tighter regulations in the sector. The party aims to permanently remove the GST on “essentials” including grocery-store meals, diapers and strollers, as well as phone, internet and heating bills.
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Canadian issues: Retirement
The Conservatives have proposed raising the age at which you must wrap up your registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) and convert it to a registered retirement income fund (RRIF) or annuity to 73 from 71. The party has promised to keep the retirement age at 65 for programs such as Old Age Security (OAS), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS).
The NDP has vowed to raise the GIS for low-income seniors, but it hasn’t specified by how much.
The Liberals announced one-time measures to help seniors cope with the market volatility brought on by American tariff policy. It says it will reduce the minimum amount seniors must withdraw this year from their RRIF accounts and it will boost the GIS by 5%, again just for 2025. The latter move will increase individuals’ GIS payments for the year by up to $652.
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Canadian issues: Investing
The Conservatives have proposed to increase the TFSA contribution limit by $5,000 for funds invested in Canadian equities. The policy harkens back to the 1990s and earlier, when RRSP contributions only qualified for a deduction if invested in Canada. There are issues with such policies in practice, however. The Canadian markets feature companies that are domiciled outside Canada, like Franco Nevada, and many Canadian-based companies have most of their operations and employment outside the country. Conversely, there are Canadian companies that are listed only on foreign stock exchanges, such as Lululemon, that presumably would not qualify.
