Canada: Conservatives Announce Election Platform

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Conservative leader Stephen Harper, speaking to the Canada Club, said that a re-elected Conservative government would provide $400 million more in loans over the next four years to help the beleaguered manufacturing sector in Central Canada.

Harper used the speech to release the party's election platform.

The Conservatives will add $200 million to the Automotive Innovation Fund and another $200 million to the Strategic Aerospace Defence Initiative.

In addition, they will abolish tariffs on a wide range of imported machinery to bolster manufacturing efficiency..

The party has also decided to drop its controversial changes to film and television tax-credit eligibility.

The Conservative platform also includes previously announced proposals, such as:

* A two-cent-a-litre cut in taxes on diesel and aviation fuel over four years totalling $600 million a year once fully implemented.
* Maternity, parental leave benefits for entrepreneurs who pay into employment insurance.
* $85 million in tax breaks for families where one spouse forgoes full-time work to care for a disabled family member.
* Maximum life sentences for offenders as young as 14 convicted of first- or second-degree murder; maximum 14-year sentences for youths who commit violent crimes.
* Teens over 14 who commit serious crimes would no longer have their identities protected.
* Ending conditional sentencing, also known as house arrest, for 30 serious crimes, including robbery, theft and arson.
* Pledging $113 million over five years to crack down on environmental crime, including maximum penalties of $6 million for companies and $1 million for individuals.
* New tax credit totalling $150 million a year for parents of children under 16 enrolled in eligible arts programs.