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CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA
QUÉBEC PLATFORM 2006

Cleaning up Ottawa

A Conservative government will put an end to the continual Liberal scandals that have sullied the reputation of federalism in Quebec and have allowed profiteers to enrich themselves at the expense of taxpayers by:

• revising and tightening all procedures related to issuing contracts and using public funds;
• giving greater independence to the Ethics Commissioner and increased powers to the Auditor General;
• creating an independent and objective Parliamentary Budget Authority;
• ensuring that all governmental institutions – including foundations – be subject to full audits by the Auditor General;
• reforming federal political party financing along the lines of the model established in Quebec by René Lévesque.

Open federalism

Instead of the federal Liberals’ old paternalistic and arrogant attitude toward Quebec and the blind and pointless obstructionism of the Bloc Québécois, a Conservative government will practice a new, open federalism, based on the following principles:

• recognition of provincial autonomy and of the special cultural and institutional responsibilities of the Quebec government;
• respect of federal and provincial areas of responsibility as defined in the Canadian constitution;
• the possibility for Quebec to participate in international institutions such a UNESCO, according to the model used in the Francophonie summit;
• on-going consultation between the federal government and the provinces;
• correction of the fiscal imbalance between Ottawa and the provinces;
• collaboration with the Council of the Federation;
• limitation of the federal spending power; and
• an open attitude towards general constitutional discussions aiming to strengthen the Canadian federation and the integration of Quebec into the constitutional family when circum¬stances are favourable.

We will adopt a Charter of Open Federalism to demonstrate our commitment to a more efficient and balanced federation.

A stronger economy and more prosperous families

A Conservative government will turn the page on the dark years in the history of the Canadian federation and adapt our economy to the challenges of global competition and put more money back in the pockets of those who earned it by :

• significantly reducing the tax burden of all Quebecers;
• reducing the GST;
• allowing trades people to deduct the cost of the tools used for their work;
• helping young people to access post-secondary education through improvement of the student bursary program and by allowing the deduction of the cost of school books;
• improving our trade relations with all our partners, paying particular attention to our special link with the United States;
• creating a business climate which will encourage research and development, taking into account the particular importance of Quebec’s leading-edge industries, including the pharmaceu¬tical and aerospace industries;
• jointly adopting with the provinces a regional and agricultural development strategy based on innovation, the development of new markets, and supply management;
• allowing farmers and other people who have had land expropriated in the Mirabel area to buy their land back;
• in consultation with the provinces, providing large and small municipalities with adequate and predictable revenues to help them renew infrastructure, build affordable housing, protect the environment, and develop public transit.
  

A supportive and safe society

A Conservative government will work closely with the Quebec government to ensure the well-being of citizens and the progress and safety of the communities where they live, respecting their respective priorities and choices by:

• protecting the hard-earned money of Quebec seniors;
• ensuring timely access to quality health care, through long-term, stable, and predictable financing;
• working with the Quebec government to develop a Patient Wait Times Guarantee to ensure that patients receive essential medical treatment within clinically acceptable waiting times;
• respecting choices made by the Quebec government within its social policy responsibilities;
• developing a national strategy to help with the purchase of catastrophic drugs;
• providing direct financial support to parents for child care;
• helping parents pay for their children’s participation in sporting activities;
• adopting, in collaboration with the provinces, a new, realistic made-in-Canada approach to environmental protection, including targeted actions, to immediately improve air quality and water quality; and
• providing the finances and legal means needed to fight organized crime and street gangs, and to protect our communities and families.