Federal leaders make ambitious promises on day six of election campaign

KITCHENER, Ontario – In a one-on-one interview on Monday morning, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau told 570 NEWS his top priority for this election, while his opponents made their own announcements at stops across the country.

“We know there are still families who are worried, who are struggling, and there’s more to do,” Trudeau said in the interview in Kitchener, Ontario, adding the economy is the single greatest issue for him this election.

He said he wants to prepare the country for a green economic strategy, while getting more Canadians working.

However, Trudeau still refused to say when he would balance the budget if re-elected.

“The Conservatives keep proposing cuts. We’re going to keep proposing to invest in Canadians,” he said.

Trudeau also said his party would soon release its gun control promises in the wake of a mass shooting in Mississauga, Ontario.

“We’re going to have more to say about how we’re going to strengthen gun control in this country because keeping our communities safe is a huge priority,” he explained.

Trudeau’s one-on-one interview came ahead of a campaign stop at a public school in Waterloo on Monday, where he vowed to double the federal spending on child care and early learning, if re-elected.

“The new funding will be used to create up to 250,000 new spaces for before and after school programs,” he said.

Listen to the full interview here:

Meanwhile, the Green Party released its full platform in Toronto on Monday.

The Greens took a jab at the the New Democrats, saying the Green Party’s platform was “Also known as the NDP’s 2023 platform.” On top of an aggressive environmental plan and initiatives aimed at reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, Elizabeth May’s party platform also contains a broad range of other promises.

“100 per cent, universal, single-payer pharmacare because it will reduce costs in our healthcare system,” she said, also promising dental coverage for low-income Canadians, the elimination of tuition fees, and a guaranteed liveable income.

In a bit of political tit-for-tat with the Greens, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced it had recruited the former leader of the Green Party in Quebec to run for them there, replacing former New Democrat MP Pierre Nantel who defected to the Greens.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer was in B.C. before heading to Alberta on Monday. Scheer resurrected the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit and the Children’s Arts and Learning Tax Credit — two of Stephen Harper’s boutique tax credits cut by the Liberal Party.

-With files from The Canadian Press