With Canada’s 42nd federal election drawing to a close, many University of Saskatchewan students are finalizing their choices about which party will ultimately receive their support come Oct. 19.

To inform and educate, the Sheaf has organized a four-party debate in which U of S undergraduates were asked to provide information, backing and support for their party of choice, as well as their parties’ respective platforms.

2015 thesheaf.com election poll results

The Conservative Party of Canada

COLE HOGAN

Not only will a re-elected Conservative government take concrete measures to increase accessibility to post-secondary education and make it more affordable, the Conservative Party of Canada itself is open, tolerant and democratic.

You’ve heard your friends talk about Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservatives. They break Godwin’s Law of Nazi Analogies — “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one” — fast enough to make you question whether or not they have a credible argument against the Conservatives.

They don’t. Stay with me.

In “Our Conservative Plan to Protect the Economy,” the Conservative Party of Canada’s platform states that a re-elected Conservative government would eliminate the in-study income requirement from the Canada Student Loans Program, so students can make money while pursuing post-secondary education without affecting their loan eligibility, helping 87,000 students per year.

Additionally, a re-elected Conservative government would reduce the expected parental contributions from the Canada Student Loans Program assessment in order to better recognize the financial realities faced by families, which would increase support to 92,000 students.

By eliminating these financial barriers, making grants applicable to short-term vocational programs, and providing ongoing support for Aboriginal post-secondary bursaries by working with Indspire — an Aboriginal-led national charity dedicated to helping First Nations students receive post-secondary education — a re-elected Conservative government will increase affordable access to all post-secondary students.

I’d encourage you to consider the following facts about the Conservative Party of Canada. Although there is much more work to do on this matter, Prime Minister Stephen Harper provided the long-awaited apology in 2008 from the Government of Canada for the damage residential schools have done.

There is no “pink sandbox” in the Conservative Party of Canada, either. Issues affecting Aboriginals, youth and the LGBTQ community are not pushed aside to a separate party wing or commission, but embraced within the party. A Conservative is a Conservative is a Conservative. At the same time, activist groups like LGBTory — the Rainbow Conservatives of Canada — are proof of this.

While party unity remains stringent, a tracking of votes in the House of Commons of Canada from the first Harper majority government shows that Conservative Members of Parliament break ranks with their party for votes more often than MPs of any other parties.

The Conservative Party of Canada is open, free and inclusive. On Oct. 19, I suggest you give the party a second look.

Green Party of Canada

ASHLEY SHARPE

Many people are having a difficult time deciding who to vote for in this election, but for me, the obvious choice is the Green Party of Canada.

Voters may crave change but recognize too many similarities between opposing parties, making it difficult to make a choice. Too often, politicians are heard skirting around issues and touting soundbites rather than sound policy. But there is another option for voters in Canada who want politicians to work for them, rather than for power. 

Personally, I have grown tired of the superficial style of Canadian politics. To me, it seems that politicians spend too much time avoiding questions, focusing instead on pushing partisan agendas rather than listening to and advocating for Canadians and their communities.

These sentiments changed for me the first time I heard Elizabeth May speak. Elizabeth May is the only federal party leader I have heard speak about a broad range of issues — whether or not the issues are on the party agenda.

Moreover, May is the only leader I have heard respond directly to any question posed to her by journalists and the only leader who consistently conducts herself with dignity and respect in the House of Commons of Canada. Seeing May in action — whether in the House or speaking to the media — renewed my sense of interest and passion for Canadian politics.

There are four main reasons that I choose the Green Party over any other party in Canada.

First, Elizabeth May sets the bar high for ethics and accountability — standards which all Green Party candidates must also uphold. Green Party candidates are people with solid résumes who are not career politicians. They are a refreshing, ethical and accountable alternative to the attack antics of other parties. For instance, they were the first federal party to publish its expenses in order to be accountable to all Canadians.

Second, the Green Party realizes that the student struggle is real! They understand that student debt is an overwhelming and often insurmountable challenge facing students and actually want to do something about it. The party’s platform includes abolishing tuition fees for college and university students by 2020!

Third, for the Green Party, environmental sustainability is a real priority and not just a PR pitch.  The party consists of people who genuinely love and care about Mother Earth, and who want to do all that is possible right now to ensure the future and health of our environment. As we all know, preserving the environment and our natural resources is critical. After all, we can’t eat money.

Fourth, the Green Party and its candidates are fighting and will continue to fight for Canada’s future over political power. The Green Party will co-operate and collaborate with other parties in order to ensure that Canada is a country that upholds democracy, practices good government, manages a sustainable economy, maintains strong communities, protects the environment and is a nation that makes its citizens proud to be Canadian. As such, they’ve got my vote this autumn.

Liberal Party of Canada

BEN SUTHERLAND

The Liberal Party of Canada is proposing many positive changes to voters.

They will commit to a $60 billion economic stimulus that focuses on green energy, public transit, ending a one-dimensional oil obsessed economy and making sure students do not have to pay back student loans until they’re making at least $25,000 a year.

They will also renew the government’s relationship with Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, expand social programs and come up with a comprehensive mental health strategy. 

Yet students still flock to the banner of the New Democratic Party, who voice for a balanced budget and lowering taxation on small businesses. I am often confused at the fact that my fellow progressive students who are so enamoured with social change choose to support the NDP over the Liberals.

The Liberal Party of Canada will be able to create change immediately and on a much larger scale than the NDP.

First of all, the NDP are constrained by their balanced budget promise. In addition to this, the Liberals will go into a $10 billion deficit for the next two fiscal years to pay for programs that progressives value.

Think about it. The Liberals are going to be able to spend more money on all the things that progressives value: investing in green infrastructure such as expanded public transit, investing in clean energy to combat global warming and increasing Aboriginal funding and communication on a nation to nation basis.

The NDP is making similar promises, but will break several of them in an attempt to balance the budget, or will reduce the scope of change initially promised to do so. The Liberals will be able to enact more change faster than the NDP because they are not constrained by balancing the budget.

For example, the Liberals will invest $750 million per year in non-repayable grant assistance for students. The NDP will only invest $250 million over four years.

The Liberals will also raise taxes on the top one per cent of Canadians to give the middle class a tax break. The NDP will not raise taxes on the rich — so much for the NDP being the closest thing to socialist party.

The NDP cannot claim their social democratic background still persists to this day if they are unwilling to make the Canadian bourgeoisie pay their fair share.

Oh yeah, the Liberals will also legalize weed.

In all honestly, I implore all students to vote for whoever they think will be best. So please, before casting your ballot, go to all party websites and check out their policy points, vote for what you believe in and what party plan makes the most sense to you.

New Democratic Party of Canada

NIGEL DETBRENNER-REMPEL

Never in Canadian history has there been an election like this upcoming one. All of the parties are making promises and, sadly, most people tune out at this point. However, these promises actually matter to students and we should be paying attention to what is being said.

What politicians say about the economy matters because we all want a job; what they say about healthcare matters because we all need it; and what they say about education matters because we all go to the U of S — and on a provincial level, paying the second highest tuition rate in Canada sucks!

First, let’s put to rest that a social democratic government doesn’t know how to handle money. This simply is not true.

If we look at the facts, the NDP has been the most financially responsible of any party at a provincial level. If you want to talk about balanced budgets, they’ve accomplished that goal 40 per cent of the time, compared to 23 per cent from the Liberals and 33 per cent from the Conservatives — as well as six straight deficits with Harper as prime minister, with a projected seventh for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

They don’t raise taxes either — unless you’re a large corporation. Revenue as a share of the economy has averaged at 23 per cent for the Liberals versus roughly 21 per cent for both the NDP and Conservatives provincially. If you want a fiscally responsible government, the NDP is your best option.

Secondly, healthcare is something that is important to everyone in Canada. Remember that Tommy Douglas guy — the man behind universal medicare, voted Greatest Canadian in 2004? Yeah, that was the NDP.

The NDP wants to spend surpluses to preserve a six per cent annual increase in provincial healthcare transfers, as well as work towards a universal drug-coverage plan, as Canada is the only developed country with universal health care but without a drug plan. This is the NDP plan, compared to cutting health care by $36 billion over the next 10 years, like the Conservatives will do.

Education is very important to the NDP as well. Since Harper began as prime minister, student debt has risen 30 per cent and the average student graduates with $26,000 of debt. This is not acceptable. The NDP wants to phase out interest on federal loans, saving the average student $4,000, and create 50,000 new grants for people seeking post-secondary education. Being educated isn’t something you should suffer for, and the NDP is the only party that has a legitimate plan to help students.

Lastly, let’s look at who has a real chance at winning in Saskatoon. In all three Saskatoon ridings, it’s between Conservative and NDP candidates and if you don’t believe me, visit any polling site like threehundredeight.com. No poll has found the Liberals higher than third place. If you are tired of Conservatives screwing you over, voting NDP is the only way to go.

2011 federal election results

Images: Jeremy Britz/Graphics Editor