Technology is an important part of our everyday lives, from our classrooms and workplaces, to our homes. However, it just so happens that Canada’s tech sector is also a major economic driver for the country, and among the fastest growing job markets as well.
When more federal dollars are invested in tech research and advancement, Canada does not just benefit economically in the long term (by creating more jobs), but socially as well.
What do the Federal parties aim to invest into technology? Below, we’ve listed a few of the promises that each party has made in regards to the issue.
The Liberal Party has vowed to…
- Require CBC and RadioCanada to open up its digital platform. This will allow journalism start-ups and community newspapers to have greater access to affordable technology and better distribute local content.
- Move forward with a new technology and commercial support fund, administered through Western Economic Diversification. This fund will help connect farmers, researchers, agribusinesses, and energy companies in Western Canada and help give producers an advantage in a cleaner and greener economy.
- Cut in half the corporate tax paid by green companies that develop and manufacture zero-emissions technology. This will help create higher incentives to make Canada a competitive leader in zero-emission clean tech.
The NDP has vowed to…
- Focus on aerospace innovation, helping small and medium sized aerospace companies increase capacity. This will help Canada become a world leader in clean aviation, and scale-up its aerospace industry to compete globally
- Take a strategic, sector-specific approach that invests in innovation and research & development in Canada with a particular focus on developing the green technologies for a low-carbon future.
- Review the federal procurement system to ensure that federal government processes are designed to encourage Canadian businesses to bid for contracts. This is especially relevant for projects supporting the expansion of digital government.
The Conservative Party has vowed to…
- Diversify Canada’s trade toward emerging markets and reduce dependency on the US. In addition, they vow to ensure that intellectual property and free trade services are at the heart of new trade agreements to protect Canadian companies internationally.
- Ensure that the immigration system attracts the top talent and ensure government re-training programs meet the needs of Canada’s technology sector by providing them with the highly skilled workers they need.
- Facilitate greater innovation in carbon capture technology, especially in the agricultural sector. Specific examples include the development of no-till or low-till farming techniques which increase the capacity of land to store carbon.
The Green Party has vowed to…
- Ensure that scientific publications based on publicly-funded research are publicly available in open access journals or on a portal.
- Enhance funding for the research grant councils, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
- Support NSERC’s Framework on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in scientific research. This will commit to strengthening Canadian scientific and engineering communities to include the full participation of equity-seeking groups, including women, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, people with diverse gender identities and people with disabilities
The People’s Party has vowed to…
- Abolish subsidies for green technology and let private players develop profitable and efficient alternatives.
- Phase out the CRTC (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications) Public authority and allow more foreign companies into the Canadian market.
The Bloc Quebecois has vowed to…
- Creating an investment fund for high-tech sectors such as green technology, advanced transportation, aerospace, multimedia and video games, and pharmaceuticals.
- Introduce measures protecting domestic technology startups such as the development of a long term capital fund and greater governmental investments to offset risks to entrepreneurs. This will enable entrepreneurs to develop their business in Canada rather than selling their patent after its development.
Liked this recap? We also highly recommend you check out Pollenize and Canada Votes if you want a higher-level breakdown of each party’s platform.
