CTVNews.ca Staff
Published Saturday, September 19, 2015 10:10AM EDT
The social media gaffes died down during the seventh week of the campaign and the focus turned to the economy. Here’s a recap.
MONDAY
There are more than five million senior citizens and they are much more likely to vote, so it’s no surprise all three parties were dangling carrots for the elderly.
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau promised to eventually boost the guaranteed income supplement by $920 a year, and to index old age security benefits to inflation.
The NDP said they would not only boost the GIS, but also spend more on home care, nursing home beds, palliative care, ’dementia and Alzheimers.
The Conservatives - who previously announced a slew of benefits for seniors - celebrated the news that Canada had posted a $1.9-billion surplus for 2014-15 under their watch.
TUESDAY
Not to be outdone on the seniors file, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper announced a $2,000 tax credit for single pensioners, which he said would start in 2017 and save up them up to $600 a year.
Mulcair made an announcement for another demographic, a $100-million mental health fund for youth, but that was overshadowed by a manifesto from celebrities and prominent New Democrats, including Rachel McAdams, Stephen Lewis and Naomi Klein.
In contrast to the NDP’s platform of balanced budgets, openness to free trade and sustainable development of Alberta’s oilsands, the Leap signatories said they want the next government to end free trade deals and a phase out fossil fuels in a few decades.
Harper was in Vancouver, where he said a recession in Alberta “has been made worse because the NDP government came in and followed up by raising taxes."
WEDNESDAY
Trudeau was more kind to the Alberta NDP, saying their victory gave him hope for a breakthrough in the province, which usually shuts out Liberals. He accused Harper of “missing an entire boom cycle” in Alberta and not getting “any of the projects needed” built.
The NDP, meanwhile, offered a “costing” of their platform, which suggests they would pay for billions of dollars of new promises in part with a two per cent rise in the corporate tax rate - similar to the Alberta NDP’s recent hike.
THURSDAY
Facebook revealed that the economy has certainly been on the minds of voters. It was the most-discussed topic between early August and mid-September, with big spikes coinciding with the news that Canada had slipped into technical recession and that it posted a $1.9-billion surplus.
At an economy debate in Alberta, the leaders fought over their plans for greenhouse gases, a possible house price bubble, the wisdom of deficits and immigration policy.
Green party leader ’Elizabeth May wasnt invited but took to Twitter, where she shared videos, including one “fact-checking” Harper’s comments on renewable energy.
FRIDAY
As the pundits argued over who won, all three leaders attempted to create post-debate momentum.
Harper upped his game by doing a Q&A in Toronto with Conservative super fan Wayne Gretzky.
Mulcair went to the land of Tommy Douglas (Saskatchewan) to announce his commitment to working with the provinces toward universal prescription drug coverage.
Trudeau, meanwhile, seized on a comment Harper made at the debate about “old stock Canadians,” telling supporters in Montreal it showed Harper was “eager to use the politics of division.”
Nanos Research’s daily tracking for CTV and The Globe and Mail continued to show a three-way race Friday morning, as it had for eight days.
Next week will show whether any leader broke through.
BIG energy waste or 100s of 1000s of real jobs fixing it