NDP Our Vision for Canada
New Democrats are proud of their tradition of upholding the rights of all peoples, especially minorities and disadvantaged groups.
The equality social democrats seek is a precondition for the social participation of all citizens. That’s why New Democrats support both the letter and the spirit of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, recognizing that human dignity requires not just individual civil rights, but economic, social and cultural rights as well. New Democrat government will strengthen the human rights of Canadian citizens.
New Democrats also believe in the ongoing need to strengthen the Canadian identity. Arts and culture enrich individual lives and community identities. It helps tell the stories that place us in our country and in our world. Public support for artists and culture workers ensure that the story of Canada gets told, at home and around the world.
Theatre, film, dance, music, literature, and the visual arts make an immense, often under-appreciated contribution to our economy and employment. That’s why social democrats are committed to supporting and empowering artists and culture workers. And the work they produce improves the quality of life for all of us who seek the nourishment that culture and the arts can provide.
Public broadcasting has been as important for opening Canada up as public rail and air transport. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation must be protected and its administration made more transparent. Foreign ownership and uncompetitive media concentration has squeezed out regional dailies and radio stations. New Democrats will ensure local community broadcasters, and alternative media, are given the encouragement they need. That also means the immense creative and educational possibilities of the Internet must remain freely available to all Canadians.
New Democrats believe in:
New Democrats believe in:
The equality social democrats seek is a precondition for the social participation of all citizens. That’s why New Democrats support both the letter and the spirit of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, recognizing that human dignity requires not just individual civil rights, but economic, social and cultural rights as well. New Democrat government will strengthen the human rights of Canadian citizens.
New Democrats also believe in the ongoing need to strengthen the Canadian identity. Arts and culture enrich individual lives and community identities. It helps tell the stories that place us in our country and in our world. Public support for artists and culture workers ensure that the story of Canada gets told, at home and around the world.
Theatre, film, dance, music, literature, and the visual arts make an immense, often under-appreciated contribution to our economy and employment. That’s why social democrats are committed to supporting and empowering artists and culture workers. And the work they produce improves the quality of life for all of us who seek the nourishment that culture and the arts can provide.
Public broadcasting has been as important for opening Canada up as public rail and air transport. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation must be protected and its administration made more transparent. Foreign ownership and uncompetitive media concentration has squeezed out regional dailies and radio stations. New Democrats will ensure local community broadcasters, and alternative media, are given the encouragement they need. That also means the immense creative and educational possibilities of the Internet must remain freely available to all Canadians.
6.1 Women’s Rights
New Democrats believe in:
- Promoting women’s economic equality by ensuring pay equity, encouraging unionization, improving access to EI, and setting a minimum salary for employees under federal jurisdiction
- Improving parental leave benefits and working with employers to develop better work-family balance
- Ending violence against women by investing in prevention, education, and counselling, and by improving access to justice and protection of victims’ rights
- Guaranteeing that abortion is a fully funded, universally accessible medical procedure, and protecting the personal safety of physicians, personnel and patients at abortion clinics
- Supporting advocacy for women’s equality by reinstating funding for programs within Status of Women Canada
- Eliminating obstacles to women’s political participation by reforming the electoral system, improving political civility, and ensuring consultation with women’s groups in public policy development
- Applying gender-based analysis to public policy, especially addressing the needs of marginalized women; and
- Showing world leadership by defending the rights of women to live without poverty, increasing development aid for women, including women in peace talks, and fighting the sexual exploitation of women everywhere.
6.2 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Rights
- Halting any rollback of achieved rights, including spousal benefits and same-sex marriage
- Supporting international struggles against discrimination against LGBT persons, particularly against the criminalization of homosexual relationships between consenting adults
- Including gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds for discrimination in the Canadian Human Rights Act
- Strengthening laws against hate propaganda and hate crimes
- Eliminating any discrimination in the justice system based on sexual orientation or identity
- Ending censorship of artistic works dealing with questions of sexual orientation or identity
- Stopping discriminatory practices against LGBT persons in immigration and refugee procedures; and
- Investing in programs to promote equity for LGBT persons, offering more help and support to young LGBT people who face discrimination, violence or hate.
6.3 Rights of People with Disabilities
New Democrats believe in:- The need to reduce poverty and the exclusion of people with disabilities
- Ensuring accessible services are available in all federal agencies
- Removing obstacles to employment and social integration and investing in appropriate material and social supports
- Simplifying access to disability benefits within the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and support organizations helping eligible people in their request or appeals; and
- Establishing tax fairness and revenue supports for people with disabilities.
- An immediate ratification and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Ensuring a majority of people developing public policy relating to persons with disabilities be people living with disabilities
- Stopping discriminatory practices against persons with disabilities in immigration and refugee procedures; and
- The need to appoint a Canadian Disability Accommodation Commissioner to advise Parliament and the responsible minister on issues affecting persons with disabilities.
6.4 Rights of Aboriginal Peoples
New Democrats believe in:- Investing in First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, notably in health and social services, education, housing, community and sanitary infrastructures, and recreation
- Developing restorative justice initiatives, consistent with First Nations, Inuit and Métis cultures
- Promoting the economic development of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities by supporting traditional economies, social and physical infrastructures, and increased training; and
- Supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis people by funding Native Friendship Centres, investing in affordable housing, and supporting health, education, and training measures.
6.5 Multiculturalism
New Democrats believe in:- Strengthening multiculturalism policies, in consultation with affected communities
- Employing multiculturalism as a tool of integration, consistent with immigration policies; and
- Supporting social and cultural activities of communities based on merit, not political or partisan consideration.
6.6 Supporting Canadian Creativity
New Democrats believe in:- Supporting Canadian artists, culture workers, and entertainers
- Ensuring long-term predictable funding for Canadian museums, the Canada Council for the Arts, and other cultural organizations
- Improving incentives for Canadian film and television production through Telefilm Canada and the Canadian Television Fund
- Ensuring that cultural support serves Canada’s two official languages
- Amending the mandate of the CRTC to protect and promote Canadian cultural enterprises
- Providing artists with better opportunities to promote their work, in Canada and abroad; and
- Improving copyright protection.
6.7 Our Public Broadcaster’s Role
New Democrats believe in:- Protecting the independence of the CBC/SRC by increasing public funding with the goal of eventually eliminating private advertising
- Expanding and improving the CBC/SRC’s regional news services, local programming, and internet presence; and
- Ensuring a transparent non-partisan processes in the nomination of the CEO of the CBC/SRC and strengthening the independence of the ombudsman.
6.8 Communications Sector and the Internet
New Democrats believe in:- Protecting Canadian content and promoting Canadian artists and creators
- Supporting community broadcasters and alternative media
- Restricting cross-media ownership and protecting against media concentration while accounting for regional realities
- Requiring private media companies to create an information ombudsman to ensure the journalistic integrity and social responsibility of news corporations
- Limiting the foreign ownership of Canadian media and telecommunications industries
- Strengthening the rights of media and telecom consumers; and
- Enforcing “net neutrality” with clear and transparent rules to protect Canadians’ right to access freely the content of their choice.
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