Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives have released a 130‑page blueprint that promises to “axe taxes, build homes, stop crime, and fix the budget.” Branded Canada First – For a Change, the platform touches every corner of federal policy.
Affordability, Tax Cuts, and a “Bring It Home” Economy
At the heart of the plan is an aggressive tax‑relief package. A 15 per cent cut to the lowest personal tax bracket would save the average worker about $900 each year, while dual‑income families keep $1,800. Ottawa would also axe the carbon tax in full, wipe out the escalator tax on alcohol, scrap the Underused Housing Tax, and cancel the planned food‑packaging levy that growers say could raise grocery bills by 30 per cent.
To turbo‑charge investment, the Tories pledge a temporary capital‑gains holiday on assets reinvested in Canada, a Canada First TFSA Top‑Up worth an extra $5,000 for domestic shares, and a refundable First Nations Resource Charge to let Indigenous communities keep more revenue from resource projects. A blue‑ribbon Tax Reform Task Force—farmers, builders, entrepreneurs, workers, not Ottawa insiders—would rewrite the Income Tax Act for fairness and simplicity.
Housing: 2.3 Million New Homes in Five Years
The platform calls Canada’s housing crunch “a crisis of leadership, not land.” A GST‑off rebate on every new home under $1.3 million and 50‑cent‑on‑the‑dollar reimbursements to municipalities that slash development fees could shave $100,000 off average construction costs in big cities. The Conservatives would tie federal infrastructure money to actual building permits, not promises—rewarding cities that exceed a 15 per cent build rate and penalising those that stall. Fifteen per cent of federal real estate will be sold or leased for residential projects; “Shovel‑Ready Zones” and a 60‑day CMHC approval clock aim to cut red tape. Military families get 6,000 new on‑base homes, and First Nations gain direct infrastructure transfers for Indigenous‑led builds.
Energy Corridor, Natural Resources and Critical Infrastructure
To “turn dollars for dictators into paycheques for Canadians,” the party would repeal Bills C‑69 and C‑48, end the clean‑fuel standard, cancel the industrial carbon backstop, and scrap the planned emissions cap on oil and gas. A National Energy Corridor—pre‑approved routes for pipelines, rail and transmission—would fast‑track western LNG to Atlantic tidewater and Arctic ports. A single Rapid Resource Project Office promises one environmental review, six‑month decisions and one‑year maximum timelines. Newfoundland’s offshore oil would double; BC’s LNG Canada Phase 2, GNL Québec and Ring‑of‑Fire mining roads would all be green‑lit.
Infrastructure pledges extend to “Shovel‑Ready Zones,” upgraded ports on the Great Lakes, more truck rest areas, elimination of Confederation Bridge tolls, and support for a Coquitlam River Bridge replacement.
Super‑Charging Manufacturing and Domestic Industry
Corporate write‑offs for luxury business jets disappear while a Buy Canada procurement policy steers federal contracts to domestic firms. A new Free‑Trade Bonus rewards provinces that slash internal trade barriers; open banking, oligopoly reviews of telecom and air travel, and harmonised trucking rules promise to lower consumer costs. Auto makers receive continued clean‑tech incentives, GST relief on Canadian‑built cars while U.S. tariffs last, and a Keep Canadians Working Fund to cushion retaliatory duties.
Fiscal Responsibility and a Leaner Federal Government
A one‑for‑one spending law means every new dollar of outlay requires an equal cut. Consultant bills are rolled back to 2015 levels, saving $10.5 billion; only two of every three retiring public servants will be replaced; and foreign aid to “dictators, terrorists and global bureaucracies” is trimmed. The Conservatives predict a deficit drop from $46.8 billion to $14.2 billion by 2028‑29.
Accountability Act 2.0 hikes ethics fines to $10,000, bans undisclosed blind trusts, forces politicians and lobbyists to reveal offshore holdings, and requires anyone giving paid advice to Ottawa to register as a lobbyist.
Crime, Policing and Firearms
The party vows the largest criminal‑justice crack‑down in Canadian history:
- A “three‑strikes” law—three serious offences trigger an automatic 10‑year sentence with no bail, parole or house arrest.
- Life sentences for fentanyl, illegal‑gun and human‑trafficking kingpins.
- Repeal of Liberal Bill C‑75’s “catch‑and‑release” bail model and Bill C‑5’s relaxed sentencing.
- New mandatory jail for organised auto theft, extortion and arson; consecutive sentences for mass murderers; and weapons bans in hospitals.
On firearms specifically the plan says “ban criminals, not hunters.” It keeps sport shooters legal, rewrites the Firearms Act in plain language, clears the licence backlog and introduces Enhanced Weapons Prohibition Orders that allow random, court‑approved searches of repeat violent offenders.
An anti‑hate task force, tougher penalties for attacks on places of worship, and new online child‑protection rules underline promises to secure communities.
Border Security and Immigration
At least 2,000 additional border agents, 120 surveillance towers and 90 drone trucks would patrol the frontier. Departure‑tracking, new scanners at ports, and the option of military assistance aim to curb gun and car smuggling. Immigration levels would be capped below growth in housing, jobs and healthcare capacity; union LMIA pre‑checks guard local wages; and visitor‑visa criminals face swift removal.
National Defence and Arctic Sovereignty
The Tories pledge to hit NATO’s 2 per cent of GDP target by 2030, adding $2 billion a year for 10 years. They would create CFB Iqaluit, upgrade Inuvik to base status, build a Churchill Arctic naval base, buy two heavy icebreakers (plus two now slated for the Coast Guard) and expand the Rangers to 4,000. Recruitment goals: 71,500 regulars, 30,000 reservists within 18 months. Six thousand new base houses and faster veterans’ services round out the defence agenda.
Health Care, Blue‑Seal Credentialing and Drug Crisis Response
The Conservatives keep the Canada Health Act but target wait‑times through a Blue Seal licence—national credentials for doctors, nurses and early‑childhood educators. Canadian med students abroad get more residencies; U.S.‑board physicians receive fast‑track recognition; and 15,000 new doctors are promised by 2030.
On addiction, the party will “bring our loved ones home drug‑free” by ending taxpayer‑funded “safe supply,” distributing 300,000 naloxone kits, suing Big Pharma for $44 billion, and letting judges impose compassionate intervention—court‑ordered treatment rather than jail. Drug‑consumption sites can’t open within 500 metres of schools, parks or seniors’ homes.
Seniors, Veterans, Caregivers and Disability Supports
Working seniors could earn $34,000 tax‑free and defer RRIF conversion to age 73. A refundable caregiver credit and automatic eligibility for linked programs replace today’s Disability Tax Credit maze. One thousand Autism Support Worker training seats each year and a doubled “Ready, Willing & Able” hiring program seek to broaden inclusion.
Veterans benefit from expanded Helmets to Hardhats, targeted mental‑health services, job‑placement support, and a push to award the Canadian Victoria Cross to Afghanistan hero Jess Larochelle.
Workers, Labour Mobility and Trades
A Tax Fairness for Travelling Trades Workers Act would finally let skilled Canadians deduct out‑of‑town travel. Apprenticeship grants return, EI is streamlined, union training funds rise, and high schools receive a Trades Toolkit. The Conservatives promise no right‑to‑work laws and no resurrection of bills C‑377/C‑525, positioning themselves as pro‑union and pro‑paycheque.
Indigenous Partnerships and Economic Reconciliation
Beyond the Resource Charge, a new Indigenous Opportunities Corporation gives communities equity in megaprojects, while an Indigenous Outcomes Fund backs measurable, community‑led solutions. Permanent infrastructure funding flows directly through the First Nations Fiscal Management Act, and housing programs will respect traditional materials and design. A nation‑to‑nation consultation process becomes mandatory for any legislation affecting First Nations, Inuit or Métis rights.
Environment, Outdoor Heritage and Fisheries
“Technology, not taxes” drives the climate plank. Conservatives vow to end raw‑sewage dumping, base Marine Protected Areas on science, and create an Outdoor Heritage Fund for hunters, anglers and conservationists. A Made‑in‑BC owner‑operator policy, public registry of fishing quotas, “marked selective” salmon harvests and doubled funding for small craft harbours address long‑standing fisheries complaints.
Culture, Media, Free Speech and Identity
A Freedom of Speech Act scraps Bill C‑11 and other “censorship laws,” forcing big tech to restore Canadian news links. CBC English TV would be defunded and converted to a not‑for‑profit funded by ads, subscriptions and donations; Radio‑Canada stays intact. Government advertising dollars shift exclusively to Canadian outlets, and $25 million more goes to local journalism.
Passports regain images of Vimy Ridge, Terry Fox and Indigenous heroes; citizenship ceremonies return in person with an oath honouring those who “worked, sacrificed and gave their lives.” Universities must uphold Charter section 2 speech rights or risk federal dollars.
Privacy, Data and Digital Autonomy
Federal workers fired solely for COVID‑shot status would be reinstated; a central‑bank digital currency is banned; and Ottawa vows no national digital‑ID scheme. CRA’s home‑sale reporting requirement is rescinded to protect homeowner privacy.
Quebec‑Specific Promises
The platform affirms Quebec’s nation status, opposes the Century Initiative’s population targets, respects provincial jurisdiction over culture and immigration, refuses federal money for the Quebec City tramway, but will help fund a third‑link road crossing and revive LNG Québec. A future Governor General must be fluently bilingual.
Faith, Minority Communities and Anti‑Hate Measures
An Anti‑Hate Crime Task Force, streamlined Security Infrastructure grants, and directed CSIS threat‑reduction support aim to protect mosques, synagogues, churches, gurdwaras and temples. Masked rioters at religious sites face stiffer penalties, and money‑laundering laws will claw back organised‑crime assets to fund enforcement.
Fighting Foreign Influence and Protecting Canadian Assets
Tariffs stay on strategic Chinese imports; federal rebates for Chinese‑made EVs end; electoral loopholes that hide foreign funding close; and a Farmland Protection Act blocks foreign entities from buying Canadian acreage.
Budgetary Picture
Savings from consultant cuts, bureaucratic attrition, CBC defunding and foreign‑aid trims combine with one‑time “tariff response revenue” to offset large outlays for Arctic bases, housing incentives and the Keep Canadians Working Fund. The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s baseline deficit of $46.8 billion is projected to fall to $14.2 billion by 2028‑29. Independent economists Philip Cross and Dr. Tim Sargent have signed off on the assumptions behind the fiscal tables.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 Conservative platform is unapologetically ambitious: an across‑the‑board tax cut, 2.3 million homes, hard lines on crime, border protection, and Arctic muscle. Supporters see a “common‑sense plan” to restore affordability, security and sovereignty.
