Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to secure pensions for Canadian workers. “Canadian workers who have paid into a pension plan on every paycheque should be able to rely on it being there when they retire,” said O’Toole. “But far too often, we have seen workers, through no fault of their own, forced to take big cuts to their pensions when the company they worked for goes bankrupt. As Prime Minister, I will stand up for workers and introduce the necessary measures to protect hard-earned pensions.” As part of Canada’s Recovery Plan, a Conservative government will change the law so that when a company goes bankrupt or is being restructured, workers come first – not corporate elites. Canada’s Conservatives will also improve the security of workers’ pensions by: Preventing executives from paying themselves bonuses while managing a company going through restructuring unless the pension plan is fully funded. No longer forcing underfunded pension plans to be converted to annuities, a practice where the financial assets are sold and exchanged for an insurance product to reduce risks and offer fixed payments to pensioners. Companies typically fail in the midst of a recession when markets are depressed, and as a result, this practice currently locks in losses and means workers receive less money. Requiring companies to be more transparent with their employees by mandating they report the funding status of their pension plans. “If you don’t care about standing up for Canadian workers, you have three parties to choose from in this election,” O’Toole said. “If you do, then there is only one choice – Canada’s Conservatives.”

Ottawa, ON – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to ensure the needs of Canadian workers are being addressed by having a seat on the boards of directors. “Too many decisions at major corporations are being made without the people who helped build the company – the workers – at the table,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will give workers a real voice within these companies to support the long-term success of their employer, and ultimately, their ability to make a living.” To ensure workers’ needs are heard at the very top, an O’Toole government will require federally regulated employers with over 1,000 employees or $100 million in annual revenue to include worker representation on their boards of directors. Federally regulated sectors include aerospace, trucking, marine shipping, rail, oil and gas, mining, telecommunications, and banking. Together, these sectors employ hundreds of thousands of Canadian workers across the country. “As we work toward recovery, we have an opportunity to ensure Canadian workers go back to better jobs,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will stand up for workers and deliver jobs for all Canadians.” If you don’t care about getting Canadians back to work in every sector and every region of the country, you have three parties to choose from in this election. If you do, then there is only one choice – Erin O’Toole and Canada’s Conservatives.

New Westminster, BC – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, introduced his plan to address the opioid crisis as a national emergency and help Canadians struggling with addiction. Every day, 17 Canadians die from opioid-related deaths. Since the onset of COVID-19, opioid-related deaths have almost doubled. “Families across this country are mourning lost children, lost parents, lost partners,” said O’Toole. “As Prime Minister, I will treat the opioid epidemic as the urgent health crisis that it is.” To help those struggling with addiction and save lives, Canada’s Recovery Plan will: Invest $325 million over the next three year to create 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery community centres across the country. Enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addiction treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities with high needs. Provide $1 billion over five years to boost funding for Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs. Partner with the provinces to ensure that Naloxone kits are available for free across Canada. Reorient the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy towards ensuring that every person struggling with addiction has the opportunity to recover. “As a country, we must recognize that mental health is health,” O’Toole concluded. “Only Canada’s Conservatives have a plan to make historic investments in mental health and addiction.”

Edmonton, AB – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, released his plan to break down barriers for Canadians living with disabilities. One in five Canadians lives with a disability. People living with long-term conditions or disabilities were also among the most impacted groups during the pandemic, with more than one-third experiencing a temporary or permanent job loss or reduced hours. “As Prime Minister, I will work to build a Canada where people of every ability can live full lives and participate fully in society, including in the workforce,” said O’Toole. “Canada’s Recovery Plan will provide Canadians with living with disabilities the supports they need, while always leaving them further ahead when they choose to pursue work.” Canada’s Recovery Plan will support Canadians with disabilities by: Doubling the Disability Supplement in the Canada Workers Benefit from $713 to $1,500, providing a major boost to lower-income Canadians with disabilities on top of our increase in the Canada Workers Benefit. Overhauling the complex array of disability supports and benefits to ensure that working always leaves someone further ahead and work with the provinces to ensure federal programs are designed to work with provincial programs to achieve this result. Providing an additional $80 million per year through the Enabling Accessibility Fund to ensure: Additional incentives for small business and community projects to improve accessibility. Grants and support for all types of accessibility equipment that Canadians with disabilities need to work. Enhancements to existing programs that will get more Canadians with disabilities into the workforce. Reducing the number of hours required to qualify for the Disability Tax Credit and the Registered Disability Savings Plan from 14 to 10 hours per week. “The disability community has been advocating for these improvements for years, but their demands have too often been met with lip service rather than action,” said O’Toole. “Conservatives are prepared to put our money where our mouth is, providing real, immediate funding increases to support Canadians living with disabilities through this difficult time.” If you don’t care about securing better disability supports for Canadians, you have three parties to choose from in this election. If you do, then there is only one choice – Erin O’Toole and Canada’s Conservatives.

Winnipeg, MB – Today, the Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives, unveiled the Canada Job Surge Plan, a key part of Canada’s Recovery Plan that will recover the million jobs lost since the start of the pandemic by focusing on the hardest-hit sectors, incentivizing businesses to hire, reducing regulatory burden, and reforming our tax system to reward work. “Many Canadians have struggled for months to find work, especially women and young people,” said O’Toole. “As the country reopens, our top priority is getting as many people back to work in good jobs, in every part of Canada, in every sector, as quickly as possible.” Once the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) ends in October, an O’Toole government will get Canadians back to work by introducing the Canada Job Surge Plan, an initiative that will pay up to 50 per cent of the salary of net new hires for six months. The wage subsidy will be at least 25 per cent and will increase based on how long a new employee has been out of work, reaching 50 per cent for those who have been unemployed for ten months or more. The Canada Job Surge Plan will apply to all sectors, but it will be especially helpful to those sectors hit first and hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality and tourism. “The Canada Job Surge Plan is just the beginning of our plan to secure jobs across Canada, and to secure the future,” O’Toole concluded. “The Liberals, NDP and Greens don’t have a plan to get Canadians back to work. Canada’s Conservatives got us out of the last recession—we’ll get our country out of this one too.”