Liberal platform promises help for students, infrastructure spending and tax changes

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeaureleasedhis full package of campaign promises today, an 88-page plan toboost support forpost-secondarystudents, clean up the environment and lower the tax burden formiddle-class families.

Trudeauunveiled the fullycosted platform, A New Plan for a Strong Middle Class,during a campaign stop at WilfridLaurier University in Waterloo, Ont. It includes a mix of previously announced planks andnew measures, including a suite of initiatives to help post-secondary students.

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If elected on Oct. 19, a Liberal government would increase the maximum Canada Student Grant for low-income students to $3,000 a year for full-time students, an increase of 50 per cent, and $1,800 for part-timers.

It would also work to tackle the persistent problem of student debt, requiring repayments to kick in only after graduates are earning at least $25,000 a year.

Too often, young Canadians are saddled with a huge debt load after finishing university, Trudeau said."That's a tough way to get your start in the world."

The Liberal education plan would also kick in an extra $50 milliona year to support indigenous post-secondary students.

Trudeaucommitted towork with the provinces and territories to ensure they don't assume additional costs.

The Canadian Federation of Students praised the Liberal campaign proposal, saying it has called for up-front grants for many years.

'Mortgage-sized' student debts

"Students are graduating with mortgage-sized debts and the Liberals' plan will lessen that burden on students and their families," Bilan Arte, national chairwoman of the federation, said in a release.

She said tuition fees continue to be the biggest barrier to post-secondary education.

In 1982, government funding made up almost 83 per centof university operating revenue, with tuition fees accounting for less than 14 per cent. In 2012, government funding had dropped to just 55 per centof university operating revenue, according to the federation.

The NDP has promised to immediately begin to phase out interest on student loans over seven years. It has also pledged $250 million over four years to create 74,000 new grants for students who need financial help the most.

The Conservatives have pledged to double the federal contribution to a supplementalgrantthat benefits low- and middle-income families that have already taken out aRegistered Education Savings Plan.

And theGreen Party would have tuition-free education by 2020, beginning with lower-income Canadians. It would also eliminate any existing or future student debt above $10,000, abolish interest on student loans and boost funding for bursaries.

Other new commitments includemoney to help the agriculturalsector andto fight climate change as well as policies aimedat getting assaultweapons off the streets.A Liberal government would also invest $40 million over four years in theNutrition North program to make healthy food more affordable for families in remote northern communities.

Trudeau said the "heart" of the Liberal plan is to grow the economy by creating more jobs and opportunities and investing in infrastructure. He said it takes a much different approach than the Conservative government of the last decade..

"Stephen Harper has lost touch with Canadians," he said.

In addition to raising taxes for the wealthiest Canadians to deliver breaks for the middleclass, the Liberal planwould free up more money by closing tax loopholes. It would runmodest deficits of up to $10 billion a yearto invest in massive infrastructure projects and balance the budget by 2019-2020.

As part of the plan eliminate the deficit, the Liberal platform calls for savings through expenditure review. That is expected to find$3 billion in booked annual savings within four years, which wouldrepresent less than one per centof totalspending.

Trudeau called that "completely responsible." Asked if the savings would mean more service cuts, hesaid they would achieved by scaling back in areas such aspartisan government advertising andexternal consulting.

"We, like most Canadians, don't consider finding a one per cent efficiency on your budget is too much to ask for Canadians," he said.

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