KEY ISSUES
Liberal
Conservative
NDP
Bloc Quebecois
Supporting tariff-free access of grain and grain products
Permanently cutting the carbon tax for on-farm activities
Reversing the capital gains tax increase
Investing in public plant breeding and attracting private capital
Reinstating extended interswitching
Supporting the right to repair for farmers
Modernizing the Canada Grain Act to respond to today’s farming
Liberal Party
of Canada
Platform Highlights
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Table legislation to eliminate all federal barriers to interprovincial trade and labour mobility​​
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​Build new trade infrastructure that connects Canada through a new $5 billion Trade Diversification Corridors Fund​​
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Work with retailers, agricultural producers, manufacturers, food and beverage companies to increase transparency and stringency in origin of product labelling
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Respond to existing U.S. tariffs and divert every dollar raised from retaliatory tariffs to Canadian workers and businesses
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Amend the mandates of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency to ensure they consider food security and the cost of food in decisions
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Direct the Canada Infrastructure Bank to prioritize investments in agriculture, fisheries, agrifood, and the food supply chain
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Extend the Extended Railway Interswitching pilot by three years as well as excluding non-Canadian railways from the project
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Keep Canada’s supply management off the table in any negotiations with the U.S.
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Make permanent the doubling of revenue protection for farmers under the AgriStability Program, from $3 million to $6 million per farm
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Build more domestic processing capacity, including food processing capacity in rural and remote areas, with a new $200 million Domestic Food Processing Fund
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Increase support for farmers to access new markets for their food products with an additional $30 million in the AgriMarketing Program
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Work with the Canada Food Inspection Agency to ensure mutual recognition of food safety standards with reliable trading partners
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Amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to legislate the repeal of the consumer “carbon tax”
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Improve the Output-Based Pricing System for industrial emitters and work with provincial and territorial governments to reduce barriers to harmonizing and linking carbon markets
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Develop a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism applied to trading partners
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Cancel the proposed hike in the capital gains inclusion rate
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Extend the Accelerated Investment Incentive
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Open a $25 billion export credit facility to help other countries procure Canadian goods
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Pursue new trade deals with MERCOSUR and ASEAN
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Conduct an expert review of the corporate tax system
Conservative Party
of Canada
Platform Highlights
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​​Scrap the capital gains tax hike and the tax on reinvestment in Canada​​​
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Within 60 days of forming government, launch a Tax Reform Task Force made up of farmers, builders, entrepreneurs, economists, and workers to deliver a simple and fair tax code
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Within 60 days of forming government, launch a Tax Reform Task Force made up of farmers, builders, entrepreneurs, economists, and workers to deliver a simple and fair tax code
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Create a National Energy Corridor to approve and build critical infrastructure such as transmission lines, railways, pipelines, and other infrastructure
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Scrap the Clean Fuel Regulations
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Fix Canadian ports by streamlining regulations and permitting, reforming borrowing caps, preauthorizing future development zones, exploring container shipping on the Great Lakes, extending the shipping season at the Port of Churchill, and reviewing the hours of work regulations for smaller ports
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Launch an oligopoly review of key federally-regulated sectors to increase competition
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Bring the Premiers together to remove exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and boost interprovincial trade within 30 days of taking office
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Introduce a Free Trade Bonus that rewards provinces that lower trade and labour mobility barriers
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Harmonize trucking regulations and permits across provinces
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Pursue a CANZUK free trade and mobility agreement with the UK, Australia, and New Zealand
At a time of global uncertainty, grain farmers from across the country are calling on political parties this election to support the following policies that will drive our economic growth, respond to growing food demand, and make Canada into the agricultural superpower that it can be.
Supporting tariff-free access of grain and grain products
Trade uncertainty with the United States, our largest trading partner, and China, our second largest trading partner, is having a detrimental impact on grain farm revenues. The United States accounts for $17 billion of grain and grain products exported every year, and China accounts for another $8 billion. While trade diversification is paramount, there are simply no alternative markets large enough to replace either. We recommend that parties commit to using all tools available to them to preserve tariff-free access to both markets, and protect the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Stop Unfairly Penalizing Grain Farmers
Despite grain drying being an essential on-farm activity, grain farmers have had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in carbon taxation over the past years. This has limited their ability to build the capital needed to invest in innovative, energy-efficient solutions. Prior to the election, the government effectively set the consumer carbon tax to zero. However, we recommend that parties commit to permanently cutting the carbon tax for essential on-farm activities.
Reverse the Capital Gains Tax Increase
The increase of the capital gains inclusion rate from one-half to two-thirds in June 2024 has impacted majority grain farmers and their succession planning. The tax hike directly impacts farmers' retirement plans by increasing taxes on the sale of land and assets, while also moving the goalposts for the next generation already struggling with financial hurdles. It also prices out many families from agriculture land and further complicates the tax code, driving up accounting and legal expenses for all farmers. We recommend that parties commit to reversing the capital gains tax increase to support family farms across Canada.
Expand Public and Private Plant Breeding Research
Breeding activities provide farmers with higher-yielding varieties, improved nutrient use efficiency, reduced pesticides needed, and a better ability to withstand pest, disease, and climate stressors. However, Canada continues to fall behind international competitors in investments in plant breed innovation. To stop the decline in public research, the government must increase investment in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) crop breeding programs and ensure a sufficient number of research sites remain open. For crops that rely more heavily on private plant breeding, the government should leverage more public-private partnerships. We recommend that parties commit to investing more into AAFC crop breeding programs and leverage partnerships to increase private sector investments.
Instate Permanent Extended Interswitching
The 2014-2017 and the 2023-2025 extended interswitching pilots have demonstrated the benefits of increasing the interswitching radius between Canada’s two Class 1 railways from 30km to 160km. Extended interswitching promotes fair competition, reduces transportation costs, and increases access for Canadian goods. The program should be made permanent, expanded to 500km to reach all grain farmers and enlarged to include British Columbia. We recommend that parties commit to making extending interswitching permanent, expanding the radius to 500km, and including British Columbia.
Support the Right to Repair for Farmers
Due to technological advancements in farm equipment, such as combines, tractors, and sprayers, producers who have repaired their own machinery for decades have been more challenged. However, the passing of Bills C-244 and C-294 in 2024, both of which amended the Copyright Act, have begun a conversation about how essential the right to repair is for farmers. To ensure growers have the tools necessary to repair their own equipment, more federal leadership is required. We recommend that parties commit to creating a federal right to repair framework that will support farmers in being able to continue repairing their own equipment.
Modernize the Canada Grain Act
The Canada Grain Act has not been reviewed since 1971 and grain farming and marketing has vastly changed since then. Despite a comprehensive review of the Act by stakeholders in 2021, very few changes have been implemented. Updates to the Act and regulations are required to ensure that the Canadian Grain Commission continues to provide meaningful services and protections to producers in a way that is agile, cost-effective, and reflects the realities of modern-day agriculture. We recommend that parties commit to modernizing the Canada Grain Act to ensure it accurately reflects the realities of modern-day grain farming.