As Canadians prepare to head to the polls on April 28 for the 2025 federal election, many voters will still be undecided about where their support will go.
This year, several key issues are shaping the conversation, including the cost of living in Canada, the strength of the Canadian economy, access to affordable housing, health care, immigration, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, U.S. President Donald Trump and ongoing concerns over trade tariffs.
According to Elections Canada, voter turnout during advance polls has increased by 25% compared to the 2021 election, with a record 7.3 million Canadians having already cast their ballots.
But for those who have yet to vote, there is still plenty of time to learn about the major players in this election and make an informed decision ahead of the big day on Monday.
This year’s federal election features Liberal leader Mark Carney, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Green Party co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault, People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier, and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet.
Whether your primary concerns relate to the economy, affordability, health care, or Canada–U.S. relations, Canada’s party leaders are making their final pitches to earn your vote.
If you’re still undecided or simply want to feel confident about your choice, there is still time to get clued up.
So, who should you vote for? Below are the leading reasons why each party leader wants your vote on Monday, April 28 and where you can find out more.
Liberal
Liberal leader Mark Carney is promising a middle-class tax cut to help Canadians save up to $825 a year, a significant investment in affordable housing, and tougher action against crime and illegal guns.
His plan includes standing up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs with a $2-billion “Strategic Response Fund” to protect manufacturing jobs, expand trade, and strengthen Canada’s food sector.
The Liberals are also pledging up to $15,000 in training grants for workers, new supports for apprentices, and major investments in nature conservation via national parks, marine conservation areas and a new Arctic Indigenous Guardians program.
You can learn more about the Liberal Party of Canada’s major election promises and why they want your vote here.
Conservative
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is promising broad tax cuts across the board, including lowering the lowest federal income tax bracket from 15% to 12.75%, scrapping the federal carbon tax in full, and helping Canadians save thousands on new homes and vehicles.
The Conservative Party platform also pledges to fast-track natural resource projects, create a “National Energy Corridor,” and toughen crime laws with mandatory minimum sentences.
What’s more, Poilievre has outlined a “Canada First” defence strategy to bolster Arctic security, deploy more border agents, and crack down on the smuggling of illegal guns and drugs. His plan also includes retaliatory dollar-for-dollar tariffs against U.S. trade actions and new supports for Canadian industries.
You can dive deeper into the Conservative Party of Canada’s key promises and why they want your vote here.
NDP
NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is pledging to tackle Canada’s affordability crisis head-on by building 3 million new homes, introducing national rent control, and removing the GST from essentials like groceries and phone bills.
The NDP’s platform also promises to hire more nurses and doctors to guarantee everyone a family doctor by 2030, cap grocery prices to fight food inflation, and retrofit millions of homes to lower energy bills.
Singh is proposing significant tax cuts for middle- and working-class Canadians while doubling the Canada Disability Benefit to better support low-income people with disabilities.
He also plans to protect Canadian jobs from President Donald Trump’s tariffs through strategic investments and the launch of “Canada Victory Bonds.”
You can learn more about the NDP’s vision for Canada’s future here.
Green
Green Party co-leaders Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault are promising to tackle Canada’s housing and climate crises together by launching the most extensive public housing construction program since the 1970s and transitioning the country to 100% clean energy.
Their plan includes making homes affordable based on income, not market prices, and cutting taxes for Canadians earning under $40,000 a year.
The Greens are also calling for major investments in renewable energy, a national retrofit program, and a Youth Climate Corps to create new green jobs.
They want to expand public health care to include pharmacare, dental care, and mental health services and modernize Canada’s defence with stronger Arctic security and a new Civil Defence Corps.
You can explore some of the Green Party’s main priorities here.
PPC
People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier is running on a platform of limited government, lower taxes, free speech protections, and slashing immigration levels.
He’s promising to eliminate the deficit in one year, pause immigration until the housing market cools, and scrap carbon taxes altogether.
Bernier also wants to withdraw Canada from the Paris Accord, shut down the Bank of Canada’s inflation targets, and repeal online speech regulations like Bill C-11 and Bill C-18.
His platform includes proposals to restrict gender transition procedures for minors and roll back government policies related to gender identity.
Curious about how the PPC wants to shake up Ottawa? You can dive into their vision here.
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec and fights for the province’s interests in Ottawa, is promising stronger protection for the French language and culture, greater control over immigration, and new environmental protections.
Their platform calls for giving Quebec full immigration powers, boosting French in public services, and ensuring more federal cultural funding goes to francophone initiatives.
Blanchet’s party also wants a hard cap on oil and gas emissions, stronger border security, better protection for Quebec’s forestry and aluminum sectors, and bigger financial supports for seniors and young entrepreneurs.
Want to know more? You can check out their key election promises here.
You can find out more about all of Canada’s major parties via Narcity’s election hub.
