After a down-to-the-wire leadership convention on August 23 , Erin O’Toole – a former Air Force navigator and lawyer – is now the leader of Canada’s Conservative Party and the official opposition.

He takes over the reins from outgoing leader Andrew Scheer at a time of intense national crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed thousands of Canadians. An economic recession is breaking over the country, with record high unemployment rates and rising national debt. The current minority Liberal government is making drastic decisions to keep Canada’s economy ticking while trying to appease opposition parties.

O’Toole has positioned himself as a leader willing to not only take on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a general election, but also articulate a new vision for the Conservative Party. He says he accepts a woman’s right to choose, wants to fix long standing water issues in Indigenous communities, and supports environmental conservation.  

What exactly does O’Toole’s vision for social issues and social impact organizations look like? Future of Good reviewed the new leader’s campaign platform – here is what he’s promising: 

Create a ‘Great Country Initiative’ to support volunteers and social impact organizations

Perhaps one of the most intriguing policies for social impact organizations is buried at the very end of O’Toole’s platform. The ‘Great Country Initiative’ would support volunteers and voluntary organizations who tackle everything from affordable housing to mental health. “This will include empowering non-profit groups, ensuring proper recognition for Canadians who contribute to making this the best country on earth, and experimenting with ways to pair the power of social enterprises with service clubs [such as the Rotary Club] to build communities,” the platform says.

Such an initiative would support social enterprises by “amending legislation to encourage this model and give them greater flexibility” (although it doesn’t give any further details). O’Toole would also create a ‘Great Country Grant Initiative’ to partner with community organizations such as food banks or veterans’ associations. The initiative would also allow dues for service organizations to be considered a charitable expense for tax purposes.

Ultimately, O’Toole’s platform believes Canada should further empower non-government service organizations to have a greater hand in alleviating social inequities. “We should celebrate and foster this kind of care and commitment for volunteerism and civic boosterism and shrink the growing perception that people should just wait for the government for everything,” O’Toole’s platform says.

Crack down on perpetrators of domestic violence

Tackling domestic violence is one of O’Toole’s major criminal justice commitments, with his platform calling for anyone under a peace bond or protective order to be banned from possessing firearms. He also calls for anyone found guilty of aggravated assault against an intimate partner to face at least five years behind bars.

“For far too long we have let these terrible people who commit domestic violence off with a slap on the wrist,” O’Toole’s platform reads. “This not only does a massive disservice to their innocent victims who are left to suffer – it also puts the broader community at risk.”

O’Toole also calls for expanding the Canada Child Benefit by up to $500 a year for children of a domestic violence victim living in a women’s shelter.

O’Toole also calls for expanding the Canada Child Benefit by up to $500 a year for children of a domestic violence victim living in a women’s shelter, as well as establishing a fund to incentivize educational organizations to provide career training for women staying in women’s shelters.   

End value commitments to receive government funding

In 2018, the Liberal government made waves among socially conservative organizations when it required anyone applying for the Summer Jobs Grant to attest that their “core mandate” respected Canadians’ right to access abortion. Hundreds of faith-based charities and social impact organizations refused to apply altogether. 

The Liberal government backed down in 2019. A new version of the attestation said an applying organization could not use its grants to “undermine or restrict the exercise of rights legally protected in Canada” – a change mostly praised by religious groups at the time. Nonetheless, O’Toole’s platform promises to pass a law explicitly stating that religion or religious belief will not be a criterion “for any position” in the federal civil service, to receive any grant or take part in any government-funded program, and “in order to adopt and/or parent children.” However, he also promises to protect through legislation “the conscience rights of all healthcare professionals whose beliefs, religious or otherwise, prevent them from carrying out or referring patients for services that violate their conscience.”

Help families struggling with the cost of childcare 

Female workers are particularly vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout. Not only are they more likely to be working in care or service industries, but a lack of affordable childcare options means many female workers are staying out of the workforce to care for children. According to an RBC report, 1.5 million women lost their jobs in the first two months of the COVID-19 recession.

O’Toole’s plan calls for the Child Care Expense tax deduction to be doubled, allowing families to save up to $16,000 in childcare expenses for kids aged 6 and under, and $10,000 for children between 7 and 17. It also calls for another boost to the Canada Child Benefit and the conversion of the Child Care Expense deduction into a refundable tax credit – covering as much as 75 percent of childcare expenses for some incomes.

O’Toole’s plan calls for the Child Care Expense tax deduction to be doubled.

“With schools and daycares closed, many workers with kids – particularly women – wonder how they will be able to get back to work,” O’Toole’s platform says. “Too many families already struggle with the cost of childcare and that problem is going to get worse, as many childcare options may not survive the shutdown.”

Encourage economic growth among Indigenous communities (and promote resource development)

Indigenous communities are among the most economically impoverished from coast to coast to coast, with high levels of unemployment and inadequate infrastructure – including safe drinking water. O’Toole’s platform promises to change all that, although his plan may not be palpable to some Indigenous leaders opposed to resource development. 

He commits to providing a safe drinking water supply for every Indigenous community and to support First Nations financial institutions, including the creation of the First Nations Infrastructure Institute, a First Nations-led organization trying to build and improve infrastructure development on traditional territories.  

He intends on creating a framework to partner with First Nations on major resource development projects — be they expanding electrical grids, mining, or oil and gas extraction — to share in any benefits. O’Toole also promises to expand procurement opportunities for Indigenous businesses at all levels of government and organize a summit to “find ways to enhance the benefits that Indigenous communities receive through resource development.” 

Protect wetlands and other ecologically sensitive areas – and promote agricultural stewardship

Improving conservation efforts is perhaps one of O’Toole’s more surprising ideas. While past Conservative governments aren’t known for their robust environmental policies, O’Toole insists his party should protect vulnerable ecosystems. “The need to preserve our water, lands and air for future generations is just as important as leaving them with a strong economy and a balanced financial picture that is free from crippling deficits and debt,” he writes.  

That said, it is worth noting that O’Toole does not support a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, an approach urged by climate scientists around the world. While his plan does call for Canada to phase out coal in favour of natural gas — and encourage countries around the world to do so — it proposes legislation that would make it easier to build pipelines from coast to coast. 

O’Toole’s plan calls for Canada to conserve natural habitats and protect biodiversity, as well as improving water and air quality, by incentivizing landowners to provide “ecological services.” (The plan doesn’t specify these services). He also calls for innovation in clean water processing for smaller and remote communities, an issue of particular importance for Indigenous communities who lack safe drinking water).

Finally, O’Toole calls for more scientific research to understand “how much carbon Canada takes out of the atmosphere and how much that capacity could be increased.” Environment and Climate Change Canada already monitors carbon removal, such as in Canada’s forestry sector, but O’Toole wants to use any new-found data to improve the country’s carbon sequestration.

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