Canada's political party positions ahead of October 21 election

Here is a roundup of the main Canadian political parties' positions ahead of the October 21 federal election, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party is neck and neck in opinion polls with the opposition Conservatives led by Andrew Scheer.

Liberals

Climate - Reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and exceed 2030 carbon emission goals.

Oil - Complete the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

Housing - Introduce a 1% tax on non-resident foreign buyers. Give first-time purchasers up to 10% off a house.

Healthcare - Create a national pharmacare system.

Affordability - Add after-school care spaces for children under 10. Make government student loans interest-free for two years after graduation. Decrease cost of cellphone plans by 25% over four years.

Economy - Provide up to 2,000 entrepreneurs with C$50,000 to launch a new business. Create a National Infrastructure Fund and a Tourism Community Infrastructure Fund.

Immigration - Make it easier for cities and the Atlantic region to sponsor immigrants.

Taxes - Cut small-business tax to 9% from 11%, lower-middle-class taxes and make maternity and parental benefits tax-free.

Guns - Ban assault rifles and allow provinces to restrict or ban handguns.

Conservatives

Climate - Eliminate the carbon tax. Focus on incentives rather than punishment for exceeding carbon limits.

Oil - Complete the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Repeal the new pipeline approval process brought in by the Liberals. Create a "national energy corridor" to transport oil and gas.

Housing - Increase the supply of homes by allowing new homes onto the market faster. Make it easier to qualify for mortgages.

Healthcare - Increase federal transfers to the provinces.

Affordability - Make maternity benefits tax-free. Increase government contributions to Registered Education Savings Plans.

Economy - Balance the budget within five years.

Immigration - Close the loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States that allows immigrants to claim refugee status at unofficial ports of entry.

Taxes - Reduce tax on incomes below C$47,000 to 13.75% from 15%. Review spending on tax breaks for businesses. End C$1.5 billion in subsidies for businesses.

Foreign Policy - Cut 25% of funding to foreign aid.

Veterans - Clear backlog of veterans' benefits applications within two years. Create a military covenant through legislation calling for the government to treat every veteran respectfully and help them receive services in timely manner.

Guns - Create a task force to address cross-border gun smuggling. Implement stricter mandatory minimum sentences for violent gang crimes.

New Democrats

Climate - Invest C$15 billion in climate-change measures.

Oil - End C$3.3 billion in government subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

Housing - Create 500,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade. Implement a foreign buyer's tax.

Healthcare - Create a national pharmacare system. Include mental health, eye and hearing care and fertility procedures in the Canada Health Act.

Affordability - Invest C$1 billion in childcare. Implement a price cap on cellphone plans. Eliminate post-secondary tuition fees.

Economy - Create 300,000 jobs building clean-energy utilities and retrofitting buildings to be energy efficient.

Immigration - Remove the cap on family reunification applications. Suspend the safe third country agreement with the United States.

Taxes - Increase corporate income tax rates to 2010 levels. Implement a 1% wealth tax on incomes over C$20 million.

Greens

Climate - Invest in a 100% renewable electricity grid. Cut federal emission-level goals to 60% below 2005 levels by 2030. Ban the sale of non-electric cars by 2030.

Oil - End C$3.3 billion in subsidies to the oil and gas industry.

Housing - Implement a strategy targeting those experiencing chronic homelessness.

Healthcare - Include pharmacare and basic dental coverage in national health coverage.

Affordability - Implement a universal basic income. Eliminate post-secondary tuition fees.

Economy - Establish a Green Venture Capital Fund to support small green businesses.

Taxes - Hold taxation for small businesses at 9%. Impose a financial transactions tax of 0.2%. Apply corporate tax to transnational e-commerce companies like Netflix Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google.

Drugs - Decriminalize all drug possession. Lower the federally set price of legal cannabis.

People's Party Of Canada

Climate - Withdraw from the Paris Accord. Abolish green tech subsidies. Remove the carbon tax.

Oil - Find a private buyer for the Trans Mountain Pipeline. Create a streamlined process for approving pipelines.

Housing - No major policy announcements.

Healthcare - Create incentives for provinces to deal with rising healthcare costs.

Affordability - No major policy announcements.

Economy - Expand the accelerated capital cost allowance to all sectors. Balance budget within two years.

Immigration - Lower the total number of immigrants and refugees to less than 150,000. Repeal the Multiculturalism Act.

Taxes - Cut federal income to 0% on incomes below C$15,000 and to 15% on incomes from C$15,000 to C$100,000. Decrease corporate tax to 10% from 15%.