The World This Hour - The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 05:00 EDT

Episode Date: April 20, 2025

The World This Hour for 2025/04/20 at 05:00 EDT

When they predict we'll fall, we rise to the challenge. When they say we're not a country, we stand on guard. This land taught us to be brave and caring, to protect our values, to leave no one behind. Canada is on the line and it's time to vote as though our country depends on it. Because like never before, it does. I'm Jonathan Pedneau, co-leader of the Green Party of Canada. This election, each vote makes a difference. Authorized by the Registeredleader of the Green Party of Canada, this election, each vote makes a difference.

Authorized by the Registered Agent of the Green Party of Canada. From CBC News, the world is sour. I'm Neil Kumar. On the campaign trail, two of the federal parties have released their full cost of platforms. Liberal leader Mark Carney is promising billions of dollars in new spending and he is also promising a deficit that shrinks in four years. CBC's Carina Roman has the details. The biggest expenditures in the Liberal platform are the previously announced income tax cut, the scrapping of the capital gains tax changes and the Build Canada homes plan for affordable housing.

There's new defense spending of 18 billion that the liberals say would get Canada to the 2% of GDP spending target before 2030. Overall nearly 130 billion over four years in new measures with a deficit projected downwards from nearly 62 billion billion this year to $47 billion in 2029. Mark Carney says the numbers add up. We're in an enormous crisis so we have to be able to do two things. One, pull down on that wasteful spending, which we will do, but much more than that, we need to be bold and drive investment in the economy. Karina Roman, CBC News, Peterborough, Ontario.

The NDP is promising a new tax on the wealthy if it forms the next government. Leader Jagmeet Singh made the pledge as he unveiled his party's platform in Burnaby, B.C. Marina von Stackelberg reports. With less than 10 days until election day and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh having already voted in advance polls, the New Democrats have released their platform. It provides details on previous and new promises and how much they will cost over the next four years. In total, the NDP wants to spend more than $227 billion for new

programs. It says a large chunk of that spending can be paid for by taxing the rich When it all shakes out the NDP plan would still increase Canada's deficit by 48 billion dollars That's on top of the existing deficit The Liberal government has been running in a difficult time which a recession and a trade war represents some of the most difficult times You can't cut your way out of those things. You actually have to make investments. The New Democrats want to expand pharmacare to cover all essential medications and bring in a new multi-billion dollar mental health program.

Marina von Stakelberg, CBC News, Burnaby, British Columbia. While on the campaign trail in B.C, Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev proposed allowing judges to order mandatory drug treatment instead of sending some drug offenders with minor convictions to jail. JP Tasker has more. This policy is not about punishment, it's about redemption. Conservative leader Pierre Pauliev is pitching mandatory drug treatment for convicted criminals with an addiction, saying some drug offenders should go to rehab, not jail.

We will give judges the power. We will take action and we will save lives. It's the latest in a string of conservative tough on crime policy proposals. Poliev has also promised to invoke the notwithstanding clause to push through policies that will keep some murderers in jail for life. People in B.C. are terrorized and afraid to go outside. Critics say Poliev is pushing a cruel, American-style agenda that just doesn't work. The Tories, meanwhile, say a spike in violent crime and drug use demands a crackdown.

JP Tasker, CBC News, Richmond, BC. Elections Canada says that in the last federal election, only 46% of voters aged 18 to 24 went to the polls, but the total turnout was 62%. Corbinia Duro tells us more. In Montreal, young voters say they are not consuming federal election information from traditional media. Obviously, of course, I get it off of social media, off TikTok, Instagram. Little bit of Instagram, but mostly YouTube, I would say.

L'EJ Marketing's Gabrielle Blais says that young voters may not be exposed to a wide range of issues or points of view. It's more about what their following is sharing, so the influencers or their friends, so they get one side of the story, usually like-minded people. Earlier this month, Lejai did an online survey for young people between the ages of 18 and 34. 38% of respondents said that social media was the number one source for political information. With issues like housing, the cost of living, and the environment on the minds of young people, how parties reach out to them to pitch their ideas on social media could be a deciding

factor where they're cast.