From Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party web site. (H/T Jeanie)

Excerpt:

Today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled his “Here for Canada” Conservative policy platform. The platform provides Canadians with a prudent low-tax plan to protect and create jobs by completing our recovery from the global economic recession. “Here for Canada” commits to eliminating the deficit by the 2014-2015 fiscal year without cutting transfer payments to individuals or to the provinces. And it contains concrete measures to secure Canada’s borders and keep our streets and neighbourhoods safe.

[…]The “Here for Canada” plan focuses on five key priorities:

• Creating jobs through training, trade and low taxes.
• Supporting families through our Family Tax Cut and more support for seniors and caregivers.
• Eliminating the deficit by 2014-2015 by controlling spending and cutting waste.
• Making our streets safe through new laws to protect children and the elderly.
• Standing on guard for Canada by investing in the development of Canada’s North, cracking down on human smuggling and strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces.

Canada is emerging from the global recession as one of the world’s top-performing advanced economies. Throughout the global crisis of the past two years, the world has looked to Canada as a model and an inspiration. Through the Economic Action Plan, Stephen Harper’s Government is making the necessary investments to protect Canadians and create jobs now, while laying a strong foundation for long-term economic growth. Our low-tax plan is helping businesses create jobs. And we’re reducing taxes on hard-working Canadian families, because we understand that household budgets are tight.

The Conservatives need to get over 40% support to get a majority, so they can enact their 5-point platform. The latest Canadian federal election poll has the Conservatives leading the socialist Liberals 41 to 31, while the communist NDP party trails at 15%.

This large map shows the voting breakdown by region from the 2008 election.

From the Vancouver Province.

Excerpt:

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have soared into majority government territory in B.C. with more than double the support of the Liberals, a new poll says.

As the federal election campaign enters week two, The Nanos poll, conducted for The Globe and Mail and CTV, indicates 49.7 per cent support for the Conservatives here and 23.4 per cent for the Liberals, with the NDP garnering 20.6 per cent support.

The daily tracking poll has Stephen Harper’s Conservatives winning over 40-per cent support across Canada — seen as the key level of support for forming a majority government — with a commanding 14-point lead over Michael Ignatieff’s Liberals.

Harper’s party is only trailing in Quebec to the Bloc, with Canada-wide support of 42.3 per cent, compared to 28.4 per cent for the Liberals, 16.4 per cent for Jack Layton’s NDP and 3.8 per cent for the Greens.

And from the London Free Press – policies!

Excerpt:

“We stand with farmers and hunters and we will scrap the long-gun registry,” said Harper, adding that a Tory majority would prevent the opposition from blocking those efforts again.

He also tried to counter the image of rural residents as out of step with the rest of the country.

“I have not found in rural Canada a general opposition to gun control,” said Harper. “There’s not a general opposition to the idea that a gun owner should get a licence. We’ve had a handgun registry for years.”

He sees wide acceptance of those measures as well as restrictions on powerful weapons.

“What people don’t accept is going out and registering millions and millions and millions of long guns when we already have all this other information.”

My previous post on Harper’s plan to ban political contributions from unions and big corporations, as well as federal subsidies for political parties.

My previous post on Harper’s initiative to win over social conservatives as much as he can given the circumstances.