Campaign promises: dogs with jobs, lobster and crossbow hunting
We are two thirds of the way through Canada's longest election campaign, and all the candidates are tossing out billions in promises, like a hot fireman throwing condoms from a Pride float.
This week on Because News, comedians Mary Walsh, Ashley Botting and Anand Rajaram played a game called Promises, Promises, where they had to guess which party was making which promise.
I can only think when its shear numb-nuttery that it had to be the Conservatives.- Mary Walsh
For those of you following along at home we made a handy "non-comprehensive" guide of who is promising what.
Building the lobster lobby
The Conservatives are promising $20-million in total to help the lobster industry. The plan would commit $15-million over three years to marketing, with an additional $5-million towards research.
"The world loves Canadian lobster. They are an iconic product for us," said leader Stephen Harper at a campaign stop in P.E.I.
Pushing the police presence
NDP leader Thomas Mulcair committed to putting 2,500 more police officers on the streets, and promised to bring back the Police Officer Recruitment Fund, which the Conservative Party introduced in 2008, but didn't renew in 2013.
Dogs with jobs
The Green Party said it would support veterans and reverse cuts to veterans services — and said that restored funding would allow any veteran with PTSD to get a service dog.
"Service dogs reduce PTSD in 82% of the cases, comparing favourably to pharmaceutical approaches," it said in a press release.
"These dogs really work," said Walsh, an advocate for mental health issues.
The opposite of a wall
Unlike the Republicans vying for office in the United States, Justin Trudeau says he will make it easier for Mexican nationals to come to Canada, by lifting visa requirements.
Not for the birds
While in the Yukon, Harper targeted hunters with a promise for new rules, including creating a family hunting permit for birds and allow the use of crossbows for hunting them.
"I can only think when its shear numb-nuttery that it had to be the Conservatives," quipped Walsh when answering our quiz.
Going Green
While much has been made of the Liberals' pro-legalization stance, the Green party also promises to legalize and tax the green stuff.
The NDP wouldn't legalize marijuana, but leader Tom Mulcair said he will decriminalize it "the minute we form government."
The Conservatives say smoking herb should be a crime.
The semantics of a promise
All of the parties have promised re-define the word "promise" in the dictionary to mean something you say on the campaign trail but forget promptly on the first day of Parliament.
What would you like to see promised by Canada's next government? Tweet us @CBCBecauseNews with the hashtag #PromisesPromises.