Federal Election 2025: Beaches-East York Communist candidate Elizabeth Rowley answers our questions

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Beach Metro Community News sent these questions to the federal candidates in Beaches-East York. Not all candidates responded by our deadline. Candidates were asked to keep their responses to approximately 300 words. Please visit our website at www.beachmetro.com for more information on the candidates.)

QUESTION 1: Please tell our readers a little bit about yourself and why you are running in this election?
 
I’m a parent of two adults, and the grandparent of an almost two year old. I’ve lived in East York for 37 years, and was a public school trustee on the East York School Board when the Harris government attacked education, teachers and students in the 1990s. The fight put up by teachers and educators, parents, students, unions and the public helped bring down that right-wing government, and protected public education for a generation.

I am very proud to have been a part of that, and I think we’re in a situation today where similar action – on an all-Canada basis – is needed to assert our sovereignty and independence, to protect jobs and living standards, and to secure Canada’s immediate withdrawal from Free Trade agreements with the U.S. We need fair trade with the world, not free trade with the U.S.

And further, we need to oppose massive expenditures on war, which will inevitably lead to war, and to environmental and nuclear catastrophe. Withdrawing from NATO and NORAD will save $100 billion next year that can be used instead to fund universal social programs like Medicare, public and post-secondary education, quality public childcare, and to support and expand public services like the CBC and Canada Post.

QUESTION 2: Why is your party and your party leader the best one to deal with the threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, and how will your party support Canadians impacted by tariffs and other American policies towards Canada?

I was elected leader of the Communist Party of Canada in 2016, and am proud to have led the only party in Canada that has consistently opposed the NAFTA and USMCA deals since the 1988 federal election.

We need:

• a trade policy that is multi-lateral and mutually beneficial with all countries.
• Employment Insurance reform to raise payouts to 90 per of previous earnings and cover the entire period of unemployment.
• plant closure legislation with teeth, to force companies to justify plant closures before public tribunals with the power to prevent closures, order fines, and jail CEOs.
• nationalize the auto industry, starting with GM, Ford, and Stellantis, and build a Canadian car, municipal transit, inter-urban transit, busses, and trains.
• put Air Canada and CN under public ownership and democratic control, and restore affordable transit of people and goods across Canada.
• create value added jobs in manufacturing and secondary industry
• rebuild ship-building, machine tool, and appliance industries.
  We need to:
• roll-back and freeze prices on food, fuel, and housing,
• build affordable social and public housing across Canada through a public agency like CMHC, not private developers and landlords. Housing is a right.
• fund cities with adequate grants.
• reverse privatization of healthcare and social and public services.
• raise pensions and lower the pension age to 60.
• enact a Guaranteed Annual Livable Income.
• raise corporate taxes, double the corporate tax rate, collect deferred taxes.
• axe the GST/HST, and eliminate taxes on incomes under $50,000.

We need:

• to implement the Calls to Action of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Women and Girls, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
• an immigration policy that is fair and just.
• Close the tar sands, ban fracking, move to renewable energy.
• A foreign policy of peace and disarmament.
• A Palestinian state, and an end to genocide in Gaza.

QUESTION 3: Beyond Canada’s relationship with the United States, what do you see as the next most important issue in this election and how will you and your party address it?

Peace and disarmament, and action on climate change are the related issues that will mean either survival or destruction of the planet.

We have to get out of NATO and NORAD which are offensive – not defensive organizations.

NATO is demanding annual payments of 2 per cent of GDP ($61 billion for NATO), or 5 per cent if Trump gets his way ($150 billion annually). “Up-dating” NORAD will cost $38.6 billion. This is money that both the Liberals and Tories say will come from cuts to social spending.

The proposed purchase of 15 warships will cost $300 billion over their lifetime, and the cost of 88 F-35 fighter jets is $73.9 billion. And the costs will keep rising.

Mr. Carney is also proposing to expand military production in Canada “to create jobs”. But military production and expenditures means preparations for war, and cuts to social spending, job creation, construction of homes, schools, and hospitals, and to wages, pensions and incomes is going to be cut.

The arms industry is the biggest contributor among government departments, to Canada’s carbon emissions crisis. Cutting the arms budget will reduce our carbon emissions and increase protection of the environment.

It will also give our children and grandchildren a future in the world we are creating with our policies and decisions today.