Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to support skilled trade workers through a "Boots Not Suits" program his government will roll out of elected.
The policy includes grants issued to skilled trade apprentices that will train 350,000 young workers over 5 years.
“More boots, less suits,” said Poilievre at a press conference on Friday. The Boots Not Suits economic plan will add more training halls by expanding the Union Training and Innovation Program, offer direct grants and pre-register apprentices in the licensed trades for employment insurance.
This program will be paid for “by reducing the bloated federal government bureaucracy.”
Poilievre promised to reinstate the $4,000 apprenticeship grant introduced by former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which is set to be phased out at the end of March by the Liberals, he said.
The Tories will also work to “harmonize health and safety regulations” across provinces so “tradespeople can work anywhere in Canada without redundant retraining.”
“Conservatives are ready to fight for Canada’s workers. With Donald Trump threatening tariffs on our economy, we must bring home our paychecks and production, and take back control of our economy from the Americans,” said Poilievre.
“That means quickly training up Canadians who know how to build, develop and transport the goods the world needs.”
“Common Sense Conservatives will work with our unions to champion workers and provide the investments needed to restore our country's promise,” pledged Poilievre.
“My Conservative government will work for the people who do the work.”
The Conservatives in a press release said, “Liberal economic vandalism has resulted in the worst decline in Canadians' standard of living in forty years,” and Canada’s economy has never been more weak and reliant on the Americans.”
“Carpenters who build our homes can no longer afford to buy them after the Liberal Government doubled housing costs," reads the statement.
“And out-of-control Carney-Trudeau spending has resulted in Canada’s middle class paying more taxes now than when the Liberals first came to power a decade ago. All of this before the tariffs began. Now they expect to be rewarded with a fourth term in power to do even more damage.”
Poilievre joked Prime Minister Mark Carney will be copying his idea within a few days, pointing to the fact Carney has ripped of Tory promises including cutting the HST tax on new homes, repealing the carbon tax (and hide it a carbon tax on corporations, which will trickle down to the consumer) and Arctic defence spending.