Conversations with Federal Party Leaders

The Canadian Interfaith Conversation sent a letter to the leaders of each of the five major parties running in the October 19 federal election. The letter asked what, if elected, the party leader intended to do in relation to six areas of shared concern, including:

•  Eradication of poverty in Canada and globally, notably child poverty


•  Global climate change


•  Reconciliation with the indigenous peoples of Canada


•  Religious freedom for people of all faiths in Canada and globally


•  Global refugee crises


•  Access to high-quality palliative care in all parts of Canada

Detailed responses to the Conversation letter were received from the Bloc Québecois (EN), the Liberal Party of Canada/Parti Libéral du Canada and the NDP.

In other pre-election activity, the Canadian Council of Churches developed a statement, On Promoting Climate Justice and Ending Poverty in Canada / Pour la justice climatique et l'élimination de la pauvreté au Canada. Signatures of several Participants in the Interfaith Conversation are appended to the statement, and more can still be added.