Conservative platform coming Tuesday, Poilievre says

TORONTO — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says his party’s platform is coming Tuesday.  Both the Liberals and NDP released their costed election commitments over the weekend, making the Conservatives the final major federal party to do so. Speaking Monday at a housing announcement in Toronto, Poilievre took aim at the spending plan promised by Liberal Leader Mark Carney, saying it shows no departure from the fiscal handling seen under former prime minister Justin Trudeau. He also confirmed he would be releasing his party’s platform “for all eyes to see” on Tuesday, “which will bring change to Canada.” With exactly one week left in the federal election campaign, Poilievre is trying to convince Canadians that he is the only option for change, as public opinion shows him to be tied or slightly behind the incumbent Liberals. In terms of campaign commitments, Poilievre has to find a way to pay for promises such as an income tax cut that once fully implemented, would cost $14 billion a year. While the Liberals and NDP attack Conservatives for seeking to do so through cuts to social programs like dental and pharmacare, Poilievre pledged this election to keep those programs in place, but instead slash spending on government consultants as well as foreign aid. More to come.  National Post staylor@postmedia.com Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what’s really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our politics new