The heart of our nation’s capital is currently facing an array of challenges that are squeezing local residents—from skyrocketing rent to rising concerns about safety and disorder. For many, the simple Canadian promise of being able to afford a home and feel safe in your community seems broken.
The Ottawa Centre Conservatives are focused on delivering Common-Sense Solutions to these problems, connecting national priorities directly to the issues impacting you, your neighbours, and your family.
PROTECTING JOBS FOR OUR YOUTH
The future of Ottawa Centre depends on the opportunities we provide for our next generation. However, students and recent graduates are increasingly struggling to find stable, high-paying work as temporary foreign worker programs undermine the local job market. This is not an immigration issue; it is a policy failure that displaces local talent and depresses wages. We believe local workers must be prioritized. We will reform the system to ensure Centretown’s young people—our students and graduates—have the first chance at jobs in their community, guaranteeing a vibrant local job market for the future.
Watch: The Reverse Midas Touch – September 28, 2025
COST OF LIVING CRISIS: AXE THE TAX
For years, the cost of living has outpaced wages, forcing hard-working Ottawa Centre residents to make impossible choices. The federal government’s inflationary spending and costly taxes are to blame.
Our plan begins by delivering immediate relief to your budget. We will Axe the Tax—specifically, the carbon tax—to bring down the cost of everything. When you tax the farmer who grows the food, and the trucker who ships it, you tax every family buying groceries. The latest analysis from the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) confirms that for most Canadian households, the carbon tax costs more than they ever get back in rebates, hitting already-stretched Ottawa families the hardest (1). We will also implement the Bring It Home Tax Cut to let you keep more of your paycheque. It is time to make life affordable again.
Watch: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on budget priorities, RCMP comments – October 22, 2025
BUILD THE HOMES, NOT BUREAUCRACY
Ottawa Centre is in the grips of a profound housing crisis. With limited supply, prices have soared, pushing ownership out of reach and making renting a constant struggle. The data speaks for itself: the overall average asking rent in Ottawa is now approximately $2,222 per month (as of September 2025) (2). The crisis is immediate, severe, and demands urgent action.
We will Build the Homes by forcing municipal gatekeepers to get out of the way. Our plan will tie federal infrastructure funding to requirements that cities, including Ottawa, permit 15% more homes annually. We will also axe the federal sales tax (GST) on new rental apartments and construction under certain price points to lower the cost of building, incentivize developers, and save new homeowners money. This is how we get more homes built, faster, so that our children can afford to stay in the communities where they grew up.
Watch: Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre proposes measures to address housing crisis – September 9, 2025
FIX THE BUDGET TO STOP INFLATION
Ottawa is the seat of the federal government, and local residents are particularly attuned to the costs of government bloat and inefficiency. The Liberal-NDP debt and spending have fueled inflation and driven up interest rates, making everything more expensive—from mortgages to groceries.
We are committed to restoring fiscal sanity. We will Fix the Budget by stopping wasteful inflationary spending and implementing a dollar-for-dollar law (3) which requires that for every new dollar of spending, an equal amount must be reduced from elsewhere. This common-sense fiscal discipline will help kill inflation and bring home lower interest rates and a more stable economy.
Watch: Pierre Poilievre responds to Mark Carney’s pre-budget speech – October 23, 2025
STOP THE CRIME
Community safety is paramount, yet many Ottawa Centre residents are reporting visible increases in disorder, property crime, and substance abuse issues that undermine the strength of our neighbourhoods.
We will Stop the Crime by reforming the broken bail system to ensure repeat, violent offenders are locked up and off our streets. We need to restore common sense to our justice system.
Furthermore, the rise in local crises cannot be ignored. Data published in October 2025 shows that safety concerns are escalating; for example, paramedic calls for overdoses in a key Somerset Ward area increased by 19% year-over-year from March 1 to September 30 (4). This highlights the urgent need for a clear plan that supports law enforcement, tackles the addiction crisis with treatment and recovery, and restores order.
COMMUNITY-FOCUSED, PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS
Ottawa Centre deserves a representative focused on practical, local solutions. The Conservative plan is about making life affordable, bringing homes within reach, and restoring safety to our streets. We are ready to bring home the common sense that our community needs.
We cannot achieve this change alone. This movement for common-sense solutions is powered by people like you. Ready to see change in Ottawa Centre? Don’t just read about the solutions—be part of them! We need volunteers to help us communicate our message, members to strengthen our association, and your voice to guide our priorities.
