KAIROS Election Toolkit 2025

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Table of Contents 

Introduction

Canadians go to the polls Monday April 28. The stakes could not be higher.  

Canada faces economic aggression and threats to sovereignty from our powerful neighbour, whose administration is rapidly transforming the global socio-political landscape. These shifts embolden authoritarian leaders, regimes and movements, which help escalate intersecting crises such as wars, genocide, climate change and environmental degradation, racism, poverty, migration and gender-based violence.  

We are seeing a rise in human rights violations, impunity and militarization under the guise of “defense” – and drastic cuts to international aid for impacted communities. Civil society organizations face shrinking operational space, while human rights defenders and environmentalists are at growing risk of verbal and physical assault, including death threats.   

In Canada, undocumented and documented migrant workers remain at risk of exploitation and deportation.  

Canada’s progress on the journey towards reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples remains painfully slow.  

During this election we ask: how will Canada address these global and internal challenges? 

KAIROS encourages Canadians like you to engage with candidates on critical justice issues. Candidates don’t often hear about reconciliation, climate action, international assistance, debt cancelation or migrant rights at the doorstep. This election toolkit provides an overview of KAIROS’ key concerns, suggested questions for candidates, background, and best practices for effective engagement. Our goal is to foster meaningful discussions when possible and ensure that issues of human rights and ecological justice are central in this election. 

KAIROS’ Pillar Concerns and Calls to Action

KAIROS focuses on advancing Indigenous rights and ecological, gender and migrant justice. In 2025, we are also taking a lead role in the Canadian Jubilee 2025: Turn Debt Into Hope campaign, which is focused on debt cancelation and financial reform, as well as ecological debt owned by wealthy countries like Canada to Indigenous communities and many countries in the Global South. Informed by partners and impacted communities in these territories and regions, we advocate for Canada to do the following:  

Indigenous Rights 

• Fully implement as soon as possible the National Action Plan of the 231 Calls for Justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.  
• Implement the $40-billion settlement with Indigenous groups regarding the systemic underfunding of child welfare services. 
• End all drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves. 

Ecological Justice  

• Plan for an equitable phase-out of fossil fuels and place a moratorium on new fossil fuel development and infrastructure. 
• Invest in a just transition to an equitable and sustainable society. 
• Implement the Canadian Coalition on Climate Change and Development’s (C4D) comprehensive roadmap for Canada’s new climate finance pledge for 2026/27 to 2030/31. 

Gender Justice  

• Advocate for and defend the rights of women human rights and land defenders, and peacebuilders. 
• Adopt robust corporate accountability legislation and end exploitive extractivism. 
• Prioritize human and ecological rights in all trade agreements. 
• Increase funding to locally led women’s organizations and programs, particularly women peacebuilders addressing climate, conflict and gender inequality. 
• Fully implement a Feminist Foreign Policy and fund the Feminist International Assistance Policy.  

Migrant Justice 

• Recognize migrant workers who flee climate-related emergencies in their home countries as climate refugees rather than “economic migrants.” 
• End the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and replace it with pathways to permanent residency as the primary strategy to address labour shortages.  
• Regularize all undocumented individuals. 
• Tackle the root causes of indebted labour, including poverty, climate displacement, and lack of economic opportunities. Indebted labor occurs when a person is required to work without pay for a set period to repay a debt. 

Jubilee 2025 

In 2025, KAIROS leads the Canadian Jubilee 2025: Turn Debt into Hope campaign. We call for: 

• Debt cancellation for unjust and unsustainable debts.  
• Global financial reform to prevent future crises.  
• A debt resolution framework within the United Nations that is transparent, binding and fair. 

Engaging Candidates: Dos and Don’ts 

Engagement with candidates can happen at All-Candidates meetings, one-on-one meetings, on the doorstep, or through letters and emails. 

When engaging with candidates during the election, remember that most of them will not be focused on in-depth policy discussions, and that very few will have a deep understanding of all of the issues that matter to people in their ridings.  

That said, your question(s) to candidates help inform them of matters of interest and importance to you. Responses to your question(s) will help inform you of their awareness and position on these matters. Ideally, candidates may want to learn more, offering you an opportunity to engage further. If not, at least you put these issues on their radar. Remember, respectful exchanges are a necessary ingredient for impactful relationship-building.  

Here are some best practices: 

✅ Do: 

• Be clear and concise in your question(s) and statement(s). 
• Focus on shared values and concerns to build common ground. 

• Remain respectful in discussions. 
• Follow up on candidate responses with additional information. 
• Engage others—community involvement amplifies impact. 
• Have your organization host or co-host an All-Candidates meeting. 
• Create lawn signs that communicate an issue of concern to you: i.e. Vote for the Climate. 
• Let candidates know how many signatures you collected for the Jubilee 2025: Turn Debt Into Hope campaign. 

❌ Don’t: 

• Expect deep policy discussions—most candidates may not know much about the issue you raise and many will stick to their party’s platform. 
• Assume all candidates are well-versed in international or social justice issues—educate where possible. 
• Dismiss candidates based on party affiliation—engage constructively. 
• Use aggressive or confrontational language—this backfires. 
• Attempt to embarrass a candidate in public. 

Suggested Questions to Ask Candidates

Here are suggested questions to ask candidates. We begin broadly, followed by more specific questions. Read them over and highlight a few that you want to ask your candidate first or refer to the Short List of Top Questions on the last page. 

Practice asking your questions and sharing your perspectives with a friend or family member. The more you practice, the more likely you will remember when a candidate unexpectedly knocks on your door. 

Indigenous Rights:  

• If elected, what will you do to help advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada? 
• Indigenous leaders and organizations—such as the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC)—must be fully involved in shaping policies that affect their communities. How will you ensure that Indigenous nations, organizations, and survivors are meaningfully engaged in decision-making processes on critical issues, such as advancing the 231 Calls for Justice and ending long-term drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves? 
• The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls released 231 Calls for Justice in 2019, yet progress has been painfully slow. If elected, what concrete steps will you take to fully implement the National Action Plan and ensure Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people are safe? 
• The federal government reached a $40-billion settlement to compensate Indigenous families and reform the child welfare system. How will you ensure that the settlement is implemented swiftly and effectively, and what will you do to prevent future injustices against Indigenous children? 
• In 2015, the federal government promised to end all long-term drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves. Yet many communities still lack access to clean water. What is your plan to ensure safe and reliable drinking water for all First Nations, and how will you hold the government accountable for this overdue commitment?  

Ecological Justice:  

• If elected, what will you do to address climate change and the need for an energy transition that is just? 
• Will you work to increase Canada’s international climate financing? 
• Despite increasing climate-related disasters and commitments to reduce carbon emissions, Canada continues to provide billions of dollars in public financing to fossil fuel projects. If elected, will you commit to eliminating all fossil fuel subsidies, including the $7.3 billion provided by Export Development Canada in 2023? 
• Workers and communities need strong support to transition to a clean-energy economy. How will you ensure that the Sustainable Jobs Act is adequately funded and that just transition policies also prioritize Indigenous sovereignty, young adults, low-income communities, and marginalized groups? 
• Canada has pledged $5.3 billion in climate finance but must do more to support vulnerable nations. Will you commit to tripling this pledge for the next five years and ensure that funding for adaptation and loss and damage is provided as grants rather than debt-creating loans? 
• To meet its net-zero target, Canada must stop approving new fossil fuel projects and enforce a strong oil and gas pollution cap. Will you support a ban on all new fossil fuel development and implement a strict emissions cap with no loopholes for industry? 

Gender Justice and Corporate Accountability: 

• If elected, how will you ensure Canadian companies working abroad do not contribute to human rights abuses and environmental destruction and are held accountable with strong human rights and environmental standards?  
• What will you do to ensure that Canadian resource extraction does not increase human rights violations of Indigenous Peoples and women, including violence against women’s and girls’ bodies and livelihoods?
• Canadian mining companies continue to be linked to human rights abuses and environmental destruction overseas, undermining Canada’s reputation abroad. If elected, will you support strong corporate accountability legislation? 
• Canada promotes mining as part of the green energy transition, but Indigenous and rural communities worldwide, particularly women in these communities, bear the costs. Will you commit to ending government support for Canadian resource extraction projects that violate human rights and Indigenous sovereignty, and to ensuring extractive industries meet strong environmental and human rights standards? 
• Canada’s proposed free trade agreement with Ecuador has raised serious concerns about corporate impunity and threats to Indigenous and rural communities, particularly women. Will you oppose investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions in trade deals and require independent human rights impact assessments before any agreement moves forward?  

Global Partner Solidarity & Women, Peace, and Security: 

• If elected, will you increase international cooperation and financial assistance and ensure support for locally led women’s organizations and programs?
• The elimination of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth has raised concerns about the federal government’s commitment to advancing gender justice. If elected, will you advocate for reinstating this position to ensure dedicated leadership on gender equity, and how will you support policies that protect and advance the rights of women and gender-diverse individuals? 
• Drastic cuts to international assistance, including USAID, endanger vulnerable communities and global security by undermining women-led grassroots peacebuilding, while Canada’s international support remains far below its commitments. Will you support increasing Canadian international cooperation to meet the global standard of 0.7 percent Gross National Income – and prioritize gender justice and peacebuilding?  
• There is ample evidence that Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) leads to sustainable, just and equitable development and could be the basis for a Feminist Foreign Policy that fully integrates Indigenous and racial justice, gender equality and human rights. Will you commit to developing a comprehensive, intersectional Feminist Foreign Policy that prioritizes women peacebuilders and human rights defenders and does not allow corporate interests to undermine these principles? 
• Grassroots women peacebuilders and climate defenders are at the forefront of conflict prevention and climate adaptation, yet they remain underfunded. Will you support a dedicated Women’s Fund for Climate Adaptation and ensure at least 15 percent of Canada’s international assistance directly supports women’s rights organizations? 

Peace in Israel and Palestine: 

• If elected, what will you do to support human rights, international law and just and enduring peace in Palestine and Israel?   
• What specific diplomatic initiatives will you pursue to ensure Canada plays an active role in an enduring and sustained ceasefire, immediate flow of life saving humanitarian assistance and respect for human rights in Gaza? 
• What will you do to support Palestinian self-determination and end the occupation as conditions for just and enduring peace in the region? 
• Canada has imposed political and economic consequences on Russia for violating international law in Ukraine but has not taken similar action against Israel for its illegal occupation, annexation, and violations of Palestinian human rights. Will you support imposing diplomatic and economic consequences on Israel until it complies with international law and ends its occupation of Palestinian land? 
• President Trump has proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza, while Israel continues illegal annexations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Will you commit to publicly opposing these colonial policies, pressuring the Canadian government to reject them, and upholding the principles of human rights and international law in Palestine and Israel? 

Migrant Justice:  

• If elected, what will you do to support migrant workers? 
• Millions are being displaced by climate disasters, yet Canada does not recognize climate migrants as refugees. Will you support updating the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to grant protection and permanent residency pathways to people fleeing climate-related displacement? 
• Recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on forms of slavery said that Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) is a ‘fostering place’ for modern-day slavery. For years this program has been widely criticized for systemizing exploitation and preventing workers from building stable lives in Canada. Will you commit to ending the TFWP and replacing it with permanent residency pathways for all migrant workers? 
• Up to 500,000 people in Canada live without status, often working in essential jobs while facing exploitation and constant threat of deportation. Will you commit to a broad and inclusive regularization program that ensures permanent residency for all undocumented people? 
• Many migrant workers arrive in Canada burdened by massive debt due to predatory recruitment fees. Will you support stronger enforcement of international labour standards to eliminate recruitment fees and tackle the root causes of indebted migration, such as poverty and climate displacement? 

Debt Cancelation and Financial Reform: 

• If elected, will you advocate for international financial reform and the cancellation of unjust global debt?  
• Many low-income countries spend more on debt repayments than on essential services like healthcare, education and climate action. Will you support Canada canceling unjust and unsustainable debts to enable these nations to invest in their people’s well-being and sustainable development? 
• The current global financial system often prioritizes creditors’ interests, leading to recurring debt crises in the Global South. What measures will you advocate for to reform international financial institutions and prevent future debt crises, ensuring they serve people and the planet over profit? 
• Wealthy countries and corporations, including Canada and Canadian businesses, have historically exploited resources from the Global South and Indigenous communities, leading to environmental degradation and human rights violations. Do you acknowledge this ecological debt, and what steps will you take to ensure restitution and support for affected communities? 

Background

Indigenous Rights in Canada 

Despite years of commitments to reconciliation and Indigenous rights, Canada continues to fall short in delivering meaningful change. While progress has been made in some areas, many critical issues remain unresolved, underscoring the need for sustained advocacy and government accountability. 

A glaring example is the slow response to the 231 Calls for Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Only two of these calls have been fully implemented. The federal government has not yet implemented its National Action Plan, failing to adequately and urgently address systemic violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. 

Another pressing concern is the chronic underfunding of First Nations child welfare services. The Assembly of First Nations rejected the proposed settlement for long-term reform in 2024, citing inadequate funding and flawed agreements. The government’s delay in fully addressing these issues further exacerbates the crisis facing Indigenous children and families. 

Access to clean water also remains a significant challenge. Although some progress has been made, 31 long-term drinking water advisories on First Nations reserves persist—some in place for decades. Meaningful, lasting solutions require adequate funding and infrastructure investment, yet government efforts continue to fall short. 

There has been some progress since the current government took power. After years of advocacy, the federal government passed – in 2021 – Bill C-15, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Act. This legislation requires Canadian laws to align with UNDRIP principles. However, the government must still fully implement an action plan to uphold Indigenous rights in a meaningful way. 

During the federal election, we encourage voters to urge candidates to take action on these critical issues. Reconciliation requires more than words—it demands accountability, resources, and a genuine commitment to justice for Indigenous Peoples. 

Ecological Justice 

Over the past few years, Canada has taken some steps toward ecological justice, but significant contradictions remain. While bills have been passed to support environmental justice and a just transition, the federal government continues to finance and approve fossil fuel projects, undermining its climate commitments. 

In 2024, Bill C-226, Canada’s first Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Act, was passed after a decade of advocacy by Indigenous and racialized communities. KAIROS will continue to monitor its implementation. 

That same year, Bill C-50, the Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act became law, outlining measures to create sustainable jobs and move toward a net-zero economy. However, the bill has weaknesses, including a lack of strong Indigenous rights protections and a reliance on unproven technologies like carbon capture and storage, which critics call a false solution.  

Canada remains one of the world’s largest financiers of fossil fuel projects. A March 2024 report revealed that in 2023 alone, the federal government provided at least $18.6 billion in support to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries. This includes $8 billion in loan guarantees for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion (TMX), which began operations in May 2024. In early 2025, the government posted another $20 billion in loan guarantees—breaking its 2022 promise to end public financing for TMX. 

Canada has not yet endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, even as 16 nations and 129 cities worldwide, including 17 Canadian municipalities, support the initiative.  

In 2022, Canada played a key role at COP27 to set up a Global Fund for Loss and Damage to compensate vulnerable nations suffering from climate-induced disasters. However, Canada’s climate finance commitments to this fund and to global mitigation and adaptation efforts remain inadequate. Voters could push candidates to take real action – beyond quibbling about carbon pricing. Canada cannot claim climate leadership while expanding fossil fuel projects. It’s time for bold policies that prioritize justice, sustainability, and a livable future for all. 

Gender Justice and Corporate Accountability 

For decades, Canada has resisted ensuring corporate accountability for human rights and environmental abuses committed by Canadian companies operating abroad. Despite persistent advocacy, the federal government has failed to pass essential legislation to regulate corporate activities and protect affected communities—especially Indigenous and rural women in the Global South. 

Two key private members’ bills—Bill C-262 and Bill C-263, tabled in 2022 in the House of Commons, didn’t move past first reading. These bills would have implemented mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (mHREDD) and empowered the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) with the ability to investigate corporate misconduct. Without these measures, Canadian companies remain largely unaccountable for environmental destruction, forced labour, violations of Indigenous rights, increased gender-based violence and attacks against human rights and environmental defenders. 

In 2024, Indigenous and rural women from Ecuador traveled to Canada for the “Why We Say No!” tour, demanding that the federal government respect free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) in trade agreements and rejecting investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) provisions. They exposed the harmful impacts of Canadian mining operations on their communities, particularly Indigenous women.

Meanwhile, Canada continues to promote mining in the transition to “clean” energy without enforcing corporate accountability. Communities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia bear the environmental and social costs of resource extraction, while Canadian companies profit with little oversight and no mandatory accountability measures. These harms are an example of ecological debt owed by Canada to impacted countries in the Global South. 

We encourage voters to demand stronger corporate accountability laws, including binding human rights regulations, environmental standards and an empowered CORE. Canada cannot claim to champion gender, ecological justice and human rights while supporting extractive industries that worldwide exploit and endanger the very people it claims to protect. 

Gender Justice: Global Partner Solidarity & Women, Peace, and Security 

The Canada Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) is innovative and effective in supporting sustainable, equitable and just development. There is ample evidence that supporting locally led women’s organizations in peacebuilding, human rights and climate adaption has lasting impacts and requires minimal resources. And yet, Canada’s commitment and funding to feminist international assistance and peacebuilding remains inadequate, failing to provide the necessary resources to support women peacebuilders and grassroots organizations to reach this potential. While the federal government speaks of advancing gender justice and human rights, it could do much more. This lost potential is evident in Canada’s Budget 2024. Canada increased humanitarian aid by $350 million over two years, but its overall official development assistance (ODA) remains well below the international standard of 0.7 percent of gross national income. Only a small fraction of ODA is directed at locally led women’s rights and peacebuilding initiatives. 

KAIROS’ Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security Program (2018-2024) offers additional evidence that investing in women peacebuilders is more than a moral decision but an effective one too.   

Canada must not allow economic pressures to justify the neglect of its international aid commitments, particularly after the Trump administration froze USAID. Global stability relies on inclusive, lasting peace. Prioritizing women peacebuilders, climate resilience, and grassroots conflict prevention is key to long-term security. 

The government’s focus on private sector partnerships in international assistance is also alarming. While businesses can play a role, extractive industries—including Canadian mining companies—often violate human rights and displace communities, particularly impacting women and Indigenous land defenders. Without strong corporate accountability laws, Canada risks undermining its own feminist foreign policy commitments. 

Also concerning, the position of the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth (WAGE) was eliminated – for the first time in more than 50 years – in a recent cabinet restructuring. The responsibilities of WAGE have been reassigned to the Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity.  

This decision has sparked significant concern among advocacy groups. More than 200 feminist organizations, including KAIROS, criticized the move, stating that consolidating these responsibilities into a broader portfolio undermines the focus, expertise, and resources required to tackle systemic issues effectively.  

Critics argue that the absence of a dedicated minister may deprioritize gender equality initiatives, potentially hindering progress on issues like the gender wage gap, workplace harassment, and violence against women and gender-diverse individuals. 

This decision has economic implications too. Studies consistently show that when women are empowered—through equal pay, workforce participation, and leadership opportunities—economies grow stronger. Gender equality boosts productivity, increases household incomes, and enhances overall economic resilience. The absence of a dedicated minister may hinder Canada’s progress in building an inclusive and prosperous economy. 

KAIROS joins other advocacy groups in urging the future Prime Minister to reconsider this decision and reinstate a dedicated ministerial position to ensure sustained attention and leadership on gender equality matters. 

We encourage voters to call on candidates to recognize that effective peace and socioeconomic well-being is built through diplomacy, development, grassroots empowerment and supporting local peacebuilders, particularly women. Canada must reinstate the Minister of WAGE, increase direct funding for women peacebuilders, meet its international aid commitments, and ensure its foreign policy upholds justice, equity, and human rights. 

Israel and Palestine 

Since October 7, 2023, the ecumenical community in Canada, led by KAIROS, has actively sought to address the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing peace and justice in the Middle East.  

This advocacy is grounded in and informed by long term partnerships with churches and development and human rights organizations in Palestine and Israel. These partners risk their lives daily to hold onto the goal of peace with dignity and justice for all Palestinians and all Israelis. These partners include women peacebuilders who continue to work to build conditions for inclusive, just and lasting peace in their communities.  

KAIROS, in collaboration with its member churches, led the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage: Canadian Churches for Just Peace in 2024. This nationwide effort saw participants from 150 congregations collectively walking or rolling more than 10,000 kilometers, symbolically mapping the length of the Gaza Strip onto their own cities. The pilgrimage aimed to raise awareness and advocate for: 

1. Enduring and sustained ceasefire.     
2. Immediate flow of life saving food, water, aid, fuel and humanitarian assistance.    
3. Release of all captives.   
4. End all arms transfers to Israel.  
5. End of occupation so a just-peace can begin.    

After 15 months of relentless war and unimaginable human suffering, a ceasefire was declared in January 2025. KAIROS, church leaders and heads of church agencies came together again to sign an ecumenical statement on March 5 in solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli partners, calling on the international community to hold Israel and Hamas accountable for their violations of international law. Appalled by the Trump Administration’s statements supporting ethnic cleansing and further forced displacement in Gaza, this ecumenical statement urges all Canadians to act in support of the human rights and dignity of all Palestinians and all Israelis, and in opposition to continuing violations of their legal, civil and human rights by the Israeli government and its allies.  

On March 18, Israel resumed airstrikes, which killed more than 400 people, with promises of more airstrikes to come. 

For more on the ecumenical responses to the Israel-Hamas war, visit the Just Peace in the Middle East Hub. 

Jubilee 2025 – Debt Cancelation and Financial Reform 

The Global South and Indigenous communities face a devastating debt crisis, with many nations spending more on debt repayments than on healthcare, education or climate action.   

Debt cancelation and systemic financial reform are not just economic solutions; they are a moral imperative rooted in the theological principle of justice for all. 

Jubilee 2025 is a global ecumenical initiative that builds on the transformative success of Jubilee 2000, which canceled $100 billion of debt for 36 low-income countries. KAIROS’ Jubilee 2025 campaign emphasizes ecological justice, and the urgent need to address ecological debt—the exploitation of resources and lands in the Global South and in Indigenous communities worldwide. Amplifying Indigenous voices, the campaign also calls for land restitution, climate justice, and the transformation of exploitative systems to uphold dignity, equity, and sustainable development for everyone. KAIROS’ Jubilee 2025 campaign emphasizes ecological justice, and the urgent need to address ecological debt—the exploitation of resources and lands in the Global South and in Indigenous communities worldwide. Amplifying Indigenous voices, the campaign also calls for land restitution, climate justice, and the transformation of exploitative systems to uphold dignity, equity, and sustainable development for all. 

KAIROS and its ecumenical partners call on Canada and private creditors to cancel unjust debt, prevent future cycles of unsustainable debt and establish a mechanism for debt resolution within the United Nations.   

Canadians are encouraged to help build political will for these asks by signing the Jubilee 2025 Petition. Our goal is to collect 100 thousand signatures in Canada and 10 million worldwide by the end of 2025.  

Migrant Justice 

Canada’s immigration system continues to marginalize migrant workers and undocumented people, prioritizing political and business interests over human rights. Despite their essential contributions to Canadian economy, migrant workers navigate government policies that reinforce exploitation, exclusion and precarity. 

The Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) remains a deeply flawed system that enables widespread labour abuse, wage theft, and unsafe working conditions. In 2023, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery condemned the TFWP as a “breeding ground” for modern slavery, yet the federal government refuses to replace it with a more just system. Instead, recent policy changes have made conditions worse, restricting spousal work permits for many migrant workers and failing to enforce fair recruitment practices. 

Meanwhile, up to 500,000 people in Canada remain undocumented, forced to live in fear of deportation while contributing to communities and workplaces. The government has stalled on its promise to create a regularization program, leaving thousands vulnerable to exploitation. Deportations continue at an alarming rate, contradicting Canada’s commitments to human rights. 

Migrant workers also face housing insecurity, as employer-provided accommodations are often overcrowded, unsafe and unregulated. Rather than address these issues, government officials have scapegoated migrants for Canada’s housing crisis, further fueling unjust anti-immigrant sentiment. 

Additionally, Canada has yet to recognize climate-induced displacement in its immigration policies. As extreme weather events force millions from their homes worldwide, KAIROS calls on Canada to acknowledge climate refugees and create pathways for their protection.  

We call on voters to demand an immigration system rooted in justice and dignity. Canada must end the TFWP, regularize undocumented people, grant migrant workers permanent resident status upon arrival, and formally recognize climate refugees. A truly just Canada welcomes and protects all who call it home. 

For more information, visit KAIROS’ 2025 Calls to Action. 

Conclusion 

The 2025 federal election is a crucial opportunity to make social and ecological justice a priority. By engaging with candidates in meaningful ways, we can help advance policies that reflect our vision for a just and sustainable future. Let’s use this election to advocate for a better world! 

Additional Resources 

Questions about voting and other election-related matters? Visit Elections Canada’s website. 

How to urge candidates to support international assistance and the Jubilee calls to action amid Canadian concerns about U.S. threats? We’ve created two laser talks—short, powerful statements designed to convey key messages quickly. They’re most effective when read aloud a few times to help prepare you when speaking with candidates or others. 

Laser Talk: International Assistance Matters Now More than Ever 

Canada faces unprecedented economic and existential threats—from climate change and global instability to rising authoritarianism. The world is becoming less secure, but turning inward is not the answer. Investing in international assistance is an investment in Canada’s own security, prosperity, and leadership. It’s also an investment in a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable world and future. 

This is not a zero-sum game. Canada does not become poorer by supporting global development. As a wealthy nation, it has the resources to do both. It’s also in its best interests to do so. International aid helps create a more stable, equitable, sustainable and prosperous world—reducing the conditions that lead to war, forced migration, human rights violations and economic and climate crises that ultimately affect us all.  

Aid strengthens global solidarity. As authoritarianism spreads and human rights violations rise, Canada must stand with those working to secure and sustain peace, justice, and democracy. Civil society organizations and local peacebuilders—especially women-led initiatives—are at growing risk, yet they remain the most effective force for lasting peace and resilience. 

Canada’s leadership is at stake. The Trump administration’s immediate halt to USAID has had a devastating impact on millions of people living in vulnerable communities throughout the world. In response, the UK and several other European countries cut development assistance to fund military budgets. This retreat from global solidarity leaves at-risk communities without support and deepens global instability. Canada has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to step up where others are stepping back.  

Women peacebuilders and grassroots organizations must be prioritized. Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) is innovative but underfunded. Evidence shows that supporting locally led women’s organizations in peacebuilding, human rights, and climate adaptation has lasting impact with minimal resources. KAIROS’ Women of Courage: Women, Peace and Security Program (2018–2024), supported by Canada and Canadian donors, demonstrates that when local women-led organizations provide conflict-affected women with psychosocial and legal support, along with human rights training, they become effective peacebuilders.  

As global crises intensify, a secure future depends on diplomacy, empowering grassroots peacebuilding, and a firm commitment to justice and equity. Canada must increase direct funding for women peacebuilders, meet its aid commitments of 0.7 percent of Gross National Income, and lead by example in building a more just and peaceful world. 

Laser Talk: Debt Cancellation Matters in a Time of Crisis 

Question: Canada is grappling with an existential threat. Why does debt cancelation matter now? 

Answer: Canada is facing an immediate existential threat posed by U.S. tariffs and President Trump’s talk of annexation. In this moment of uncertainty, our response must be one of solidarity, resilience, unity and global leadership. Global isolation is not an option. 

Global security depends on economic stability. When countries are drowning in debt, they cannot invest in health care, education, or climate action—leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and instability. Lenders often impose economic policies that benefit foreign interests rather than local needs. And high debt often forces nations to exploit resources to repay debt, harming local environments. Without debt justice, many countries remain trapped in cycles of dependency, unable to invest in their own development and environmental well-being. Just as Canada seeks to ward off economic instability and maintain its sovereignty, we must help other nations break free from unjust debt that threatens their economic wellbeing and independence. This requires fair financial systems that free nations from unjust and unsustainable debt. 

In addition, the potential for countries in the South to default on debt payments threatens to destabilize the global economy, making debt cancelation mutually beneficial for countries in the North. 

Global solidarity is key to resilience. A world where nations thrive together is stronger than one dominated by economic and military aggression. By canceling unjust debt and preventing predatory lending, Canada can build alliances that safeguard our shared democratic values and security. 

Resiliency means putting people and planet before profit. Profit-driven and self-serving policies drive climate destruction, political instability and economic collapse. Debt justice is one critical step for nations to empower themselves to invest in their future. 

This is not a zero-sum game. Canada is owed an estimated CAD $8.63 billion in bilateral debt and not all this debt is considered unjust. If Canada cancels the unjust and unsustainable debts owed to it – while taking a leadership role in advancing international financial reform – it does not mean we become poorer as a result. Instead, it strengthens global stability, fosters economic partnerships, improves human rights and equity, and creates a more resilient world—benefiting Canada in the long run.  

Canadians are standing in solidarity with one another and recognize the need to do the same beyond our borders. We are stronger when we join allies who prioritize people and the planet over profit and reaffirm our shared humanity. 

Canada must lead. By canceling unjust debts owed to us and working with global partners to create a fair, transparent debt resolution system at the UN, we show true resilience—not just for ourselves, but for the world. In the face of existential threats, we cannot retreat—we must act. Debt cancellation isn’t charity. It’s justice. It’s security. It’s a path to a more resilient Canada. 

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives 

KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives is a social justice organization that includes ten Canadian churches and religious organizations. We are Indigenous, settlers and newcomers in Canada working with people of faith or conscience all over the world for ecological justice and human rights. We deliberate on issues of common concern, advocate for social change and join with people of faith and goodwill in action for social transformation. 

KAIROS acknowledges that the Toronto office is on the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat, Seneca and Mississaugas of the Credit Indigenous Peoples.

Questions? Contact: Cheryl McNamara, Communications and Advocacy Coordinator, KAIROS Canada 

cmcnamara@kairoscanada.org 

Short List of Top Questions for Candidates 

Print this page and keep it handy on the fridge or by the door for when a candidate might come to your doorstep. Decide in advance which are your top three questions. 

Indigenous Rights:  

• If elected, what will you do to help advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada? 

Ecological Justice:  

• If elected, what will you do to address climate change and the need for an energy transition that is just? 

• If elected, will you work to increase Canada’s international climate financing? 

Gender Justice and Corporate Accountability: 

• If elected, how will you ensure Canadian companies working abroad do not contribute to human rights abuse and environmental destruction and are held accountable with strong human rights and environmental standards? 

Global Partner Solidarity & Women, Peace, and Security: 

• If elected, will you increase international cooperation and assistance and ensure support for locally led women’s organizations and programs?   

Peace in Israel and Palestine: 

• If elected, what will you do to support human rights, international law and just and enduring peace in Palestine and Israel?   

• What specific diplomatic initiatives will you pursue to ensure Canada plays an active role in an enduring and sustained ceasefire, immediate flow of life saving humanitarian assistance and respect for human rights in Gaza? 

Migrant Justice:  

• If elected, what will you do to support migrant workers? 

Debt Cancelation and Financial Reform: 

• If elected, will you advocate for international financial reform and cancellation of unjust global debt? 

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