Where the parties stand on key issues ahead of GE2025

With Singapore heading to the polls soon, all signs point to an intense contest among the political parties - not only for parliamentary seats but also for primacy in the ideas they champion.In the days to come, Singaporeans will certainly hear more about the policies each party espouses, whether through election manifestos, rallies or on walkabouts during the hustings.Even so, analysts say voters should consider what MPs from the various parties in Parliament have said in the last five years, before they decide at the ballot box.The Straits Times outlines where these parties stand in four key areas: fiscal policy, cost of living, foreign talent and housing.Fiscal policyIn November 2022, Parliament debated the necessity, timing and extent of the hike to the goods and services tax (GST), after the Government first gave notice in 2018 that it intended to do so.The WP and PSP both opposed the increment of the GST from 7 per cent to 9 per cent, citing the inflationary environment, and sugg...