Tories vs. New Tories vs. Lib-Tories
It’s getting tough to know which political party to write biased articles in favour of, now that they’re all basically the same. It must also be getting confusing for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, faced each day with assaults in the House of Commons by opposition parties boasting election platforms that consist of variations on the phrase, “Yeah, us too.”
The basis of the Conservative quest for reelection rests on their claim to competent stewardship, a balanced budget, controlled spending, help for the middle class, a tough approach to crime, active efforts against terrorism and some modestly juicy election promises. And, increasingly, it would seem that the opposition parties are seeking to kick the Tories out of office by arguing that they can also do a good job of all those things. In many cases, they’re actually insisting they can do the same job.
NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair, head of the largest opposition party, appeared in Toronto Tuesday to unveil an economic plan that sounded more Tory than socialist. It featured tax breaks for small business, a plan to encourage investment that mirrors an eight-year-old Conservative program, an “innovation tax credit” and the usual claim of eternal commitment to the welfare of the middle class.
Economist Jack Mintz says the biggest beneficiaries of the NDP plan would be households making more than $150,000 — not normally the tax bracket that the NDP concerns itself with. Mr. Mulcair had earlier promised to balance the budget and resist any urge to raise personal taxes. He’ll also keep an expensive Conservative promise to increase a child-care benefit. Though he has pledged to cancel a plan to introduce income splitting for families, few people would actually benefit from the Tory proposal, and there is only limited gain to be made from cancelling a project that doesn’t yet exist.
That leaves Mr. Mulcair to travel the land pronouncing his determination to raise corporate taxes, which is not exactly the stuff to have voters storming the barricades. The base may like it, but that’s about all they’re getting.
The Liberals have been keeping their platform under wraps, but at long last, bits and pieces have started to leak out. None of it is particularly revolutionary. Leader Justin Trudeau last week revealed that the Liberal position on a carbon tax is almost identical to the Conservative position: If the Liberals form the next government, Prime Minister Trudeau’s policy would be ... let the provinces deal with it. The Liberals are also moving to repair the damage done when they withheld support for Canada’s military mission against ISIS terrorists, indicating they will back Conservative legislation containing new measures to fight violent extremism.
The sudden crash of oil prices, and the hit it put on federal revenues, leaves the Liberals struggling for ways to pay for any programs that might attract voters away from the government in the upcoming election. At a caucus getaway last week (and in an oped in Thursday’s National Post, to boot), finance critic Scott Brison floated the idea of tapping the Canada Pension Plan to finance an ambitious infrastructure plan, a proposal that could raise alarm among Canadians dependent on the plan for retirement income.
Soundings suggest the Liberal surge in popularity has flattened, and the party is neck-andneck with the Conservatives. Mr. Harper has moved to a slight edge over Mr. Trudeau as mostfavoured for prime minister. Mr. Mulcair and his party lag well behind. The challenge for the Liberals remains the same: They must differentiate their candidate from Mr. Harper and give Canadians a sound reason to make the switch.
So far, they have failed to do that. Each time they close off another avenue, the task gets harder. Offering up a party that sounds a lot like the Tories — same emissions policy, support for the troops, tough on terrorism, devotion to the middle class, no clear economic differentiation — makes Mr. Trudeau look less like a saviour and more like a convert.
Both our federal opposition parties seem bent on replacing the Conservatives by acting just like them