Fall Election

[Kanada Kev]

WTF is right.

All platforms should be readily made available at the commencement (or fixed period of time after) of the election campaign by all parties. It should be a prerequisite.

Playing by the polls is right. Ugh.

[ollie]

There should be fixed election dates too. Oh wait.

[Birdy]

I think not releasing a full out platform at once was actually pretty standard of Canadian politics until 1993 with the Liberal's "Red Book", which in turn back-fired and had them defending broken promises all over the place.

I don't see anything wrong (nor does the law) with how the Cons have managed the process and if anything, think the whole strategic side of it is a pretty smooth move (time will tell if i'm wrong). Maybe it strikes a chord in the hearts of others cuz they didn't think of it first?? I don't know. I'd say probably.

I'd also venture to say absolutely no political party in Canada is exempt from governing by polls. Ie, what's with the 30 day economic crisis plan Stephane Dion launched in the debates? To me, and to i'm sure a few others, it appears the Libs have back-burnered the Green Shift when it became apparent (through the polls) Canadians were more concerned about the economy. I'm not saying i'm right about this, but this is what it comes across as. And hey, if it's okay to misconstrue the intentions of the right, it should be okay to misconstrue the intentions of the left.

[bradm]

All platforms should be readily made available at the commencement (or fixed period of time after) of the election campaign by all parties. It should be a prerequisite.

One way I can think of to do something like this would be to require each party that's running (or going to run) to actually submit its platform to, say, Elections Canada, with the submission in the form of the legislation (i.e., the actual bills) they'd try to get passed if they formed a government. One other neat thing about this idea is that the winning party would (or could) be forced to try to enact its "platform" (i.e., the bills they submitted) within, say, six months of forming the government, with fines (or other forms of penalty) being imposed for any bits of their submitted platform that they don't try to get enacted*. (This might help with the whole "broken promises" problem parties face.) The platform could also easily be analyzed by the other parties, legal and parliamentary experts, etc. Elections Canada could also penalize parties who campaign on issues for which they haven't submitted a platform or piece of proposed legislation (with the "platform submission process" also including ways to submit new elements of a party's platform, or changes to already submitted elements). (Note that this idea applies only to things a party proposes to do itself; its comments on and criticisms of other parties' platforms wouldn't be handled by this idea.)

Aloha,

Brad

* They wouldn't necessarily have to get the legislation/platform passed, however.

[mattm]

I wonder what will be in the platform. I think it's creepy of them not releasing one and sleezy as well. Then again, I think that of all the bickering that's in the tv commercials and whatnot (i.e. building your campaign on putting the other guys down, it's called bullying and I don't like it, they should have to focus on things like their platforms and that should be law if you ask me).

Harper's government has been secret the whole way through so I'm not surprised that they never released a platform. In my eyes it makes them look scared (or cocky which is bad in another way, who likes that really cocky dude at work?). If their platform is so bad that they can't release it then they probably shouldn't be voted for.

It also, to me, shows just how low the intelligence (or lack of caring) of the nation is in that they would vote for a party without even knowing what said party wants to do, just because said party painted the other parties as being inadequate.

[Kanada Kev]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/10/07/tory-platform.html

Tory platform adds $400M for tech funds, drops arts tax credit change

Dion: Delay in economic plan shows Harper 'failed at his job'

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, under fire from opposition parties for what they say is his lack of vision regarding the economy, released his party's election platform in Toronto on Tuesday, just a week before the Oct. 14 vote.

The plan includes $400 million for two technology funds over the next four years to help the faltering manufacturing sector in central Canada, according to the Canadian Press, which received an embargoed copy in advance.

The platform also says the Conservatives will not go ahead with controversial changes to film and television tax-credit eligibility.

The funds are the latest in the series of campaign announcements made by the Conservatives, who describe their proposals as "modest, affordable" measures that will benefit working Canadian families in times of economic uncertainty.

"This approach reflects our clear conviction as Conservatives that low taxes, less debt, and controlled and effective spending at the national level are a big part of the key to the long-run success of any economy," Harper said in an address to the Canadian Club.

The platform launch comes a day after Harper tried to reassure investors amid continuing market drops and escalating global economic turmoil, while warning that his opponents' plans would increase taxes for Canadian energy and commodities companies, among the hardest hit by the crisis.

During last week's leaders' debates, all four opposition leaders assailed Harper for failing to release his party platform more than three weeks into the election campaign, saying it showed the Conservatives had no plan to deal with the growing economic troubles.

Speaking Tuesday in British Columbia, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion again said Harper's platform was "too little, too late," saying the Conservative leader "failed at his job" in preparing Canada's economy for uncertain times.

He added that the Tories had spent so much time, energy and money attacking the Liberals' own plan that was released more than two weeks ago that "he would have been able to release his own platform by now."

Dion has promised a 30-day action plan to address pressing economic issues if he becomes prime minister, with stepped-up spending on infrastructure, consultations with regulatory agencies and private-sector economists and talks with the provincial premiers.

"His retail politics is not a vision," he told reporters.

With files from the Canadian Press

[phishtaper]

four simple words that may become the most regretted in recent history, both north and south of the border ... "The Economy is Strong"

[Birdy]

Tories woo manufacturing, vow to remake Senate

Article Comments (311) STEVEN CHASE

Globe and Mail Update

October 7, 2008 at 12:59 PM EDT

TORONTO — Conservative Leader Stephen Harper is pledging $400-million in aid for two key manufacturing sectors in Ontario and Quebec in his campaign platform unveiling today, a bit to undo the impression he's done little as Central Canada's economic engine has sputtered.

The Tories are also promising to slash tariffs on imported machinery and equipment by $345-million per year in another vowed break to manufacturers.

The aid is a significant element of his party's otherwise tax-cut heavy platform which comes out as polls suggest the Conservative Party's support is eroding in vote-rich Quebec and Ontario.

Also in the platform, the Tories have upped the stakes in their bid to remake the Senate, vowing to abolish the chamber if they are frustrated by Senators in their bid to bring in term limits and an election process for the Upper House.

And in a sop to Quebec and the cultural community, the Conservatives say they will not go ahead with controversial changes to film and television tax credit eligibility.

The industrial aid breaks down like this: The Tories are pledging to put $200-million more into the Automotive Innovation Fund for the Ontario-centred auto industry and $200-million into the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative. A sizable number of aerospace and defence firms are located in Quebec.

The Tories have also renewed a promise – largely aimed at Quebec – which would limit Ottawa's power to spend money in areas of provincial jurisdiction. This 2006 election pledge has so far gone unfulfilled.

“A re-elected Conservative government ... will ensure that any new shared cost program in an area of provincial or territorial responsibility has the consent of the majority of provinces to proceed and that provinces should be given the right to opt out of the federal program with compensation,†the platform said.

They're also promising a “Charter of Open Federalism†to enshrine the original division of powers among provinces and Ottawa.

The Conservatives have also renewed their pledge to kill the firearms registry as it applies to long guns.

“[We] will ensure that all firearms belong to licensed gun owners and that all restricted firearms, including handguns, be registered. But we will end the wasteful, ineffective long-gun registry,†the platform reads.

The platform backs down from controversial film tax changes that would have allowed the government to disqualify productions it deemed offensive. Those changes, folded into an omnibus bill that passed in the House of Commons, created a huge storm of protest over charges it would allow the government of the day to arbitrarily deny tax credits to productions it did not like.

The document is entitled “The True North Strong and Free: Stephen Harper's plan for Canadians.†It's a slim, glossy, 41-page booklet printed in huge blue font and includes 22 colour photos of Mr. Harper.

In it, the Tories are also pledging more tough-on-crime measures including:

- Eliminating the Criminal Code's “faint hope clause†which allows “even the most serious criminals to seek early release.â€

- Allowing Canadian victims to sue the sponsors of terrorism, “including to recover funds from states that are designated as sponsors of terrorism.â€

The Conservatives are also bringing back another controversial measure but promising to limit its impact. They vow to amend the Criminal Code to make the pregnancy of a woman “an aggravating factor in sentencing if a woman is assaulted or killed.â€

But they say they would “not initiate or support any legislation to regulate abortion.â€

The Tories also tougher action on drunk drivers, abolishing conditional sentences and introducing mandatory prison terms for impaired driving causing bodily harm or death.

Finally they would enact mandatory registration and DNA sampling for all sex offenders and dangerous offenders. This would mean “automatic inclusion for all serious sex offences in the National Sex Offender Registry.â€

The Conservatives played up the meagre scope of their spending in releasing their platform, noting that they're promising only $8.6-billion over four years. By the fourth year, they said, additional annual spending would only come to $2.8-billion.

In fact, the Tories are spending less than half of the possible cash available to them over the next four years. The platform leaves $8-billion of surplus cash on the books and doesn't take into account $4-billion that Ottawa is getting from an auction of wireless frequencies.

The Conservatives declined to say exactly when their promises would be enacted, saying only that they would deliver them quickly or slowly depending on how easily the treasury could afford to fund them. They said however that all pledges would be fulfilled by the fourth year of a Harper government.

Their platform is also extremely tax-cut heavy, pledging $6.5-billion in tax breaks and only $2.1-billion in spending.

Reacting to early reports on the Conservative platform, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion said the $400-million is less than what the $1-billion in comparable programs the Liberals are offering.

Mr. Dion also had two economic proposals of his own. He said a Liberal government would immediately study the merits of raising the individual amount of savings that are guaranteed by the government, which is currently $100,000. He also said a Liberal government would consider easing the Registered Retirement Investment Fund rules that force seniors to draw on their retirement savings.

"This is the thing you do when you care," Mr. Dion told supporters at a morning rally in Vancouver.

Mr. Dion would not commit to the two ideas, saying he would first want to consult with federal experts after the election.

[mattm]

The document is entitled “The True North Strong and Free: Stephen Harper's plan for Canadians.†It's a slim, glossy, 41-page booklet printed in huge blue font and includes 22 colour photos of Mr. Harper.

for some reason I find that funny

[Thorgnor]

22 pics and 41 pages... that's not a platform that's a portfolio!