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The current federal election
campaign has a lot to offer; mostly manure of varied consistency, aroma
and flavour. There is a noticeable lack of debate and information on
issues that really matter to people who will be voting.
The NDP and Green Party are
particularly nauseous. Neither has any hope of governing. Instead, one or
both hope to prop up a minority government in return for acceptance of
some wild policy positions they have taken. That is cynical and
revolting. Neither party can attract more than a low (currently 13.6% and
7%) portion of electors, but they hope to jam their policies down our
throats as part of a minority government. Their intent is to disrupt our
political system in a quest for unearned power.
Jagmeet Singh shot the NDP in
its foot, possibly fatally, by announcing a separate party policy for
Quebec. Jean Chretien was the last prime minister to employ dual party policies
(one in Quebec, another for elsewhere) and that did not end well. Quebec
has less than 25% of Canada’s population and its own federal political
party; the Bloc Quebecois.
 Resentments against federal
language policy run high outside of Quebec, so, declaring the NDP not on
side with English speaking Canada is a strange position.
Elizabeth May’s determination
to make her party more stringently “green” than Al Gore and David Suzuki
combined is not comforting. Ms May is strongly opposed to any mining or
petroleum development - no drilling; no exploration; no pipelines. It
does not occur to her that the federal government lacks jurisdiction,
that is because natural resource development is a provincial responsibility.
We do not have a national
health care program, what we have ten separate provincial health care
programs and a federal program to take care of the territories,
indigenous people, federal prison inmates and military personnel.
Regardless, both the NDP and Greens are touting a national pharmacare
program including dental care.
Very few jurisdictions have
pharmacare programs, and those who do offset enormous costs with annual
deductibles, per procedure costs and co-payments; costs of services are
reimbursed in part, ranging from 50% to 80% and not just on drugs and
dentistry but on all health care services.
Both parties are touting free
post-secondary education; and the concept is appealing, expensive and
open to abuse. Does the program include the costs residency and meals for
out of city students, however? What about residents of one city who want
to be educated in a university or college in a different city? What about
a student who enrolls in a program and fails to pass? Why should the
public subsidize failure? Then there are the perpetual students who earn
a degree, like the university atmosphere and start over in a different
discipline. Do we also provide free master’s degrees and doctorates?
These are not election
platforms; they are somewhere between policy documents and wish lists.
An elected government has real
problems to deal with, including creating a fair and even climate for
business investment; ensuring that business tax rates are competitive
with the USA; reviewing and reducing non-essential spending; simplifying
our personal tax structure; confining federal spending to matters in
constitutional authority; and respecting provincial constitutional
authorities amongst other things.
No government can be effective
without paying attention to the fundamentals first.
We cannot continue to expand
federal services until we ensure that the current basic programs are
funded into the future or amended to ensure they are sustainable over the
long haul. We cannot continue to squander funds on support for the United
Nations and foreign aid until we are certain that fundamental federal
programs are funded, and the books are balanced.
We can be certain that the Justin
Trudeau Liberals will have minority governance with NDP support as their
fall-back position.
A Conservative minority will
produce chaotic parliament and a potential resurrection of the 2008
attempt to hijack parliament with a Liberal / NDP / Green / BQ coalition
(not unlike the mess the UK is facing today).
Nothing less than a Conservative
majority can protect the interests of Canadians.
The grasping interests of
minority political parties are playing a key role in this election. Their
willingness to prostitute themselves for political power must not be
rewarded.
The Way I See It
~~ John Feldsted
Political Commentator, Consultant & Strategist
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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