platform

The party’s promises of new investments—from national daycare to health care—is as much a campaign tool as a platform

“I’ll take substance with nastiness over civil emptiness, anytime…”

I’ve been catching up with the various party platforms, and doing my best to use one of the pet heuristics I developed in my columnist days: looking for the most positive thing I could possibly say about those whose overall philosophies I strongly oppose. In this election, that is pretty well everybody. But I started with the Greens and the New Democrats, because that is where the task of being sympathetic is hardest for a gun-crazed oil-drunk Albertan.

Jack Layton tabled the NDP platform yesterday morning.

In Chapter 5 of last month’s budget, the Harper government outlined its “comprehensive one-year Strategic and Operating Review.” It is to be completed in time for next year’s budget, but the government projected its findings as so.

In October 2008, Stephen Harper promised his government would “never” go into deficit. In November 2008, the Harper government projected budget surpluses through 2013-2014. In January 2009, the Harper government projected deficits through 2012-2013 and a surplus in 2013-2014. In October 2010, the Harper government projected deficits through 2014-2015 and a surplus in 2015-2016.

Surrounded by an enthusiastic studio audience, Stephen Harper tabled the Conservative party election platform in Mississauga this morning.

The Green party has released its election platform—both short and long versions.

The Liberal platform wants to take the country back 40 years

The Liberals have now released—and are currently presenting for television and online audiences—their election platform.

The Liberals made note this morning of the similarity between the title of today’s Throne Speech and the title of former Australian prime minister John Howard’s election platform in 2004. That similarity perhaps being noteworthy because of this. And this.

The Conservative platform is mostly a damp squib, more or less by design. Or at any rate they’re trapped: if they were to put more in it at this late date, they open themselves to charges of panicking, making it up as they go along etc. — the very thing they’re trying to hang on the opposition.