the fourth estate
Environmental issues have recently gained popular attention. With the proliferation of movies such as An Inconvenient Truth, being green has become more than an activist’s interest—it’s a household topic. The movement is building steam and an indicator of green consciousness is the increasing support for the Green Party of Ontario, which is now at 12 per cent support—the highest yet—according to the Toronto Star.
The party’s platform takes a firm stance on the environment. Within the overarching plan, some noteworthy aspirations are for a six per cent reduction in emissions by 2010 and a two per cent carbon tax on oil, coal and natural gas. But amidst this optimism, the spirit of green thinking ignores what makes these changes possible: the green.
Their approach to economics may be feasible in a perfect world but Ontario, as Canada’s cash cow, may not be able to sustain the proposed financial hits.
Some fiscal changes would include heavy taxation on manufacturers and siphoning $7.9 billion from stimulating economic growth to the environment. The reality is heavy taxation on manufacturing that will likely hasten the flight of factories from Canada to Mexico or China.
This isn’t an invitation to allow manufacturers to pollute without discretion, but change needs to be more elegant. Chasing money out of the province is a deathblow to stability.
The party’s optimism is also apparent in its treatment of health care. In an online ad, the Greens expressed their disdain for the excessive money funnelled into healthcare, implying that this trend should stop. One remedy offered is reducing the number of patients through preventative measures.
The party’s platform cites that most illnesses result from lifestyle choices so to reduce costs, the party plans to increase the budget for healthy living campaigns. With this reform, it is hoped a reduction in spending will follow.
Healthy living campaigns are an excellent way to encourage better long-term wellness but in reality, people will not stop eating Big Macs or smoking cigarettes because the party says it is too costly. Healthy living campaigns can’t do much if there isn’t a strong, supporting infrastructure. That requires big money.
The chance of the Greens gaining representation in the house is low. With the current electoral system in place, the 12 per cent support the party boasts probably won’t ensure them a place in Queen’s Park. However, there are always surprises and now, with the public’s new green consciousness, the party might have a shot at getting its first seat in the provincial legislature.
The Greens have a slim chance to get their foot in the political door and push their major agenda—the environment—without having the freedom to entertain its poorly formulated economic changes. In contrast to the “Rae days,” which obliged civil-service workers to take 12 days of unpaid vacation per year, the NDP’s platform in this election lays out plans to increase social spending to improve the standard of living for Ontarians. Notably, the party plans to increase the minimum wage to $10 and freeze tuition at current rates in a $250 million four-year plan. This is all good news, and quite realistic in the current economic framework, but further investigation of Hampton’s overall “fair deal” shows that NDP spending is more generous than sustainable.
Almost every part of the NDP’s fiscal plan includes spending, with few cuts as counterbalance. The party’s projections over the next four years don’t consider an economic downturn. Instead, they suppose an increasing surplus. If a party assumes a constant surplus, heavy social spending will inevitably seem feasible, even rational. However, steady economic growth may not be the case.
Hampton is making big, costly promises that rely on the continuation of a strong economy and booming surplus. He may intend to keep his promises but economic drawbacks could prevent them from coming to life.
The Ontario NDP offer advantageous recommendations for social ills within the province but their spendthrift manner relies too heavily on things they can’t foresee. With support cited at a low of 14 per cent, the NDP are trying hard to make a comeback to previous grandeur without rehashing negative sentiments established by the last NDP majority government. As a minority government the party could do a great deal of good in social matters.
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