Liberals, Conservatives have trust issues

Brandon Thao
Brandon Thao

the fourth estate

After four years as Ontario Premier, Dalton McGuinty has the challenge of convincing Canadians that he has done well and can make Ontario better. His track record includes the hiring of 8,000 new nurses, and the 1.3 million-square-kilometre Toronto region greenbelt among others.

As for the future, McGuinty has big plans. The Ontario Liberal party platform outlines a level-headed approach to several issues of interest. In health care, hire 9,000 more nurses; in the environment, emphasize emission reductions and green energy; in employment, inject $1.15 billion for job creation; and $3.1 billion added to public education by 2011.

However, the Liberals make light of many issues in their platform, such as poverty. To address poverty, McGuinty plans to introduce a wage increase to $10.25 by 2010 and a “poverty reduction strategy.” Although initially appealing at a cosmetic level, the platform outlines no parameters for this plan.

The Liberals don’t offer an idea of how they expect to achieve their goals, what their goals are or when the plan will materialize.

The insubstantial nature of the “poverty reduction strategy” gives one the impression that it’s illegitimate and simply another promise that can easily disappear.

Once you really hold a candle to the Liberal platform, it turns out that it looks good on paper but is often lofty and half thought out.

The Liberals also seem to gloss over post-secondary education with finesse. While mentioning the subject, they offer feeble condolences for those strapped for cash. On average, tuition has almost tripled since 1990-91 and there seems to be no indicator of it slowing down. Post-secondary education is already an elitist privilege and rising costs make it more difficult for lower-income families to attend. The Liberals say they plan to stimulate university admission yet offer no solutions to the current hike in tuition prices, which restrict many from higher education.

One of the greatest criticisms McGuinty faces as fallout from his previous election was the issue of broken promises.

This year, he seems to have remedied that problem by making promises that have no parameters and are thus easily abandoned.

Even if these plans are better thought out than they appear, how can voters trust McGuinty?

Last election he promised not to raise taxes, yet a tax increase was one of the first things he did as premier.

He also promised to shut down coal plants and failed at that as well.

Some may argue these failures were due to circumstance. However, votes are cast in confidence, trusting the party leader will make promises he or she can keep.

A well-rounded platform is useless if its promises mean nothing.

With former Rogers Cable CEO John Tory as their leader, it’s not surprising the Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives’ proposed policies hinge on finances.

Under a John Tory government, the PCs see hope in sight for Ontario, which has slipped economically under a McGuinty government.

In the recent debate, Tory blasted McGuinty for allowing Ontario to fall to eighth in provincial economic growth, criticized him for misplaced funds such as those promised to the parents of autistic children and condemned him for the unexpected health tax tacked on Ontarians.

Tory’s approach aims to remedy the ills of a “spendthrift” and dishonest government by implementing a strategic, business-like, economically-based solution.

Some areas prone to revision under a Tory government would include ridding Ontarians of McGuinty’s $900 annual health tax, large-scale programs to stimulate jobs and economic growth and increased accountability in government spending.

But the PC’s arguments rely on trust, especially when dealing with money, and Tory tries to hammer home that he is honest and accountable.

As he says himself, “before you make a promise, you need to make a plan to deliver that promise.” However, after reneging on his $400-million push for public funding in private schools, Tory’s fortitude and honesty as a leader have been called into question.

Though unpopular, at least the last Tory Premier, Mike Harris, stuck to his guns. Tory’s indecision has led to confrontation and defamation from opponents as well as allies.

Economically driven, the Conservatives have a plan to bring Ontario from its apparent misdeeds under the McGuinty government. With programs reforming the old government and new programs stimulating growth, the Ontario PCs offer a compelling solution.

However, issues of trust plague the party. The Conservative leader is now scrambling to fix the private schools mess before the elections, and in the last leg of the race is running with a chip on his shoulder.

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

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