Friday, April 08, 2011

See 2015 Today

The Tories release their platform, though don't hold your breathe - most of the big ticket promises won't be implemented until the deficit is eliminated.

The good news is this is projected to be one year ahead of schedule, in 2014-15. The bad news? This is based on wishful thinking, rather than anything concrete:

"We will reduce the costs of government through finding efficiencies through a thorough strategic and operating expense review," Conservative Leader Stephen Harper said at a town hall-style event to formally release the platform.

Yeah, good luck with that.

9 Comments:

  • It doesn't matter that it's based on wishful thinking. The headline is that they want to reduce the deficit early and that's what people are going to see. They're the only party that's actually talking about the economy which happens to be, according to polls, the top priority of Canadians (along with health care as usual). It doesn't even take polls to clue in that the economy is the issue.

    The Liberals are really screwing this election up. Not good..

    By Anonymous Me Dere Robert, at 12:53 p.m.  

  • It's just as attainable as the Liberal promise for 12Mbps (1.5MB/s) internet in all communities in 3 years. Pretty much every parties promises are full of fluff and hopes.

    By Blogger Traciatim, at 1:03 p.m.  

  • I've been following the American budget debate with some interest, and find myself listening to another right-winger promise to balance the budget by "eliminating waste." "Eliminate waste?!?", I cry, smacking my forehead, alone in my truck, occasionally seeing concern in the faces of fellow drivers in other vehicles. "Why didn't I think of that?!?"

    I actually thought Canadian politics was a little more mature and thoughtful. My mistake.

    By Blogger Don, at 1:13 p.m.  

  • Haha

    A couple days ago someone posted the LPC should promise to eliminate income taxes in 5 years. I think that could be a clever way to demonstrate how ridiculous these promises are.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 1:16 p.m.  

  • It's creative fiction, but as the first post notes, it seems to work. Harper's fiscal track record is a shambles and we really should be making hay of it -- how about tallying up the cost of his bloated cabinet/PMO/government advertising and negative advertising outside the election cycle (which Canadian taxpayers are subsidizing)... then counter with our democratic platform, no political advertising outside an election cycle, limits on government advertising per year etc.
    No CON government in recent history has ever delivered a surplus budget -- Harper's first few were still burning the extra $ left over from Martin's decisions -- so we should be engaging Canadians on who has done what. That won't stop the CON lies, but it will at least be there for everyone to see.

    By Blogger rockfish, at 1:36 p.m.  

  • CPC could take the advice from Senate Committee the 2007 report,
    and get rid of CIDA,
    that saves $3.4 Bn per year alone!

    By Blogger wilson, at 1:40 p.m.  

  • Don, it's not just the right-wing.

    I remember when Obama was doing his town halls to sell his health care reform.

    When he got to explain how he would pay for it, he said that $200 billion would come from "eliminating waste."

    I smacked my forehead just like you did (fortunately I wasn't driving). Why not just do that, and forget about the rest!

    (P.S. The rest came from taxing the rich, which sounded more like taxing charities the way he explained it ...)

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 4:25 p.m.  

  • I mean if they really thought they could have eliminated the budget one year earlier from these efficiencies, why weren't they doing it say when they were creating the largest budget deficit in history....

    By Blogger Dan-O, at 7:15 p.m.  

  • Yeah, why wait practically a decade in government to eliminate waste? Who swallows this crap?

    By Blogger sharonapple88, at 8:23 p.m.  

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