The latest from Canada’s federal election campaign. – D.T. Cochrane reviews the parties’ platforms and finds the NDP’s to be both the most progressive and the most fiscally responsible. And Martin Lukacs and Ben Cuthbert examine the voting records of the Libs and the Cons – finding a regular pattern
Continue readingTag: platform reviews
Accidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the bleatings from far too many corners that there’s no right time to discuss meaningful policy choices – and the federal NDP’s push to prove otherwise. For further reading…– The NDP’s set of campaign commitments is here (PDF). And I’ll be looking at some of the specific proposals
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On entrenchment
Following up on my earlier post and column, let’s start taking a look at some of the more distinctive policy proposals on offer between Saskatchewan’s NDP leadership candidates. Probably the most noteworthy single promise so far is this from Trent Wotherspoon as part of his platform on Crown corporations: Lock
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On points of agreement
With both Ryan Meili and Trent Wotherspoon having run leadership campaigns before, both could be expected to have plenty to offer by way of policy. And that’s proven true – though not necessarily in a way that will give NDP members a lot of distinctions to help in sorting out
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Platform Analysis – Jagmeet Singh
Having once expressed my concern that Jagmeet Singh would use his front-runner status as a means to avoid releasing much policy, I’ll again note that he’s instead offered up a detailed and thoughtful policy agenda. And while much of what he’s presented is relatively similar to the contents of Ashton’s
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Platform Analysis – Guy Caron
If Niki Ashton stands out in having received relatively little attention for her policy development, Guy Caron looks to be on the opposite end of the spectrum. Having justifiably portrayed himself as the policy wonk candidate and built his campaign largely around a basic income proposal which continues to provoke
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Platform Analysis – Niki Ashton
As I’ve noted previously, Niki Ashton’s debate strategy doesn’t often seem to involve discussing policy at length. And that’s a shame, because she’s done more than any other candidate to raise (and propose solutions to) a broad range of issues. While Ashton has primarily emphasized her proposals for free tuition
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Platform Analysis – Charlie Angus
While most discussion around the NDP’s leadership campaign has revolved around the ebb and flow of news cycles, it’s always worth a closer look as to what the candidates see as worth highlighting. So I’ll be taking a look at the policies on offer from the candidates, starting with Charlie
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saskatchewan 2016 – NDP Platform Review
I mentioned here that any attempt to review the Saskatchewan Party’s platform ran into the problem that there simply wasn’t anything worth analyzing, as two pages of conditional promises were buried under thirty of spin.In contrast, the NDP’s platform …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On unstable platforms
With Saskatchewan’s main political parties having released their election platforms, now is the time when I’d planned to put together platform reviews to better examine voters’ options.But a funny thing happened when I went to what was supposed to be t…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #elxn42 – Election Day Resources
For all the time spent on Canada’s federal election, it’s now time for voters to have their say. And anybody looking for basic information on where and how to vote should start with Elections Canada or a trusted local campaign. For anybody wanting to read up on the factors which
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On expert opinions
Following up on this week’s column, let’s highlight exactly how the NDP compares to its major national competitors, the Libs and Cons, in the eyes of the experts and civil society groups who know what matters most in assessing progressive policies. I’ll include all of the analyses I’ve linked in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Steven Chase notes that the Cons’ promise to let Canadian know the details of the Trans-Pacific Partnership before they vote was broken with unusual speed and publicity. Michael Geist points out that we do know enough about the TPP to be sure it
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, making the case that Canadians should vote less based on perceptions of momentum (in terms of both policy and political positioning), and more based on where our parties and leaders actually stand. For further reading…– The platform comparisons referenced in the column include Keith Stewart’s on climate change, the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #elxn42 Platform Review – Liberals
Finally, let’s take a look at the Liberals’ platform. Leaving aside the question of whether the Libs can plausibly live up to their campaign messaging of simultaneously being more progressive than the NDP, more business-friendly than the Conservatives, more devoted to the revolution than the Marxist-Leninists and more subcutaneous esplanade
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #elxn42 Platform Review – NDP
I’ve pointed out before that Tom Mulcair’s practice – both in pursuing the NDP’s leadership and in leading the party – has been to continue largely with the party’s existing policy base. In keeping with that principle, the NDP’s platform doesn’t contain many surprises for anybody who’s kept a reasonably
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #elxn42 Platform Review – Conservatives
Given the lengths Stephen Harper has gone to in limiting how his party is presented publicly as well as the Cons’ general status quo campaign theme, it may come as a surprise that the Cons’ platform includes 159 pages – making it nearly twice the length of any other party’s.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: #elxn42 Platform Reviews – Overview
The combination of a majority government and an extra-long campaign period has left Canada’s major political parties with ample time to refine their election platforms. And regardless of what your disingenuous neighbourhood Wildrose MLA might tell you, those platforms represent the best indication as to what policies you can expect
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