For those who know me, I have been a Liberal supporter for some time now. However, I am not a Liberal supporter no matter what. I was brought up in a Conservative household since my father was a Conservative MPP in Ontario just after the war. But that was when the Conservatives were closer to the political centre. Since those days I have voted for 4 different political parties in Federal/Provincial elections. Sometimes I voted strategically and sometimes I simply voted for the best person.
As for this election, I am one of many Canadians who felt that an election now was not absolutely necessary and that calling an early election was a risky strategy for the Liberals. It is risky for a couple of key reasons: First, Canadians seem to be happy with the existing minority government and do not see a compelling reason to change it now. Second, Erin O’Toole is probably more broadly likeable than any Conservative leader in the recent past. He is trying to move the party towards the centre which will appeal to many. Given that background, I have already voted and I voted for my Liberal candidate in Guelph, Lloyd Longfield. Lloyd has done well for Guelph and is clearly a front runner here. In spite of my angst at the Liberals for calling an early election, here are my reasons for continuing to support them. I also feel that all Canadians should at least consider these reasons before making their final decision to vote. First, I start with two BIG issues which are most important for Canada now and long into the future. Climate Change and the Environment By far the most important issue for Canada, and the world, is Climate Change and the Environment. If the world does not act even more aggressively than it already is, the costs in terms of the economy and lives will dwarf anything we have seen or can even contemplate. A large number of economists, academics, business leaders, and environmentalists all agree that the Liberals have a more effective approach to tackle climate change. Many argue that none of the parties are doing enough so let's support the best we have now and push for more. Many other nations are also adopting a similar approach to the Liberals. For the sake of your children and grandchildren and probably many generations of your descendants, that alone should be sufficient reason to vote Liberal. If you research nothing else in any detail, this issue deserves your attention. Investing in Our Youth While the Provinces have responsibility for education and childcare, the Federal Government can do a lot to drive the high level agenda. The Liberal $10 per day Early Learning and Child Care program is one example. It will make a substantial change for the children of our country. Quebec already has such a program and the benefits have been clearly demonstrated. Big issues such as climate change, deteriorating social behaviours, and disruptive technologies will need generations of smart, well educated, socially responsible future generations to tackle these problems. The Liberal plan is just a start but they have the right idea, at least more so than other parties. If we get just these two BIG issues right, then Canada can emerge as a prosperous world leader. Other Platform Details For sure there are many other important issues and each party has released their platform to tackle them. These platforms are “being reviewed by Canada’s parliamentary budget office (PBO).” The PBO doesn’t cost an entire platform, just what promises parties send to the office. The proposal must be “specific and sufficiently detailed” in order for the PBO to analyze. Once the PBO has costed a proposal, it is returned to the party — which then decides if, when, and how to release it. To date, the Liberal Platform gets higher marks from those rating them including the PBO. As for other platform comparisons, Bloomberg has a good Platform Tracker for each party. Here is the link https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/2021-federal-election-platform-tracker-where-each-party-stands-so-far-1.1639592 While Erin O’Toole is a refreshing face on the Conservative Party, and it is appealing that he is trying to move the party more towards the political centre, we cannot lose sight of the fact that many in his own party do not support that push toward the political centre. He will have an extremely hard time making good on many of his promises. He undoubtedly will have to make significant concessions to those forces within his own party. At the Conservative National Convention earlier this year, delegates at the party's policy convention voted to reject adding green-friendly statements to the party’s policy book — including a line that would have stated the party believes "climate change is real" and is "willing to act." Canada cannot afford to elect a party so divided on such an important issue. They have much work to do before they deserve a chance at governing Canada .
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