When the ballot
is finally in front of us, our decision is as much about competing
party policies as it is based on gut feeling – who do we trust more?
Over the last four years have the Liberals learnt a lesson about
making rash promises that later can’t be fulfilled? PC leader John
Tory has himself demonstrated how he might deal with problematic
campaign pledges, by backing off on faith-based school funding –
before election day.
It’s tempting
to wonder whether the New Democrats, trailing third in popularity,
have made over-generous claims, knowing they are unlikely to win the
election. And yet a vote tally that does not yield a majority
government makes the NDP a player – and places more scrutiny on
their promises.
For me, former
Conservative premier Mike Harris and his “Common Sense Revolution”
of the mid-1990s still echoes today. It’s not just because his party
said nothing about transit until they abandoned funding for it early
in their mandate. The real shock was how the Harris PCs actually
fulfilled many of their election promises – and temporarily raised
the bar for political parties.
By reneging on
several key aims after winning the 2003 campaign, Premier Dalton
McGuinty’s Liberals reaffirmed the notion that election policies
eventually get watered down – or evaporate. PC leader John Tory is
certainly much more positive on transit issues than Mike Harris --
but Tory does not seem as hell-bent to keep promises.
Last month I
asked the Liberals, NDP and PCs to explain in depth their
transportation platforms (the Greens and I exchanged messages but
never connected properly). While the three leading parties did
answer many specific questions, none were able (or willing) to
provide comparable financial numbers so I could contrast their true
priorities for the next four years.
If either the
Grits or PCs gain a majority, I feel both will largely follow
through on their transport pledges. If the economy weakens
dramatically, all bets are off -- although I suspect the Tories
would be marginally quicker to curtail transit funding. The NDP are
more steadfastly pro-transit, but if they should be asked to support
a minority government, I’m not sure that new rail or bus lines will
be part of the price for their cooperation.
As for rash
promises that need far more discussion before being implemented,
tops on my list are Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty’s plan for
hydrogen-powered train locomotives and John Tory’s call for transit
managers to be fired for bad service.
Promises worth
considering -- no matter who wins this week – include the NDP plan
to downsize the proposed Spadina subway extension to York Region, as
well as the range of innovative transport ideas offered by the Green
Party.
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