NDPander

Scott Stinson: Ontario NDP promotes more breaks for people who don’t need them

Oh it sounds fantastic.

But, with the amount of social spending the NDP wants to increase, and not to mention how in bed they already are with CUPE, Trade Unions and seem to have no intention of cutting any sort of social spending, where is the money going to come for this?

HST: While I'm no fan of the way the HST legislation has been enacted, it would take some belt-tightening in Ontario, at this point, to remove it off of hydro, gas, and all deemed as essentials. Again, not a bad idea: put some money back in the pockets of voters. But to balance the budget, some things would have to change/be cut, and the NDP are not exactly keen for any form of austerity or program cuts. It feels a bit like robbing Peter to pay Datlon Paul.

On the energy side of this topic, would the NDP challenge to mothball the Samsung wind turbine deal? Doubtful. They have a focused environmental platform with special attention to renewable/green energy. The efficiency and legislative rules put in place on this project are an absolute nightmare for the consumers' pocketbook; how will the tax-happy NDP marry these viewpoints?

Car Insurance: Would it be a gov't subsidy? 15% of your auto insurance back come tax time or a tax credit? Or, would they try to legislate (somehow) that private enterprise must follow a certain guideline on how much the NDP thinks the average consumer should pay for auto insurance?

I don't even know where to begin on this, but lets try:

First off, it's pandering.

Second, how in any free market society can you possibly put forward this legislation with the rocky economic/investment climate that is currently Ontario? Also, in what way can this even be achieved?

And third, whether you are fine with or despise the auto insurance industry, they are a private business, and can gladly cut bottom line at any time. It's their prerogative.

77,000 Private Auto Insurance jobs in this Province. How many of them will be at risk during this firestorm of misguided populism?

The Liberals have decimated the blue collar of Ontario over the past decade, now are the NDP taking aim at white collar?

Be careful, though the offer of these cost-saving trinkets sounds lovely, the HST plan is (obviously) ill thought out with regards to the rest of the NDP's platform and any form of Auto Insurance legislation, if actually enacted, is going to be yet another reason business and industry won't want to come to Ontario. It sends a message to private enterprise, and said message is not too inviting.

A move towards populism should always be scrutinized when the bearer is born, and dies, by its own interest base.