August 2015

COST OF CONSERVATIVE ELECTION PROMISES AS OF AUGUST 26

The Conservatives have announced few new initiatives since the election campaign started.  The reason is that there platform was already included in the April budget. Most importantly, this included the enhanced UCCB and income splitting for families with children 18 years of age and younger.

Stephen Harper announced two new initiatives in the first two days of the 2015 election campaign.

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COST OF NDP PROMISES AS OF AUGUST 26

Panel 1 in the Table below provides cost estimates for most of the NDP election promises as of August 26.

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COST OF LIBERAL ELECTION PROMISES AS OF AUGUST 26

The Table below provides cost estimates for most of the Liberal election promises as of August 26.In some cases, it has not been possible to provide estimates since not enough detail has been provided.

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FEAR OF DEFICITS AND DEBT

Mr. Harper has successfully managed his policy agenda by appealing to Canadians’ “fears”.  There was his appeal to Canadians’ fear of domestic terrorists that led to Bill C51. The government’s “law and order” agenda was based on Canadians fear of violent crime and their concern for their personal safety. And there is now his appeal to the concern of Canadians over jobs and income security, and their fear that this may not be the right time to risk a change in government (the same appeal was successfully made in the 2011 election).

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WHO WILL BE THE BIGGEST LOSERS IN THIS ELECTION ? YOUNG CANADIANS

The longest election in over 100 years has now formally started and all three political parties have rushed to stake out their campaign slogans on the economy. The economy and jobs have always been the priority election issues for most Canadians, but the possibility that the economy could be in a “technical” recession (two quarters of negative growth) has made it even more so.

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WHO WILL BE THE BIGGEST LOSERS IN THIS ELECTION ? YOUNG CANADIANS

The longest election in over 100 years has now formally started and all three political parties have rushed to stake out their campaign slogans on the economy. The economy and jobs have always been the priority election issues for most Canadians, but the possibility that the economy could be in a “technical” recession (two quarters of negative growth) has made it even more so.

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PAYING FOR NDP ELECTION PROMISSES

Panel 1 in the Table below provides cost estimates for most of the NDP election promises so far.

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PAYING FOR CONSERVATIVE ELECTION PROMISSES

All three leaders have “promised” that their policy platforms will not lead to future budget deficits.  Apparently the one thing Harper, Trudeau and Mulcair can agree on is that deficits, no matter how small, are bad. This leaves raising taxes or finding new funds through reallocations of existing spending and revenues to fund their election promises.

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PAYING FOR LIBERAL ELECTION PROMISSES

Panel 1 in the Table below provides cost estimates for most of the Liberal election promises so far.

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PAYING FOR NEW CONSERVATIVE ELECTION PROMISSES

Although most of the Conservative election platform was set out last October with the introduction of the increases to the Universal Child Care Benefit and the Family Tax Cut, Stephen Harper has announced two new initiatives in the first two days of the 2015 election campaign. At this rate with 75 more days to go, Canadians could be bombarded with new promises before October 19th.

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