On costing

In addition to what looks like a brilliant policy centrepiece, let's note one other seed that the New Democrats have planted in unveiling their platform today:

The New Democrats say their platform would cost $51.6 billion compared with $94.5 billion for Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion's plan.

Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has yet to release a manifesto, but the NDP estimate that his tax cuts and campaign promises would have a $48 billion impact on the federal budget, although that price tag is expected to rise.

From the broad coverage so far, it's not clear what baseline those numbers are being compared to or what time frame it covers. And I'm sure that will be looked at in more detail over the next few days.

That said, the NDP has obviously thought out how to refute attacks about the cost of its promises by presenting a platform which it can argue to be the most affordable one presented by the three major parties. And the difference in cost compared to the Libs in particular could work wonders in making the case that the New Democrats can be trusted to run a responsible federal government.