The counterargument

Yes, that sound you heard yesterday was Canada's Overton window making a much-needed move to the left. And Brian Topp's call for to actually fund better public services through taxes looks to have a positive influence on both his own leadership candidacy, and the state of Canadian political debate for at least the next election cycle.

After all, it's seldom been disputed by any of the opposition parties that many of the Cons' tax loopholes and cuts have been utterly indefensible as a matter of public policy. But for too long, the perceived alternative to the Cons (who have quite explicitly talked about their desire to slash services in the name of tax giveaways) has been a party which prefers to pretend that there's no tradeoff needed between services and taxes, rather than one that actually argues that the benefit of the former justifies the latter. (And we're still hearing echoes of the position that it's foolish to engage in a genuine debate over taxes rather than simply ceding the field to the Cons.)

Even worse, at times the NDP too has found it easier to simply talk about leaving tax levels where they are than to make a case for increasing public revenue to achieve important social goals.

But we now have four years to shape public expectations before we'll see another trip to the polls - meaning that there's no time like the present to start changing the underlying assumptions of voters. And it's a huge step that one of the anointed front-runners for the role of leader of the Official Opposition - and indeed somebody who's unlikely to be the furthest-left candidate as the leadership campaign progresses - is making the case that we should be demanding more civilization, and be willing to contribute to its price.

Of course, the Cons will howl. But as we all know, they'd be doing that anyway - and the difference now is that Canadians will actually see a forceful argument on the other side. So far better to directly counter the Cons' attacks on both our revenue base and our willingness to fund public services, rather than staying silent and ensuring that their damage becomes permanent.