- Murray Dobbin comments on how the NDP can turn economic issues from a perceived weakness to one of the party's core strengths over the next election cycle:
There is a long way to go for the NDP to establish itself as a serious contender for the 'good economic manager' title. One debate won't do it. But if the other candidates take up the gauntlet thrown down by Nash, it could go a long way to breaking the 40-year taboo. The final outcome for an NDP economic policy needs to include, in addition to Nash’s points, a commitment to strengthen the domestic economy by ending the 25-year suppression of wages, a clear and detailed tax reform policy (Brian Topp's strength at the moment) to increase government revenues; vigorous enforcement of labour standards to protect workers from ruthless employers; a national energy policy that places limits on tar sands expansion and puts current oil industry subsidies to work rapidly developing alternative energy sources, and lastly an acknowledgement that unfettered consumerism is an unsustainable economic policy. That means a shift away from private goods to public goods. Economic policy is seen as dull stuff, but there is no reason it can't be visionary.- And after doing his best to drive away readers with tedious pro-market spin, Miles Corak offers up a tax proposal which could well serve as the base for the NDP's economic policy.
- Meanwhile, the Cons' "economic manager" brand looks rather vulnerable when even the party's backbenchers can't help but to admit that their leadership is preventing MPs from doing their job of managing the public purse. And that utter refusal to listen to anybody other than PMO communications flacks and the occasional oil lobbyist in setting Canada's economic direction looks to make for one of the Cons' major economic vulnerabilities.
- Finally, Nathan Cullen makes his case for pre-election cooperation between the opposition parties.
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