Family Coalition Party of Ontario

This is just a partial reprinting of the critique of the PC plan. It gives enough of a sample to see that the party is clearly a right wing family values type of party. It is against same sex marriage etc. and regards some of the Tory policies as downright socialist! However, the party does support the MMP and has a link to info on the MMP that is quite helpful. The website for the party is here and has lots of information and links to articles. It is running candidates in over 80 constituencies so it must have quite a few members.


A review of the Progressive Conservative Party Plan
June 13, 2007
by Giuseppe Gori
Leader, Family Coalition Party of Ontario


Summary

If the name “Progressive Conservative” seemed to be a contradiction in terms, then have no more doubts. John Tory has made it clear by publishing on June 12, 2007 his “PC Party Plan” document for the October 2007 Provincial Election.

His platform reflects his thinking and his leadership so far. Good economics mixed with bad economics. Which makes us think: Is he really honest and does not understand economics, or is he trying to show his “progressivism” as a façade to earn votes from the center of the political spectrum?

Mike Harris (although we disliked his position) showed us that you could get elected in Ontario by adopting a liberal social policy and a conservative fiscal policy . For Harris, “Progressive Conservative” meant socially "progressive" (support of homosexual issues and public funding of abortion) coupled with a tight fiscal policy.

John Tory (a "tory" only in name) continues the PC "progressive" tradition on social issues, but he also re-invents economics. According to his plan, you can spend less and “invest” more at the same time. Hence he thinks that he can be both “liberal” and “conservative” on fiscal matters. That’s his novel idea.

It will not work with electors, who will easily spot the contradictions.

It would not work if the PCs were elected, because it is bad economics.



The details of the PC Plan

In John Tory’s view, the word “Conservative” has become to signify adherence to the status quo as far as what the liberals have pushed so far. He will not try to overturn liberal policies (with the notable exception of the $900 health tax). He will:

- Continue public funding of abortion "clinics" (Not explicitly mentioned in the PC Plan document).

- Continue to support the 1995 “temporary” bubble zone injunction limiting pro-life freedom of peaceful assembly in front of abortion “clinics” (Not explicitly mentioned in the PC Plan document).

- Maintain a dysfunctional definition of marriage (PC policy states that spouses can be of the same sex) and use public funds to pay benefits and promote the homosexual lifestyle (Not explicitly mentioned in this document).

- Maintain public funding for “Early Childhood Education”[i].

- Continue unfair taxation against one-income families, where one spouse stays at home with the kids. The PC Plan does not mention “family taxation” or “income splitting”.

- Maintain centralization of funding for education. Schools are created according to a centralized plan, centrally developed curriculum and funding formula, instead of creating schools and spaces where required according to the parents’ choices.

- Maintain the current model of publicly funded Health Care. Although the PC Plan will allow the use of private facilities for some services (See the “Good things in the PC Plan”, below), there is no suggestion that individuals could “opt out” from publicly funded health care or even pay with their own money for urgent procedures.

- Maintain the same income taxation level for individuals, apart from the “gradual” abolition of the $900 health tax[ii]. There is no commitment or even an intention to reduce taxes for individuals in any other area. There is an intention to balance the budget, and a commitment to “fair property taxes.” However, the intention to eliminate the $900 tax provides John Tory with the ability to say that he will “lower your taxes.”[iii],[iv]

- Maintain the same taxation level for businesses, apart from lowering the capital tax “on an accelerated time table if possible”.
While taxation levels in Ontario are not competitive with the rest of North America, there is no commitment or an intention to reduce corporate taxes.

- Maintain the same level of bureaucracy. The PC Plan does not mention any reduction of bureaucracy or reduction in the number of Agencies, Boards and Commissions (over 700). In fact it will add one of its own, a special Environmental Commission.[v] No “sunset clauses” for these agencies have been proposed. The word “bureaucracy” appears only once in the document, and it is used to argue that it should be easier for Municipalities to “invest” in infrastructure.

- Continue the Liberal government programs “against poverty”.[vi]



The word “Progressive” instead assumes new vigor in his plan, as he introduces novel (for a conservative) socialist ideas, as specified in the following list. Some of these ideas, like most liberal ideas, are well intentioned, but drain the government from funds that could be used for basic needs of Ontario families. Because of such drain, the economic equation: “lower taxes stimulate higher productivity and create higher government income” breaks down. Thus the government ends up with more expenses and lower income (I.e.: deficit and debt), and the people end up poorer.
Here are Tory’s ideas:

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- Increase the minimum wage[vii]. This is known to cause higher unemployment among the very people who most need a job.

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- Overdo the Liberals, by increasing the “investment” on Health care with $8.5 Billion of our money[viii].

- “A commitment to 70% full-time employment for registered nurses in all sectors”[ix] (100% of course, would be communist).

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- Propose the government curriculum (read: sex-education and evolution taught as a science) to faith-based schools (I.e.: Bring the faith-based schools into the public system)[x].

- Fund “anti-violence” programs[xi] (instead of recognizing and supporting the role of parents in the family).

- $2.4 Billion increase in funding for public education[xii] (already one of the most expensive in the world).

- Sharing of resources between public and separate school boards[xiii] (First step towards integration?)

- Limit the homework burden on children to a maximum of 10 minutes per grade level per day: “Children need a life outside of school, … not an extra two hours of stress at the end of the day”![xiv] I kid you not! Let them be stressed for a lifetime, when their ignorance will limit job opportunities for them.

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