Wynne Liberal party: not progressive, not even liberal

The Ontario Liberals are trying to pawn themselves off as the “real” progressive party this election. Of course, so far they have yet to deliver on anything but empty and broken promises.

Track record

Back in 2013, they agreed to put NDP ideas into their budget like home care for seniors. But even though the budget was legislated, they still managed to abandon their promises.

This year instead of working with the NDP, they cut them out of the process. Instead of seeking their support, they ran attack ads. Apparently the Liberals need absolute power in order to bring progressive policies to Ontarians. Yeah right.

But let’s just look at their track record over the past couple of years and the truth of their promises.

Welfare and disability

Wynne’s 2014 budget boasts a 1% hike to social assistance and disability rates. But considering inflation this year is 1.5%, that means it’s an actual cut to rates.

In fact, over the past 11 years, both welfare and disability rates have been eroded by inflation under the “progressive” Liberals — and this is on top of Mike Harris’s draconian cuts.

Cuts, cuts, cuts

But that’s not all. Feeling the pinch over the last couple years, the Liberals have been making “shameful” cuts to social assistance and disability benefits.

They have cut diet allowances, the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit, discretionary benefits, plus the children’s back-to-school and winter clothing allowance.

The CSMB paid for moving expenses, damage deposits, last-month’s rent and appliances (which could be applied for once every two years.) Discretionary benefits helped the poor with hearing aids, dentures, emergency food hampers, and bus tickets for job interviews.

Real progressive

While Wynne pretends to be progressive, Andrea promises real progressive policies. She will stop the Liberal cuts to the poor and disabled and index their rates to inflation (on average a 2% hike every year.)

Tax fairness

The Wynne budget promises to hike taxes for the rich: by a measely 1%! Put this in context of Mulroney’s income tax cuts for the rich: from 45% to 30%. And Mike Harris’s 30% income tax cut on top. Obviously, it’s a token measure.

What’s worse is that Wynne supports McGuinty’s $2.4-billion a year in corporate tax cuts for the rich — which we are borrowing to pay for! This is on top of the 50% corporate tax cuts that Paul Martin and Stephen Harper brought in.

In fact, according to KPMG, Canada has the lowest corporate tax rate among all major economies — and corporations are pocketing the money, not “creating jobs”.

Real tax fairness

While Wynne pretends to support tax fairness, Andrea promises real tax fairness. She will cancel the Liberals’ corporate tax cuts for the rich.

Andrea is also the one who demanded the tax hike on the rich in the 2011 budget.

Conclusion

Taking clothes off of the backs of poor children in the middle of winter while doling out big tax cuts for the rich is not progressive. It’s not even liberal.

The Liberal party does not need a majority to bring in progressive policies. In fact, they only steered left when they failed to win a majority in 2011 and needed NDP support to govern.

It’s obvious they are campaigning from the left — to win all the power — then return to governing from the right.

Their real right-of-center agenda — they’ve had all along — is to get back to the Drummond Report cuts the NDP so rudely interrupted them from.