Wynne strategy: campaign left, govern right

One of the prominent Toronto Star talking points is that Andrea Horwath rejected the “most progressive budget in 20 years.”

Of course, they leave out the fact that Wynne ditched all the NDP policies legislated in her 2013 budget.

Lurching left

But why did Wynne suddenly “lurch left” after 11 years of non-progressive Liberal government, big on spending cuts and corporate tax cuts for the rich?

The answer lies in a “footnote” to the 2011 election. Despite the Liberals spending $1.1-billion cancelling unpopular gas plants — in a callous attempt to buy a majority government — they missed the majority by one seat.

So this election — which Wynne began campaigning for a month before her ill-fated budget, with leaked spending announcements and attack ads — Wynne is lurching left to squeeze out the NDP and win her coveted majority.

Old Liberal strategy

This is an old Liberal strategy that dates back to the Chretien years, which pundits call “campaigning from the left and governing from the right.” The Liberals make big promises before an election, then find some excuse to dump them afterwards .

Take national daycare. The Chretien-Martin Liberals broke this promise 4 elections in a row despite putting out $10-billion surpluses.

McGuinty

Of course, you don’t have to go back to the Chretien years to find this corrupt strategy of “campaign left, govern right.” McGuinty used it in 2011.

Given Wynne is promising billions in new spending with no way to pay for it, this strategy is all but guaranteed.

Charlie Brown

Over the past 20 years, progressives have been playing Charlie Brown to the Liberal party’s Lucy.

Lucy holds the football out and invites Charlie to kick it. She promises not to pull it away at the last moment like she did 10 times before. Inevitably Charlie falls for it. He charges to kick the football, Lucy pulls it away, and he falls on his ass.

So are progressives really going to fall for the same old trick the Liberals pulled a dozen times before?

Even Cohn’s confused column “Wynne righted Liberal wrongs by lurching left” says Wynne’s numbers don’t add up so expect “pain” after the election.

Conclusion

Why vote for a pretend progressive budget and “pain” when you can get the real deal voting for Andrea’s progressive-centrist NDP?

Only Andrea can be trusted to reverse more tax cuts for the rich to get the deficit under control if needed.