Thread by @EmmMacfarlane

Last week, I did a 40-tweet thread on the Liberal platform. Today, I'm going to live-tweet my skim of the NDP platform, which can be found in pdf here: action.ndp.ca/page/-/2019/Q2…

https://twitter.com/EmmMacfarlane/status/1178374576943894535

The introductory section of the NDP platform starts off repeating some unfounded myths. (It suggests, for example, that wages are flat. They're not. Canada has had many years of sustained real wage growth.) All the parties feed this false sense tho. 2/n

First big-ticket item is universal prescription drug program, beginning with a new investment of $10B per year. Contingent, of course, on 'working with provinces' which might be more challenging than they think. But if there's a new universal program needed, it's this. B+. 3/n

Next is affordable housing, featuring an immediate $5B investment in construction, with goal of half a million new units. They're also gonna waive GST/HST on new affordable builds (at what cost is unclear!). But wait, there's more... 4/n

They're gonna re-introduce 30-year terms on CMHC mortgages and boost the Home Buyer's Tax Credit. These provisions get a D. The investment in affordable housing gets an A-. The lack of detail on costing of the tax credits gets a D. 5/n

On post-sec education the NDP want to 'work with provinces' (because this is provincial jurisdiction) to cap and reduce tuition. This is bad policy. It's bad for universities. It's regressive redistribution. And it's not federal jurisdiction. F. 6/n

Next is affordable child care. This policy seems like a half-measure. They don't seem to be proposing full universal program a la Quebec, and they obv don't want to mess with the CCB, so they're just talking a $1B investment. C. 7/n

A set of proposals for EI, including reintroducing an appeals process, standardizing certain eligibility factors, increased flexibility (higher replacement for shorter parental leave option - interesting), and making EI more generous. B+. 8/n

AFFORDABLE CELL PHONE PLANS. All parties are on this populist measure. NDP will cap price plans. Well, at least it's more straight-forward than the futile Liberal plan on this front. But I don't like the economic interference when it's competition that's the issue. D. 9/n

'Better services'. They're gonna bring back door-to-door home mail deliver. This is idiotic. F.

Vague note that they'll 'stand up against privatization in health care'. D.

A 'right to repair electronic devices.' 🙄 Could we dilute the concept of 'rights' any further? F. 10/n

They're promising to create 300,000 jobs. This is, of course, total nonsense and literally any party of any stripe can pull numbers out of their butts to promise this sort of thing. Couldn't be more meaningless. D. 11/n

A federal minimum wage of $15. Exactly the same as the Liberal promise (no idea who stole from who) but I gave the Liberals a C on this, so C. 12/n

A ban on unpaid internships. (I thought this already happened. Maybe just in Ontario?) Whatevs. C. 13/n

More jobs training! Making employers pay a min 1% of their total payroll on training, etc. C.

There's a laughable claim in here that they'll make it easier for exporters to access foreign markets - but just wait till I get to the trade stuff. 14/n

Fair trade. "Defend Canadian workers." "Support supply management." And part of this is re-opening NAFTA AGAIN after all that drama. This anti-free trade nonsense will do nothing but harm the economy. Big fat F. 15/n

'Building Canadian Industry' by... let's see... they're gonna block foreign investment the Liberals allowed by... um... attracting investment... It's all hogwash. F. 16/n

There's a whole section basically promising subsidies to the auto industry and blowing smoke up labour union rear-ends. F. 17/n

Another whole section, this one on 'Fighting for Manufacturing jobs'. Why? Why is it the government's role to decide which sectors get major subsidies? (Well, to be fair, it seems like *everything* gets subsidized under this dopey economic policy approach). D. 18/n

Next section is 'Boosting Aerospace Innovation' (SEE WHAT I MEAN?! It's the OPRAH innovation policy - "YOU GET A SUBSIDY, YOU GET A SUBSIDY...."). And this section actually offers zero in specifics about how this innovation will happen. F. 19/n

Next section. The High-tech sector. They're gonna "invest" (what? how much? shrug). They're gonna "foster entrepreneurship" (How? they don't say). D. 20/n

Next. Agriculture. Wash, rinse, repeat.

A "whole-of-government" approach to food. Protecting supply management. F.

More women. Mental health for agricultural workers. More local food sales. All very scant on details. C. 21/n

Next is Forestry industry. (Christ, there's not an industry where an NDP gov't won't sprinkle money around, eh?). They want to spur 'value-added' wood products. It's centralized planning but for chairs and shit. F. 22/n

Next up, we can't forget the Fisheries! Which they will PROTECT. And um... combat seafood fraud. So that's... good? That's a B, right? 23/n

Alright, moving on from 20+ pages of pork & bad economic policy, we're into Tax policy.

They're gonna "close loopholes", like going after offshore stuff. (Makes it sound easy!). C+

Corporate tax increase of 3pts. This won't raise a lot of revenue but comes with costs. D.

Increases in capital gains inclusion rate to 75%. D.

Boosting the top marginal tax rate. D.

A one-percent wealth tax on people worth over $20mil. C.

All of these come with potential negatives, including wealth flight. Your opinions on 'fairness' may vary. 25/n

Alright. We're on to Climate policy.

NDP will continue carbon pricing and rebates. A.

The feds will procure from 'clean' companies, move to an electric vehicle fleet by 2025 (seems short timeframe and expensive). C. 26/n

Building retrofits, etc. B.

Public transit! They're gonna modernize, electrify, reduce carbon, etc. (There's zero apparent attempt to cost any of this). Good idea, poor details. C. 27/n

I'll admit to being a sucker for the promise to increase rail frequency along the Windsor-Quebec corridor. ANY PROGRESS on this would be lovely. (But again, zero details on how they'll accomplish anything). B. 28/n

They'll eliminate fossil fuel subsidies. I feel like giving this an A just because there's finally something they WON'T subsidize.

A 'right to healthy environment'. Fluffy. C.

Ban on single use plastics. (As I point out in the Lib thread, symbolic and even counterproductive) F

They're gonna protect land, and water, and waterways, etc. without much detail on how. B. 30/n

OK, not quite promising dental coverage but working on a 'roadmap' to it and adding dental care to the Canada Health Act (which, alone, does nothing, because again, the CHA doesn't apply to provinces, only to fed funding). D. 31/n

The promise on mental health is even more vague than the dental care promise. They note it requires "re-investment" of federal dollars (which, by the way, have done nothing but increase). Zero specifics. This one disappoints me, because mental health is important. D. 32/n

A page on the opioid crisis and frankly I'm not clear on what differs from what the government is already doing/trying. There is criticism, however, that the feds have failed to declare it a health emergency. So. There's that. C. 33/n

They want a national 'school nutrition program' because the NDP has never heard of a provincial jurisdiction they don't want to play in. F for federalism. 34/n

On long-term care and home care the NDP will also add those things to the Canada Health Act.

They claim this will mean legal protection. No. Guys, the CHA is not some magic statute. Everything in it is literally provincial jurisdiction.

Zero detail on money or implementation.

Like, I'm honestly not trying to be anti-social programs here. Because I'm NOT anti-social programs. These policies are important, but the NDP platform gives shockingly little detail on the what, how, etc. Aren't they the party that champions this stuff? Where's the detail? 36/n

They're gonna do a full review on income security programs as it relates to people with disabilities. OK, at least the lack of details in this promise makes sense. A.

A 'national Autism strategy' that, again, is impossible to evaluate. C for effort. 37/n

Pensions. They'll protect defined benefit pension plans (disproportionately a public sector benefit that people in the private sector pay for). C.

They'll enhance the OAS, GIS, and CPP but don't say by how much. It's like they want this thing impossible to cost. D. 38/n

A National Seniors Strategy.

A funded dementia strategy. Funded by how much? Who knows! To do what? Massive shrug! Lordy this platform. 39/n

On top of everything else, the NDP are going to do a basic income pilot with the provinces. Pilots are worthwhile, I suppose, but maaan, if basic income ends up implemented do some of the other benefits promised go out the window?

A big section on reconciliation. A lot of the language sounds exactly like what the Liberals promise. NDP might be more credible because, y'know, they haven't governed yet.

On the Indigenous file, they will end discrimination in funding to children, end the housing crisis, fully implement Jordan's principle, close the education gap, lift all drinking water advisories by 2021 (same year Libs promise). None of this costed either. But all needed. A-.

In Arts & Culture, they're gonna increase funding to the CBC (is there evidence the CBC needs another funding increase?). D. 43/n

The criminal justice policy section, such as it is, is also incredibly vague. They'll combat gun crime, combat hate, combat gangs, combat extremist violence. Almost never saying how. D. 44/n

They'll ban carding by federal law enforcement. A.

Like the Liberals, they'll regulate social media re: hate speech. (As I said in the Lib thread, this is a minefield that will have more negative impact than positive.) F. 45/n

A full ban on cash-for-access fundraisers! A.

They'll work with provinces to abolish the Senate (right, good luck). F.

Meanwhile, they'll demand changes to the Senate rules to not "hold up legislation for months". In other words, stop it from properly reviewing bills. F. 46/n

Electoral reform. Making every vote count (psst, every vote already counts). They'll bring in MMP. D.

Lower the voting age to 16. (Sure, why not). B.

Stop fake news online (ok, good luck). C. 47/n

Foreign policy. They'll recommit Canada to peacekeeping. (with a requisite increase in defence spending? No? Alrighty). D.

Unlike the CPC, they'll increase foreign aid. B.

"Corporate social responsibility" abroad. Empty label. D. 48/n

Oh, no, wait, on the next page they're promising Canada's military will have all the support it needs to do peacekeeping. I assume this means more than moral support, so bump that grade to a B. 49/n

The NDP platform was released in late June. So some of these policies have more details now. But daaamn is this platform not a vacuous mess. Scant detail, almost no attempt at costing. It's an embarrassment from a policy implementation perspective. 50/n

It's still classic NDP, with splashy new universal programs etc. But this party's position on free trade, and it's egregiously stupid economic policy, with tax policy that won't come close to covering its promises, means an overall grade of D. Which might be generous. 51/51