Why not treat voters as adults?

Published Friday July 30th, 2010, By Dominic Cardy, Fredericton Daily Gleaner, Page A11

Progressive Conservative finance critic Bruce Fitch says David Alward will be a good fiscal manager, based on the Bernard Lord government's record. And yes, despite money-wasting disasters such as Orimulsion, Mr. Lord balanced the books and reduced the debt. The NDP will give credit where it's due.

But Mr. Alward's Conservatives are nothing like the Lord government.

Mr. Alward's Conservatives, even in the letter in which Mr. Fitch defended his party, offer no plan. Mr. Alward has a choice: speak up and present one or follow the Liberals off the fiscal cliff. He's choosing the cliff, and New Brunswickers are noticing.
The NDP has a plan to balance the books so we can save the health and education programs the province needs. Look at the polls - tens of thousands of Conservative and Liberal voters are turning to the NDP, looking for a change, a plan and a voice for middle-class families in the legislature.

I believe - no surprise - that the NDP has the best plan to fix our province's problems. But every party should be on the same page when it comes to acknowledging the problems we face. The difference should be in the policies we implement to fix them.
Being honest about those problems means a willingness to trust New Brunswickers with the truth. It means a willingness to treat voters as adults, as citizens ready to work with their representatives to make hard choices. That is where Mr. Alward's Conservatives worry me.

The Liberals cut programs, reverse themselves, make wild claims about free nuclear reactors and remind the public why politicians are less trusted than used car salesmen. They throw millions of tax dollars at wealthy friends, give them tax cuts on top of that and then celebrate by voting themselves a huge increase in their own pay and pensions.

In the face of Liberal incompetence, the Conservatives could've been an alternative. Instead, they took the worst elements of Mr. Graham's program and painted them Tory blue.

Mr. Alward and every single Tory MLA voted with the Liberals to increase pay and pensions for MLAs. Mr. Alward travels the province, making new promises, supporting the Liberal tax cuts and promising to take them further.

Last month, he said, "Lower taxes create prosperity and opportunity. In my inner core as a person, and ourselves as a party, that is what we believe and we will have more to say in the coming weeks."

You can't cut taxes and increase spending, not if you want to claim to be fiscally responsible.

Mr. Fitch, Mr. Alward, please look at the facts. Our health-care system costs $2.3 billion a year, and costs are rising by $83 million this year alone. Unlike Orimulsion and gold-plated MLA pensions, New Brunswick needs public health care.

Mr. Alward is peddling fantasies when he promises to refurbish and reopen the Dalhousie thermal plant: Coleson Cove cost $747 million to refurbish. Dalhousie would cost even more, especially if it's equipped to burn cleaner fuels. Where will that money come from? Will Mr. Alward add to the deficit or cut other programs? When will he tell us?

Mr. Alward is peddling fantasies when he promises a general physician for every family. To hire an additional 70 general practitioners, a conservative figure to make up for the shortfall in family doctors, would require an additional $16 million a year just to cover salaries.

That doesn't include signing bonuses and the other incentives we need to attract doctors to New Brunswick. Where will that money come from? Will Mr. Alward add to the deficit or cut other programs? When will he tell us?

Mr. Alward is peddling fantasies when he promises $9 million for replacement MRI machines. Where will that money come from? Will he add to the deficit or cut other programs? When will he tell us?

Our deficit stands at $742 million. If the Liberals continue with their plans, they will add $237 million to the deficit every year. By 2013, our deficit will top $1 billion.

Mr. Fitch says "future generations" will have to suffer to service our provincial debt. That's it. That's the Conservative plan - to leave a chain of debt around the necks of our children and grandchildren.

The NDP will act now to protect front-line public services, cut waste wherever we can find it, and be honest with voters about the challenges we have to overcome.

We will make hard choices based on our values. That means ending cash handouts to corporations. Fighting poverty by increasing literacy. Rolling back the gold-plated pension plan.

We won't buy votes with fantasies and lies. I hope we will have company in an honest discussion in front of the voters but, as of today, Mr. Fitch and Mr. Alward give us no grounds for optimism.

Dominic Cardy is the campaign director for the New Brunswick NDP. He can be reached at dcardy@nbndp.ca.