We must live within our means

Published Tuesday, August 24, 2010, Dominic Cardy, Telegraph Journal, Page A7

The NDP is campaigning on the economy for one reason: without a strong economy nothing else matters. Unless a party has a sensible economic vision, nothing else they say can be taken seriously.

The NDP has a strong record of fiscal responsibility, something that surprises people used to hearing stories about now-Liberal Bob Rae and his time as premier of Ontario. But the real history of the NDP was written on the Prairies, where the party has won 19 elections. It is there that the NDP earned its title as the party that has delivered the most balanced budgets per year in office.

The NDP in New Brunswick, under new management since Roger Duguay took charge, is modeling itself on the Saskatchewan and Manitoba NDP. That means we talk openly about our province's problems, and trust that middle-class families can handle the truth and contribute to solving those problems. It means we are setting clear priorities, the way any family has to set priorities.

Priority No. 1 is balancing the books to save health and education. The NDP will not make promises we cannot keep: you cannot keep increasing spending and cutting taxes, and just hope everything works out.

The NDP's willingness to tell the truth about our finances, and the crisis the Conservatives and Liberals are blindly driving us into, is striking a chord with middle-class New Brunswickers who want an NDP voice back in the legislature to stand up for their interests. The NDP is stronger in the polls than ever, and our membership has grown to record size.

Opinion leaders are hearing our message and adding their voice. UNB economics Professor Tony Myatt, who has made a name as a critic of Liberal financial incompetence with columns and comments in this paper, is running for the NDP in this election in Fredericton-Silverwood.

In his July 3 article, "The Elephant in the Room," Mr. Myatt quoted Donald Savoie: "'They [politicians] need to speak truth to New Brunswickers on the state of the province's fiscal situation. They also need to signal that they understand how serious the situation is and that they are prepared to do something about it.' We're still waiting for this to happen. Meanwhile, the fiscal situation worsens. This is the elephant in the room. When will we discuss it?"

Tony Myatt decided that only the NDP understands our province's finances and the problems we face, and only the NDP has realistic solutions to those problems. As our new economic spokesperson, he will lay out our economic plans: to show how we can fix the mess the Conservatives and Liberals have made, and pay for the programs we need while living within our means.

Why can't David Alward and his Conservatives live within their means?

It is the same reason why the Liberals can't: they have lost touch with the connection between promises and reality. For them, as we saw these last few weeks, this election is an endless series of unfunded announcements. They have never had to face reality. They are not thinking about what happens the day the money runs out.

That day is coming, unless we act soon. Unless we lay the groundwork, and tell the truth about the challenges we are facing, challenges that are getting worse because the Conservatives and Liberals put winning elections ahead of leading this province.

New Brunswickers will have a choice in this election campaign between the happy empty promises of the Conservatives and Liberals, or the restrained and realistic blueprint of the NDP. When we say "live within your means," we do not mean acting like the Conservatives, who talk about fiscal responsibility and then promise to spend money we do not have. We mean making the hard choices.

The NDP will close Business New Brunswick, an agency that has proved governments do not make good business decisions. The NDP will look for efficiencies everywhere within the public sector, while maintaining a strict policy of no cuts to front-line public services. We are going to show we can balance the books and protect our public services by being honest, even when it is difficult.

Living within our means is more than a slogan. It is something we do so we can put our economy on a strong foundation, with well-educated children growing up in a province well-served by an efficient public sector supported by a dynamic business community. A New Brunswick that is tough-minded but fair, competitive but caring. We can be more than a have-note province, we can lead the world. But before we start to dream we have to wake up to today's unpleasant realities. We have to make a plan and get on with it.

The NDP is ready; and we feel New Brunswick is too.

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