Joe Oliver: Kathleen Wynne switches her cynical political machine into fake caring mode

 As she desperately tries to stave off a humiliating electoral defeat, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne may have made an uncharacteristic tactical blunder. She shifted the way she wants her government to be perceived from “fair” to “caring.” Does this Hail Mary pass really matter during a shameful campaign of last-minute giveaways with borrowed money our children will have to repay and extravagant promises she will never keep?
 
As a political slogan not really, since it is likely too late, given an approval rating at 19 per cent, the worst for any premier in the country, and a prevailing desire for change. Whatever Wynne may have heard from focus groups, she is misjudging how the people see her and her Progressive Conservative opponent, Doug Ford. Over the longer term, public perception responds to straight talk and results, rather than virtue signally and broken promises. In that regard, her campaign rhetoric falls into a long-standing battle between progressivism and conservatism.
 
For years, the provincial Liberal mantra was fairness. The premier included it incessantly in speeches, talking points and ministers’ statements. It was the overarching rationale for a host of ideologically driven, counterproductive and partisan policies that ironically were unfair to Ontarians because of the harm they inflicted on the striving middle class, the economically disadvantaged, the ill, small businesspersons and anyone who pays an electricity bill.

The Liberal list of failures is long — a catastrophic Green Energy Act, eHealth debacle, outrageous Ornge scandal, environmentally useless and expensive cap-and-trade scheme, partisan gas plant closures — on top of pervasive red tape, crushing taxes and burgeoning debt. The cumulative result has made life less affordable and businesses less competitive, and put the largest subnational debtor in the world even more in hock. Heartless comes to mind before caring.
 
Meanwhile, Wynne caters to Liberal insiders, special-interest groups and the chattering class while she obsesses about identity politics and politically correct mantras. Recently, she started attacking Doug Ford as an uncaring right-wing demagogue who would cancel her latest campaign goodies that, incidentally, were ignored during 14 years in government. Whether voters believe she will keep her word is an open question.
 
Doubtless, Wynne drew inspiration from her federal cousins. Back in 1993, Jean Chrétien’s campaign Red Book included a national daycare plan. Surprise! They flunked deliverology, but won elections. So last month’s provincial budget promised free daycare for preschool children, part of an unaffordable $2.2 billion plan.

And we have federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau predicting, without apparent embarrassment, unending structural deficits during a growing economy. Might as well have her finance minister, Charles Sousa, also abandon any pretense of fiscal responsibility.

Wynne’s campaign promises fall in two categories — those that will require major taxes hikes and those she will not be able to keep. But ‘splaining is for after the election.
 
Wynne’s attempt to position herself as empathetic, in contrast to an indifferent opponent, plays itself out across the globe in the struggle for popular support between socialism and capitalism, a command economy and free markets.
 
Progressives portray themselves as caring, however much their policies may harm the very people they claim they want to help. Conservatives are usually viewed as competent, but can be challenged in communicating their devotion to people because they generally avoid throwing money at problems, see a limit to what the nanny state can achieve, worry about the erosion of freedom from intrusive governments and put more faith in the people to determine their own lives than faceless bureaucrats.
 
History proves that countries which follow free-market principles do far better than those that recklessly tax and spend, opt for central planning at the expense of individual choice and are indifferent to massive deficits and ballooning debt. It is no accident that for the first time ever Quebec has a better credit rating than Ontario and capital is fleeing Canada for the U.S.
 
Most people appreciate policies that work in the real world. A last-gasp attempt from a failed premier to buy votes with our money comes off as deeply cynical, no matter how many times she repeats the “caring” word. Indeed, it is more likely to remind everyone she is anything but.
 
Joe Oliver is the former Conservative minister of finance.