- CTF Releases Federal Election Spending Commitments Analysis -
- CTF Challenges Parties to Come Clean on "Uncosted" Promises -

Click here for Spend-O-Meter

OTTAWA: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today released the first version of its Election 2000 Spend-O-Meter that chronicles the spending promises contained in the platform documents of the governing Liberals, the Canadian Alliance, the NDP and the Progressive Conservatives. (The Bloc Quebecois platform was not included since the party is only running 75 candidates in one province). The CTF Spend-O-Meter was compiled using information provided in each party's platform along with any supporting information/calculations provided by each political party.

"Today's release of the Spend-O-Meter is another vehicle that allows taxpayers to take ownership of public policy and cast an informed ballot on November 27th," said CTF federal director Walter Robinson. "But all of the parties have made some promises without costing, so we hope they come clean with more details for voters. Indeed, we will press them to do so."

The CTF analysis compares the party platform spending commitments across ten key policy areas. For each party, cost estimates of the gross government expenditure envelope are calculated for year one and year four assuming the individual parties would form majority governments.

"Next week we will also highlight the tax cut and debt reduction plans of each party to give taxpayers an overall picture of each party's fiscal plan," added Robinson. "But we are saddened that all parties continue to measure compassion by how much they plan to spend. Take health care for example. Instead of talking about outputs like smaller waiting lists for various surgeries or increased MRIs per capita or better life expectancy, they're only measuring inputs in terms of dollars spent. Such a focus insults the intelligence of Canadian voters. The parties can and must do better."