National media missing a good story
A political point of view
By Peter Van Loan MP, York-Simcoe

MP Peter Van Loan

Constituents will often come to me with helpful suggestions on how we can communicate better with Canadians.

Often, the suggestion is along the lines of something like, "you should point out that the Liberal promises would put Canada billions of dollars into debt and deficit." Far too often, the suggestion, like the above, is something we are already saying. But if it isn't on the television news, nobody hears it.

The example above actually fits one exercise I went through recently. As Government House Leader, I often get to carry the lead message for the government.

Last fall, we brought in more tax reductions in our Fall Fiscal Update. This included a personal income tax cut (retroactive to Jan. 1 of last year), business tax cuts and the further reduction in the GST to five per cent (a full three years ahead of schedule). This built on earlier measures to reduce taxes like the Children's Sports and Fitness Tax Credit and pension income splitting. Real benefits for real families.

Throughout, we kept the budget balanced and paid down $37 billion against the national debt, easing future tax burdens.

At the same time, the Liberals and Stephane Dion have promised reckless spending that would put us $62.5 billion deeper into debt (not including dozens more of uncosted promises). Finally, they put forward and had the House pass a bill that would benefit wealthy taxpayers with big RESP credits - so big that they could put Canada back into deficit.

In order to highlight our budget implementation bill's effort to keep the budget balanced by repealing this latest Liberal move, I held a news conference at the National Press Theatre. I highlighted our analysis of the cost of Liberal promises, and the risk to our economy and to putting the country into deficit.

A couple dozen journalists came, dutifully heard my announcement, and then started their questions for me. They had lots of questions, but only one was on the actual subject of the news conference.

I did make some news stories. But none covered the $62.5 billion of proposed Liberal debt, or the dozens of their uncosted promises.

We will keep talking about the contrasting financial approaches of the two parties. We will do it through our actions, in the House, in media interviews, and in communications like this article.

But we don't get to decide what's on the news. If you haven't before heard about the difference between Stephen Harper's balanced budgets and lower taxes for families, contrasted with Stephane Dion's proposed spending, debt, deficits, and higher taxes, don't blame us; we've been talking about it. Ask your favourite national journalists why they haven't bothered to tell you about it.