Federal Candidates Flunk Pre-election Test

MISSISSAUGA [Nov. 20, 2000] – Trucking, it seems, isn’t even on the radar screen of any of the five major federal parties vying for election next week.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance canvassed each of the party leaders for their party’s position of four broad issues: driver meal deductions; highway funding; harmonized safety ratings and fuel taxes, then, with tounge planted firmly in cheek, made them public at a Mississauga truckstop earlier today. If you’re expecting any significant change of direction, don’t hold your breath.

“This industry moves more than 30% of Canada’s GDP, and we’re the single largest employers of males in the country,” says CTA’s chief executive officer, David Bradley. “With that in mind, you’d think we’d rate at least a nod.”

The CTA released its findings in the form of a report card, with none of the candidates scoring higher than a C+. The Liberals managed only a D, with NDP candidate, Alexa McDonough, earning an “incomplete” mark. She was late in returning her questionnaire, and failed to answer all the questions. While she appeared to agree with the CTA position on three of the four issues, her responses were limited to “yes or “no” answers.

“By not providing any comment, Ms. McDonough betrays either a lack of knowledge of the industry,” Bradley indicated. “Or she just doesn’t care.”

Gilles Duceppe, leader of the Bloc Quebecois, scored a C+ by promising to be a strong ally in Parliament and to toss $300 million at the nation’s highways.

On Fuel taxes, the Bloc proposes the temporary elimination of the excise tax to provide immediate relief to the industry, but offered little else when it came the CTA’s “get tough with the provinces” stand on safety ratings.

Progressive Conservative leader, Joe Clark, also earned a C+ if for nothing more than doing his homework. If elected, Clark said he plans to cut the excise tax rate from four percent to two, invest $300 million in highways over the next two years, and to restore the meal deductibility to its pre-1994 level of 80%.

But sounding like a candidate who doesn’t want to offend anybody, Clark was vague on the issue of a stronger federal say in how safety ratings are determined. At least the Federal Conservatives see the need for a firm National Highway Policy. That’s a start.

The Canadian Alliance Party managed only a C on the CTA’s report card. While Stockwell Day did manage to complete his assignment on time, and respond to all the questions, his responses were even less inspiring that those of his right-leaning counterpart.

Day says he has no plans to restore the meal expense tax deduction for drivers to the level of the pre-Paul Martin cuts, but he did say that his party was prepared to cut the federal excise tax by half -the same as the Conservatives.

According to Day, a cooperative approach to the safety ratings issue is the way to go. He says he recognizes the province’s jurisdiction over transportation related issues, but failed to recall that the federal government has a constitutional responsibility to oversee interprovincial trucking operations. And at the end of the day, what is a national safety ratings system all about other than a little bit of interprovincial cooperation?

The Alliance Party, as well, says it would spend $300 million on highways, which is about twice what the Liberals plan to invest in asphalt, but it still falls slightly short of the $17 billion Transport Canada says is needed to restore the ailing National Highway System.

The Liberals, if elected, have promised more of the same old same old. Really, in completing their CTA assignment, these folks basically tore the page out of last election’s Red Book, promising little if anything new. Liberal leader, Jean Chretien, earned a D for his trouble. And that’s probably only because he handed in his assignment promptly.

The Liberals have said that they plan to sit down with the provinces to discuss the issue of a fuel tax reduction, provided the premiers are prepared to make some concessions. We’ve heard this one before, and it offers Chretien an easy out. As per past discussions on fuel taxes, the Liberals can always say they tried, but nobody else wanted to play.

Expect no changes in highway spending plans either. The Liberals say they’re go-ing to stick to their $600 million-in-four-years plan, which is the same as $300 million-in-two-years plan offered by the Alliance and the Conservatives.

On the issue of restoring the meal deduction for drivers: a flat-out no. Same for a greater federal role in establishing a harmonized safety rating system. Not much new under the sun in a Liberal Canada, or so it seems.

“That we continue to be a prosperous nation in spite of our government is a real testament to the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in Canada,” said Bradley. “Transportation is a vital component in the Canadian economy, but you’d never know by what’s on the table this time around.”