'What we do is build for the long term,' says NDP senior adviser Brad Lavigne
Brad Lavigne is trying to position Tom Mulcair as the most credible alternative to Stephen Harper for Prime Minister. Lavigne is the senior adviser to the New Democrat Party. He was one of the masterminds who received credit for the wave of orange that swept the New Democrats into opposition in the 2011 election.
This time around the polls suggest the majority of Canadians are keen to try something new. But so far that vote seems to be evenly split between the NDP and Justin Trudeau's Liberals.
"We do want change in Canada, we do want our economy to do better and we do want the proposals for helping people in place and it's not just short term," Lavigne tells As It Happens host Carol Off.
The campaign slogan for the NDP asks, 'Ready For Change?" But when pushed to describe the specific brand of change offered by Mulcair and the New Democrats, Lavigne begins by defining his party's platform in opposition to the Liberals.
"It's change that's built on solid foundation as opposed to the reckless and uncosted platform of Mr. Trudeau."
He adds, "the change that Mr. Mulcair would bring about would be that Canada would be a more prosperous and generous country."
Lavigne points to the NDP child care plan as an example. He explains that within eight years, the plan will create a million child care spaces at $15 a day. He acknowledges the challenges for implementing the plan will be working with the provinces.
In order to fund child care Lavigne confirms the NDP will increase the corporate tax rate to 17 per cent. He defends the plan, claiming the two point increase will not affect jobs.
But earlier in the week, we spoke to Mark Zimny, the CEO of a small auto sector robotics firm. Zimny expressed concerns that Canada was falling behind in the global market, failing to invest in innovation and attract corporations.
When Off puts Zimny's point to Lavigne, he suggests there is no cause for concern with an increased corporate tax.
"Even with our modest two point increase the average corporate tax in Canada is still below the G7 average and it's a full 10 points below the American average, so we haven't seen any benefit from the current rate and we'll see no negative effects at the new rate."
Lavigne stresses that the NDP plan prioritises investments in innovation and manufacturing.
"We do have a program to help kick start the manufacturing sector with strategic investments in auto, in aerospace, in green technology and innovation. That's one of the biggest things that our manufacturing sector has been calling for in addition to being a champion on the world stage"
But the $40 million innovation tax credit the NDP is promising is hardly the bold billion dollar investment that Zimny thinks is needed.
Lavigne reasons, "we need to live within our means, we need to make sure that we don't set up systems within our economy...that are based on borrowing."
Much of the spotlight has been focused on Andrew Thomson, Saskatchewan's former finance minister. The NDP has presented him as a leader who can balance budgets. But, this week Thomson's budgets were called into question. Lavigne claims Thomson followed the same rules as other provincial counterparts.
He dismisses the idea that the NDP is hesitant to campaign on running a deficit because they fear being labelled radical Leftists.
"It is in our roots, it is in our DNA, that we are actually long term thinkers, where we build our economies and where we build our social infrastructure, not for the short term, not making promises that we can't keep but doing so in a prudent step-by-step manner."