Some questions for Jack

The election campaign is heating up: the NDP is making a lunge for the Opposition leadership. You know, they could just make it.

NDP leader Jack Layton’s expensive election promises could well get him into the prime minister’s office – besides just for meetings, or laughed out of the race. It's a brave and noble stand, and worthy of consideration – even if it needs a tad bit of tweaking.

The child poverty policy of children getting up to $5,000 a year per youngster isn’t too far out of whack with what is already available to some though various programs.

And the early childhood care package sounds so familiar, it could put us to sleep if we hear it again.

In his corporate tax matters, however, the current economic situation may be a lesson to Jack about the likelihood of getting blood out of turnips.

Layton wants to repeal planned tax reductions for the Canadian oil and other industries.

He will probably find Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government provided the tax cuts in part to foster growth and to alleviate some of the forecast pain of the oncoming Wall Street bump, which since has come to pass in a horrible way.

Harper had warned us all about this impending disaster in the republic to the south, noting Canada’s financial infrastructure is better prepared to avoid such things, but we’re not immune to some of its effects.

Jack says he will pay for his programs with growth. Well, it will take a while. It’s not an impossible scenario, and it’s well overdue, but it’s not likely for a while.

Of less interest to many, Jack says there is a peace dividend from pulling out of the NATO mission in Afghanistan. This can pay for increased foreign aid. Well, there isn’t one; in fact, there never was. It was spent years ago during the Trutopian nightmare, the one we all had thought was a dream.

Though Jack and his followers will deny it, this policy is open to correction - just as is his contention we can just walk away from the Afghan mission. I think the first international conclave he attends will persuade him to see things in a more realistic manner.

After all, who’s going to trade with us and help pay for the other bills Jack wants to run up?

If the Afghan mission comes short of our expectations – with its intricate development, diplomacy, defense combination – Canadians may tire of being nice guys. If we go into a place like Afghanistan with all our good efforts and intentions and the people there don’t appreciate it - and, in fact, violently resist it - maybe we could get the idea we should keep our good stuff to ourselves.

After all, we created the wealth and, after it’s better distributed among us, why not enjoy it – especially if it’s going to be thrown back in our faces?

Think about it, Jack.