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Comment by passwordoops | Hacker News Reader

Just listened to a podcast today with a focus on the Ontario budget, but they do discuss how this pattern is the norm for most, if not not all, provincial governments too. (1)

It's like governing is the end goal and not a means for the political class, so we end up with crummy policy across the board.

(1) https://thehub.ca/2024-03-29/this-government-is-oblivious-th...

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The general sense I get from every Canadian politician, regardless of whether they're at the municipal, provincial, or federal, level, and regardless of party, is that they are much better at getting elected or re-elected than they are at actually passing legislation or making their stated platforms a reality. The federal level would be helped with an actual 3rd contender, but the NDP have been floundering since Layton passed. Instead the 2 major parties are just ideological vacuums with no point or goal but to cycle in and out of power.

The NDP have forced the current Liberals to pass two of the most impactful programs in a LONG time: universal dental coverage and now pharmacare.

They may be floundering in the polls, sadly, but their impact has been immense.

Sadly the NDP have lost their way and will not be winning an election for a long time. Jagmeet needs to be replaced. Move away from liberal policies and create their own political agenda that defines them.

Neither of those are true. The dental care is a $500 a year reimbursement for some children and seniors, and the pharmacare covers contraception and diabetes medication. There’s not even an expansion plan developed for either.

I guess since I'm in the states the bar is below the floor but $500/yr dental reimbursement for kids and pharamacare covering contraception and diabetes medication sounds incredibly helpful for low income people.

The following article sheds some light on the corporate lobbying that's been taking place within the NDP (provincial and federal) since Layton's era:

https://breachmedia.ca/ndp-lobbyists/

Seems like it's just neoliberalism all the way down, regardless of the party.

Getting rid of First Past The Post voting would have allowed people to vote for a political party that represents them best. Didn't quite make it in Canada. Best of luck to yall next time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ask-electoral-reform-2021-f...

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