Alliance leader makes splash in Kitchener

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Published: October 12, 2000

KITCHENER, Ont. – Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day laughed off a milky assault by one of his critics last week as he unveiled an election platform that would revolutionize Canadian politics.

As he mounted the stage in Kitchener, protester Julian Ichim rushed to the front to drench Day with chocolate milk.

Day, with his face dripping and his suit and shirt soiled, made jokes about photo opportunities, wet suits and dairy farmers.

“I understand there is a very good dairy industry in this area,” he joked before leaving to change his shirt.

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While aides fussed, Edmonton Alliance MP and deputy leader Deborah Gray told reporters not to worry.

“I can guarantee he won’t skip a beat.”

Day reappeared moments later and proved her right.

“I can sense there is a mood for change in this country,” he said.

While praising past prime ministers, including Jean ChrŽtien, for improving the country, Day said it is time for new ideas and new leaders.

And to confront head-on ChrŽtien’s argument that the next election will be a clash of values, Day said there is a yearning for alternatives.

“It is time for someone to take new ideas and match them with unchanging values.”

He then delivered, without notes, an hour-long speech about the new policy.

It is a policy that includes billions of dollars of tax cuts and although numbers are not yet precise, Liberals already are sniping that it would drive the country back into deficits. Canadian Alliance strategists insist it can be done.

They say tax cuts will create new taxable economic activity. As well, there are billions of dollars of “wasteful” government spending to be cut.

The CA election platform includes:

  • Raising the basic non-tax exemption to $10,000 for each person and lowering the tax on all income up to $100,000 to 17 percent. Income above $100,000 would be taxed at 25 percent. It was a major backtrack from an earlier promise to implement a universal 17 percent rate. Day said that still is the goal, but it would not happen in the first term.
  • Increasing the spousal exemption to $10,000 and a $3,000 per year tax deduction per child.
  • Giving parents tax breaks if they choose to send their children to private or religious schools.
  • Paying down at least $6 billion annually on the national debt. The Liberals have a $3 billion minimum payback rule, although last year because of higher-than-expected revenues, $12 billion was retired from the debt.
  • Cutting gasoline prices by at least three cents per litre as the federal goods and services tax on fuel taxes was eliminated and the 1.5 cent federal excise tax scrapped.
  • Cutting payroll and business taxes.
  • Preserving the five principles of the Canada Health Act, with a sixth promise that federal funding would not be cut.
  • Enacting tougher law and order rules, and bringing in young offenders and repeat offenders legislation, including a provision that youths as young as 14 could be sent to adult court to be tried for “serious crimes.”

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