Craig Scott Part and Toronto-Danforth

NDP Member of Parliament: This is the first of a two part series by Osgoode law professor and former NDP Member of Parliament for Toronto-Danforth, Craig Scott, according to Rabble. Part 2 will be appear on Monday, March 28. Chip in to keep stories like these coming. Breached promises in Tuesday federal budget raise questions about honesty and accountability in our electoral democracy. Indeed, criticism of any sort is often received as if it is nothing but a continuation of negativism that the PM Laytonesque messaging of hope and optimism was meant to leave behind. Have the Liberals driven the final cynical nail into a coffin in which we should bury any pretense that campaign platform promises can be relied upon by voters Have they banished naïveté from Canadian politics for good by yet again "proving" that the malleability of at least some campaign commitments is the price of keeping Conservatives from power Do political parties need to start formulating their platform planks less categorically or at least better distinguish those that are unalterable versus those that may need to be modified in light of evolving circumstances such as unexpected economic realities, compromises required by minority or coalition government contexts, or belated but sincere realization a promise was a mistake Might we need some sort of legislative reforms that provide for some consequences for continuing disregard of promises, perhaps annual reporting mechanisms on the state of delivery of each platform plank that could also include a procedure that, at some point later in a government term, requires a Prime Minister to explain and justify in the House of Commons why his or her government has departed from or not yet delivered on clear commitments This critique may come as a surprise to some -- including many who are left of centre or who see themselves as generally "progressive." Many are so happy with the change in tone and style of Prime Minister Trudeau government from the previous government, and with its general willingness to invest in areas identified in the campaign as priorities, that they are giving the government a pass on gaps or failures. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.