Promises, promises: NDP borrows Liberal policy

Another day on the election trail and the pickings are slim on the financial planning front.

The Conservatives appear to have switched to the social agenda, promising once again to scrap the long gun registry.

The Liberals took Sunday to recap their agenda on education, family care, and strengthening pensions.

Speaking of pensions, the NDP rolled out the closest thing to a new platform plank, vowing to work with the provinces and territories to increase payments under the CPP and QPP. The eventual goal is to double benefit, but no timeline is laid out.

The NDP has also promised to allow Canadians to contribute additional private savings to the CPP, and promised an additional $700 million a year in GIS payments.

If all that sounds familiar, you must’ve read the March 30 entry in the Promises, promises series. In case you didn’t, here’s what you missed:

“The Liberals rolled out their appeal to retirees today, promising to increase GIS benefits to the tune of $700 million a year, and to work with provinces to gradually expand Canada Pension Plan (CPP) benefits while creating a new voluntary Secure Retirement Option, which would allow tax-deductible savings managed by the CPP.”

At a Conservative rally on Sunday Stephen Harper joked that the Liberals had rolled out the NDP campaign platform. Today it was the NDP’s turn to roll out Liberal promises.

Of course, the NDP also rolled out a pro-small business platform that could have been mistaken for Conservative policy on March 30.

Ain’t politics fun?

Points Given that the Conservatives and Liberals didn’t roll out anything new: no points.

Since the NDP clearly were looking at over the Liberals’ shoulder: no points.

Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.