Wynne doubles down on convincing you to pay up

Watch the video above: Wynne calls Federal Conservatives “irresponsible” for refusing changes to CPP. Alan Carter reports. 

A chicken in every pot – Herbert Hoover

It’s the economy, stupid – James Carville, strategist for Bill Clinton

Revenue tools – Kathleen Wynne

With a provincial election likely hovering just over the horizon, Premier Kathleen Wynne seems committed to testing her mettle as the Great Persuader. A politician with a love of conversations, Wynne believes she can convince you to open your wallet and entrust the Liberals with more of your money.

It’s not like she doesn’t have a compelling case to make.

In a special one-on-one interview with Focus Ontario, Wynne practices the pitch she will soon make to the province.

Studied first by Metrolinx and then by another panel led by academic Anne Golden, the conclusion to helping solve the gridlock that plagues Toronto and surrounding regions, and the crumbling infrastructure in the rest of the province, is to get money from people and corporations to foot the bill.    The panel concluded efficiencies alone will not built transit.

Wynne’s pitch is simple and clear;  we cannot continue to ignore the problem.  If we pay more, perhaps in a gas tax as Golden suggests, we can save money by ditching a car. We can have more time with our families, goods and services will flow more easily, and those extra cents a litre will be worth every penny.

In Depth: Ontario Politics

For any politician, selling such an idea in the face of howling opposition attacks about government reaching its hand back into your pocket, would be daunting enough.   Wynne, however, appears to have decided to double down and double up on her ask of you the taxpayer.

It’s likely the last thing you want to ponder while stuck in traffic, but are you socking away enough money for your retirement?   The vast majority of us are not, and the current Canada Pension Plan benefits won’t exactly fund a life of golden sunsets.   Ottawa wants nothing to do with restructuring CPP contributions, so Wynne is pushing ahead with a made in Ontario solution.

That means more employer and employee contributions.   More deductions from your paycheck.

The Great Persuader believes she can convince voters this is vital for the well being of us all.   That we must reform government held pensions before it’s too late and we all become diaper wearing prisoners in an age of elderly poverty.

The litany of Liberal mismanagement is well worn into the minds of voters by now;  gas plants, e-health, Ornge, OPG.   Can a shrinking middle class feel  good about giving more to these stewards of the public trust?   Forget the past, says the Great Persuader, this is the future and this is where we must go before it’s too late.

“I believe that running on a platform that says we are going to make investments that are necessary for your life”  she said while sitting in front of the fireplace in her second floor office at Queen’s Park.

In the hearth there are three beautiful birch logs.   It’s a compelling scene.   Except the small silver plaque under the mantle that declares “This fireplace does not work.”

There lies the conundrum for the Great Persuader.   Set the scene and convince as best you can, but in the end it is very likely that asking voters to give this government more money simply does not work.