The Autonomy Index

Based on an analysis of the three major parties'* platforms, labradore is pleased to present The Autonomy Index.

The Index is a guage of how reliant a party’s platform is on federal policy, federal goodwill, or federal money – above all else, money – on its being accomplished; and on the degree to which the party is running on federal issues in this, a provincial, election.

For the purposes of this analysis, an entire “bullet point” in a party’s platform document is treated as one “promise”, even if it contains several promiselets.

The Index is scored like golf, apparently, says the non-golfer. The lower the Autonomy Index score, the more autonomous the party’s platform.

So, in alphabetical order:

Liberal

Number of times “federal” or “Government of Canada” appear: 30 (all “federal”)

Number of promises which depend on federal policy, goodwill, or money: 17

Total Autonomy Index: 47

Some examples:

A Liberal Government will advocate leaving North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and demand strong action from the federal government on foreign over fishing off our coast.

A Liberal Government will aggressively pursue complete control over the resource management and licensing of our adjacent fishery resource, while leaving enforcement and science to the federal government.**

A Liberal Government will respect the rights of our Metis and Mi'kmaq people in accessing federal programs and services to which they are entitled.

A Liberal Government will work to secure a Federal/Provincial Highways Agreement for Labrador.

Progressive Conservative

Number of times “federal” or “Government of Canada” appear: 38 (26 “federal”, 12 “Government of Canada”)

Number of promises which depend on federal policy, goodwill, or money: 28

Total Autonomy Index: 66

Some examples:

A Progressive Conservative government will:

present to the federal government options for a new paved airstrip for Nain

present to the federal government options for paved airstrip improvements for Port Hope Simpson regional airport

press the Government of Canada to restore funding for the federal Court Challenges Program

support local artists in seeking various federal targeted grants

New Democrats

Number of times “federal” or “Government of Canada” appear: 8 (all “federal”)

Number of promises which depend on federal policy, goodwill, or money: 4

Total Autonomy Index: 12

Some examples:

The NDP will call for:***

The provincial government to negotiate for federal investment in new hydro projects, creation of a national east-west power grid and transfer of the federal 8.5 per cent Hibernia share to the province.

Federal early retirement benefits for fisheries workers who have given their working lives to the fishery and their communities, and who deserve to retire with dignity and security.

Increased provincial government funding of post-secondary education to counter federal cuts, along with a demand that the federal government increase education spending to pay its share for our post-secondary system.

The elimination of federal taxes on books.

The winner and champion Autonomists: the NDP!

The totally not autonomous Überfederalisten: the Tories!



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* Other parties' platforms will be Autonomy-scored if they are posted to the internets.


** Such refreshing honesty about what provincial politicians mean by “joint management”!


*** What, no pretence of forming an NDP government?