Why Conservatives Are The Real "Progressives"

How did the socialists/left get away with hijacking the adjective "progressive",  when their policies- anti-free market, anti-entrepreneurship, pro-big government and pro-high taxes - are regressive?   "Progressive" should only apply to political parties that work to better the financial well-being of the people, particularly those in the low to middle income categories.  A case in point is the Canadian Conservative government which earned this designation on 3 fronts.

The first was a cut in taxes.  Canadians now pay $30 billion less federal tax per year since austerity measures were introduced in 2005 by the Liberal government.   When the Conservatives came to power in 2006, they expanded the program by raising the basic personal tax exemption, introducing 2 tax credits and allowing pension income-splitting (a great benefit for seniors).  These reforms now save taxpayers $17 billion a year.  The government also cut the GST (value added tax) saving consumers another $13 billion annually.  And the best news - an independent study confirmed that in relative terms, lower income Canadians benefited the most.

The second boost for low-income people was announced this week.  Under the government's "consumers first agenda", Canada's major banks have agreed to offer "no-cost"  accounts to the financially vulnerable - youth, students and seniors on Guaranteed Income Supplement (7 million Canadians).  Services include cheque-writing  privileges and monthly printed statements.  Cynics will argue this only saves $50 a year but to a person on fixed income, $50 can make a difference and perhaps more importantly, these accounts give users more organization and control of their financial affairs.

The third progressive step is a government promise to balance the federal budget in 2015.  Again, cynics (and the left) will argue "right, politicians make promises all the time".  But 2015 is an election year - if the government fails, the oppositions will capitalize on their "inept management" and accuse them of "misleading the voters".  In fact, balanced budgets should be the goal of every government -conservative and socialist alike.  It demonstrates responsible management, prevents more interest charges on borrowed money added to the national and provincial debt and reigns in the size of government.

These 3 strategies, big or small, are examples of real "progressive" leadership.  This adjective should be earned, not hijacked.