Ontario 2018 election

[EPG]

I think a lot of observers in 2017 conflated the Kensington constituency with Blair-era Kensington and Chelsea, and so were surprised even though the North Kensington constituency had been strongly Labour.

[EPG]

Another question for people who understand these things better than me, if Ontario has one of the highest deficits and highest upper income tax rates in the OECD, but doesn't have the corresponding social program spending to go along with it, then where is all the money going to?

I can't speak to Ontario, but usually the answer in other jurisdictions is: nice fiscal arrangements for middle-earners. Low middle-income tax rates, free childcare and low property taxes, for instance. Maybe low sales tax, but in practice lots of jurisdictions make this effectively progressive using exclusions.

Another answer could be: weak demographics, low participation rates, meaning fewer workers and more tax per worker, to pay for more dependents.

The final possibility, rarer nowadays: like the famous top marginal rates in the 1950s USA or 1960s UK, almost nobody is actually in the tax bracket. This doesn't seem to apply to Ontario

[EPG]

Sorry to keep asking provincial Canadian questions. But a "brief" (by Atlas standards, i.e. comprehensive multi-paragraph) - brief explainer of Doug Ford, his image, his policies (if they exist)? I know who votes for him. I don't know why.

[EPG]

E.g., I imagine almost no older person age 65+ would look favourably on that kind of policy, albeit they're under-represented on Atlas/Twitter.

[EPG]

Ontario: the last place in the world debates change anything.

I guess it's true anywhere there is little difference between the parties, which is fewer places today than 10-15 years ago the past.

[EPG]

Are people more likely to refrain from telling pollsters their true intention if they are backing Doug Ford? I think so and I suspect PCs will do fine.