Three issues I'd like to see in the ads

Browsing through the Tory TV ads I noticed three great absences:

1) Environment
2) Debt culture
3) Economic shift

First off, the environment. The Party let Dion monopolize the debate on the issue with his carbon tax plan that is crumbling as we speak. These are very good times for releasing an ad featuring the Prime Minister talking openly about the Tory environmental policy, how we plan to face the challenges of increasing fuel prices and increasing demand for renewables.

Under an ideal Tory plan rewards would be given for efficiency and enviro-friendliness, such as tax credits. Under Dion, one would be punished for consuming, no matter what. Going through the hassle of being efficient would only reduce the punishment. Clearly, this is a ridiculously powerful message that we should be sending out.

Second, the debt culture. The mortgage collapse and the current state of the US economy offer food for thought regarding how people manage their money. Canada hasn't got the massive household debt the US is facing, yet I am not aware of any particular incentives for saving up instead of borrowing for consumption.

If families be important, certainty is important for families. Focusing on a shift to a savings culture would help hammer out the message that the Tories care for family solidity and wellbeing rather than just the stereotypical money they spend and the kids they make.

Thirdly, the economic shift. Manufacturing in Canada is undergoing a systemic crisis. Fuel costs, overseas labor, unionized pay and a collapse in domestic demand have driven many plants out of business. It is naive to expect this unemployment will just go away and it is very unwise to appear not to do much about it. Both McGuinty and Layton have seized the initiative on re-training funds, one way or another. Why not the Tories? I'd like the party to speak up on helping transitioning the Canadian workforce into higher-skilled specialty manufacture and service industries. This would create demand for education jobs, free up resources for other investments and secure Canadians' future job prospects.

These are only three issues I'd like the Party to address. When you count the pennies before payday you probably care a little less about what goes on above the 60th parallel.