Amid repeated demands for a fully costed platform, which was finally, if partially, released on Wednesday, Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford announced one very specific policy proposal: to bring slot machines back to three race tracks across the province.  Under then-Premier Dalton McGuinty, whose government removed the slots in 2012, race tracks have received $109 million per year in public funds to make up for the revenue shortfall.  Restoring the slots is, objectively, a better idea.  But there's a reason the horse racing industry needs that money: Their popularity has declined, and they can't bring in spectators as they once did and, some professionals believe, may never again.

Why did Ford decide that it's in the public interest to prop up an industry that the public doesn't care much about?  Why is he talking about it at all?  Well, as much as he would like you to believe that he is not one of the politicians he doesn't trust, he is engaging in a deeply politician-like practice.  The BBC sitcom The Thick of It might describe his idea as a "meringue: sweet, but lightweight and [of] very little substance."  There is nothing politicians like better than making meringues, because they involve much less work than an actual meal, and are easy for voters to pop into their mouths without much thought.

But Ford's not alone.  Let's look at some of the lightest meringues across the board:

From the Liberals: "Create a new $6 million multicultural media fund to help content producers better reach their audiences and increase capacity in the sector."

By their nature, culturally-focused publications have small audiences, and mastheads and budgets to match.  Creating a new app, or even improving a website and making it mobile-friendly, doesn't come cheaply.  Without this fund, publishers would look to their own communities for donations, as they already do for readership.  It would be another thing for the government to provide guidance on how to raise funds for these projects; ultimately, however, the actual fundraising efforts should be the publication's responsibility.  (And, yes, I include major media in this.)

From the NDP: ". . . launch the Better Ontario Fund, a $300 million commitment, spent over three years, to make life better for people across Ontario."

This would be a program of grants for community not-for-profit organizations: youth recreation, newcomer integration, seniors' programs and the like.  Of course, with the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund, the Summer Experience Program, the Ontario Libraries Capacity Fund, the Newcomer Settlement Program, the Ontario Community Environment Fund, and Multicultural Community Capacity Grants already in place, what's one more grant program?

From the Liberals: ". . . work with wine, cider, spirits, and beer producers to develop a new strategy to grow the beverage alcohol sector."

Oh, I can think of one thing they can do!

From the NDP: ". . . develop and implement a cluster strategy focused on bringing together all actors within a strategic regional industry."

Not this again.  The national supercluster program is not even four months old, yet the NDP is convinced that this strategy holds the key to economic competitiveness.  The full NDP platform notes that Ontario already has clusters "financial services in Toronto . . . information technology in Kitchener-Waterloo" yet does not appreciate their comparatively organic development, and simply asserts that Ontario needs more of them, from the top down if necessary.

From the Liberals: "Improving GO stations by providing services such as grocery stores, banking and dry cleaning right where they'll need them when they get off the train or bus."

In transit-oriented, mixed-use developments at TTC stations, residents can have these services close to home and the train.  But GO users are likelier to live away from the (often quite small) station and may need a vehicle to get themselves and their groceries home, which the Liberals may not want to encourage.  For that matter, to what extent would the government "provide" these services?  Would they simply permit them, or operate them hands-on?

From the NDP: ". . . undo the cuts to the Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP), and build a long-term plan to revitalize this sector . . ."

What do you know?  Not only is Ford's idea lightweight and of very little substance, it's also played out!

And one more from the PCs: ". . . ensure that Ontario branches of the Royal Canadian Legion pay no property tax."

This just opens the floodgates for property tax exemptions for organizations that the government of the day likes. Best avoided.

Written by Jess Morgan