One of the big takeaways from the Ontario budget was its pledge to make tuition “free.”  That was the main headline that the Liberals were seeking in the papers the next day, and that’s exactly what they got.  Then, a couple weeks later, Premier Wynne admitted when pressed that “free” tuition wasn’t exactly free.  And I say, “yup, they fooled us again!”  Even after the Premier said the language was going to evolve, the Liberal caucus fanned out throughout Ontario to hold press events, most of whom used the “free” tuition in their releases.

First of all, I want to give credit to the Ontario Liberals for their work on changing the conversation on student finance.  Some of the ideas had long been advocated by student groups, and when I was the MTCU critic at Queen’s Park, we were developing the same kind of approach.  Mind you, we did have a more decentralized method of tackling this issue, but the nuts and bolts are the same.  I want to be clear that this post isn’t about the plan, but it is entirely about the communications of that plan as it pertains to the budget.

By labeling it “free” tuition, the budget achieved its sex appeal.  It was the nugget people were waiting for.  It was meant to give you the impression that good things are happening to you.  This budget is taking its good ole time to balance, and the assumptions to do so may be a stretch, but for all the extra financial burden being piled on the voters of Ontario, this government wants you to know they are still being activist.  They want you to think that this is the kind of thing that is making your prolonged deficit somewhat more digestible.

The truth, of course, is that this “free” tuition plan isn’t going to cost the treasury that much.  It’s going to get rid of some tax credits and lump grants together.  In other words, it’s like re-gifting something you got for Christmas. Some people call it a shell game.  However, when you have an “activist centrist” government, you need to be seen doing things for Ontario, and boy does this free tuition thing do that.

Mind you, this is the same ethos we’re now seeing in Ottawa.  The new child care plan takes the exact same approach.  Everyone is told they are getting more under the Liberal plan, but that’s not the story at all.  All those tax credits you like getting or your monthly cheques that Harper issued, they’re all being lumped into a new program.  No new extra money required.  Prime Minister Trudeau has those other billions earmarked for something else.  The new program is going to give the middle class more by not giving benefits to the millionaires, at least that’s what we’ve been told.  Except, the one small detail that gets forgotten is that those one per centers that are being targeted are actually suburban families that earn $150,000 or more.  If that’s your family, PM Trudeau is going to tax you like a millionaire.  Spare all those suburban dwellers the trouble of telling them that; who needs details anyway?

The opposition, both in Ottawa and at Queen’s Park, need to hone in on this problem.  The government is going to force you to try and argue against the carrot at the end of the stick: free tuition or cheaper child care.  Instead of biting, why not try rejecting the entire premise of the argument and instead focus on the false dichotomy that is being presented?  It might just lay the groundwork to challenge the government’s competence once the next election rolls around in a couple years.  Otherwise, all that is really happening is forcing you to agree with a glossy policy (win for them) or disagree with it and look heartless.