Election 2019: A chicken in every pot
Many of us were taught that American President Herbert Hoover campaigned on a promise of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” during the 1928 presidential campaign. Whether he did or not I‘ll leave up to the historians to debate but it did provide a catchy slogan that everyone could understand. It also got me to thinking what that promise would look like in Canadian politics.
Pierre Trudeau, with his penchant for doling out our tax dollars, would likely be happy to promise every one a chicken. He’d also throw in a brand new made-incanada, aluminum-bottomed, stainless steel pot for any family with a household income of less than $120,000. For good measure, the recently announced grant to ensure all Canadian children can go camping would be increased if parents promised to cook the chicken over an open fire started by rubbing two sticks together.
Conservative leader Andrew Sheer would be okay with the chicken in every pot theme as well but would likely not make any promises on free giveaways. More likely he would suggest that, if elected, his government would calculate the cost of a family size bird and then give the money directly to taxpayers so that the middle class would have more in disposable income. As a campaign slogan “$7.69 in every pocket” isn’t quite as catchy but suits his image to a tee.
The NDP under Jagmeet Singh would definitely be behind the chicken promise. As a matter of fact they would probably support it wholeheartedly. In their usual effort to maintain their position just to the left of the Liberals, however, they would likely up the ante and throw in the promise of a basket of fresh vegetables to go along with the bird. As to the Liberal camping out suggestion, Singh would point out that there are thousands of Canadians permanently camping out because they have no homes so what is actually needed is “a cooked chicken in every pot.”
Elizabeth May and the Greens would be clear in their support for “a chicken in every pot” as long as your income, or more correctly, lack of income justified the gift. There have been too many handouts to the wealthy as it is. She would also likely put a few riders on her support of any government initiative. First off, all the chickens would have to be free-range and raised only on farms that have converted to solar or wind power. Secondly, all birds would have to be slaughtered in a humane manner, the feathers recycled, and all shipping done by train or electric vehicles.
People’s Party of Canada leader, Maxime Bernier, would be against the idea entirely unless the government first got rid of all dairy and poultry supply management regulations. He would also demand that the producers of the aluminum and steel that went into the pot should lose any government subsidies before they would be allowed to take part in the Liberals’ proposed give-away.
Finally, The Bloc Quebecois’ reaction to the “chicken in every pot” would be straight forward. Leader, Yves-françois Blanchet, would likely claim that the production, processing and sale of chicken and pots is solely a provincial matter and the whole thing should therefore be turned over to Quebec which would set up its own program. Once in control, the provincial government would set up a suitable agency called la Société Générale des Poulets Gratuit Dans Vos Pots or the SGPGVP.
By the way, Hoover won and served as president from 1929 to 1933. By the time his term ended the Great Depression had arrived and most middle class Americans didn’t have a chicken or a pot to put it in.