How Ottawa Spends, 1997-1998 (Seeing Red: A Liberal Report Card)

During the 1993 Federal election, the Liberals produced a document, known as the Red Book, which provided a detailed blueprint for how the party would govern, if elected. Jean Chrétien often stated that the promises were put in writing so the public would be better able to hold his government accountable. Three years into their mandate, the Liberals issued a self-assessment of their record which indicates that 78 percent of the 197 Red Book commitments have been fulfilled and another 12 percent are in progress. What constitutes living up to a promise is debatable as the opposition parties estimate that the Liberals have fulfilled only 25 percent of their promises.

In this volume eleven areas of government policy are analyzed, including economic management (deficit control, trade promotion and employment), national unity social policies (child care, elderly benefits and housing) and ethics. Overall, Liberal policies bear a much stronger resemblance to Tory Blue philosophy than their own Red Book.