Canada is heading for an environmental disaster, and Liberal government policy, or lack thereof, is directly to blame. No planning, no buy-in, political opportunism, and a lack of accurate costing are all factors to blame.
The Liberal government jumped on the bandwagon of environmental extremism – suitable for the moment but doomed to fail. Like in the United States, where the voters are turning against Trumpism, the voters in Canada are turning against environmentalism at all costs.
All Good for A While
All was good for a while when most of Canada for two reasons:
The impact on families was not financial. Policies and expenditures were made that did not immediately hit the pocketbook.
Poverty in Canada was in a significant decline. In 2015, the national poverty rate was 14.5%. In 2020, it stood at 6.5%. Today, an indication of the poverty rate is reflected in the percentage of people facing food insecurity, which is approximately 17.5%.
Much of the population did not get involved. They continued their lives and let the future be dictated by those who showed up. By and large, the environmental movement.
Head to 2023
Suddenly, the rubber hit the road. Government spending and increased taxes – yes, there are international events that have been a disruptive factor – drove up the cost of living. The “good life” of $ 10-per-day daycare, full dental coverage, increased health spending, carbon taxes, and government spending have all come home to roost. We now face an annual interest debt of approximately $115 billion per year; a short time ago, it stood at $69 billion.
The government can blame everyone else; they can blame world affairs, but there are actions the Liberal government could take at home that would help. Trudeau says he will only defer the carbon tax in some of Canada. He argues it is for the environment; I suggest it is because the government is desperate for revenue from the carbon tax.
Boxed In a Corner
We have allowed ourselves to be boxed into a corner; many could be blamed, including ourselves. Unfortunately, most of us can only be involved at election time. And what did we do? We continued to vote for Justin Trudeau with little thought of the cliff we were heading toward. I don’t bemoan those who voted for Trudeau. But it is sad how many fell for his promise of $10-per-day daycare without thinking everything comes with a cost. Today, we are experiencing the cost.
The End
Who knows where this will end? We see Trudeau attempting to give back crumbs a little too late. We need a wholesale change and a fulsome discussion of what we want and where we go from a Canadian context. There are so many competing interests that the Liberals have tried to appease with the thirty-second sound bite rather than considering the impacts on the people. That is all of us.
We will soon be moving into a new election cycle and one thing to remember: the world is run by those who show up.
Best wishes...
Vancouver, BC, Canada
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