Reality of the Trudeau government
Dear Editor,
Federal Finance Minister Bill Marneau issued an economic statement on Nov. 1, being about one year since Justin Trudeau was elected prime minister. Although his poll numbers are still favourable with his “Sunny Ways” and his current celebrity, eventually Canadians will expect Mr. Trudeau to govern as a prime minister. There are clouds, however, on the horizon.
Recently at a labour forum where the prime minister was speaking, some young people turned their backs on him because his government has stated that young people can expect temporary and part-time jobs in the future, even with post-secondary education. The same week, Mr. Trudeau was criticized for a double flip-flop regarding his intention to alter how we vote using preferential balloting, without a referendum.
Besides temporary, part-time jobs, the financial statement spoke of annual deficits of $25 billion, not the $10 billion promised, and a slow growth rate of one per cent in a volatile and uncertain global economy. Our national debt is over $630 billion, which equals about $17,000 per person in Canada. This debt will greatly increase with the finance minister’s proposal to spend $180 billion on infrastructure over the next 11 years. Borrowing money and raising taxes has been tried before by various governments, which leaves our small population vulnerable to global uncertainty and recession. The last thing Canadians need is a national carbon tax, which will increase the cost of virtually everything, which Mr. Trudeau intends to introduce, which is in addition to the same carbon tax Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is bringing. Canadians are seeing a contrast between Mr. Trudeau’s economic vision for the country and that of the globally respected stable economic policies of the previous Conservative government, which involved lower taxes, balanced budgets and job creation. Even the recently signed Canada-European Trade Agreement, a positive development for Canada as an exporting nation, is a product of many years of negotiations by the previous Conservative government.
Prime Minister Trudeau would do well to level with Canadians as to their concerns over jobs, taxes, and health care, and to give serious attention to their needs, rather than revelling in his celebrity and giving Canadians shallow statements which don’t improve their lives.
Chris Topple