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Here’s why young Canadians are pessimistic about the federal government

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jake Fuss and Grady Munro

A new poll shows that the share of Canadians feeling pessimistic about the federal government has reached a new high. This should come as no surprise. Years of poor policy has left Canadians with a stagnant economy and declining living standards. And despite the Trudeau government’s recent focus on younger generations, young people appear the most pessimistic of all.

According to the poll conducted by Nanos, 39.8 per cent of Canadians feel “pessimism” towards the federal government—representing a seven-year high. On the flip side, 7.6 per cent feel “satisfaction,” a seven-year low.

More broadly, 68.7 per cent of respondents reported negative feelings (“anger” or “pessimism”) towards the federal government while just 16.3 per cent reported positive feelings (“optimism” or “satisfaction”). The remaining 15.0 per cent either weren’t sure or were simply disinterested.

Again, it’s not surprising that the majority of Canadians report negative feelings about Ottawa, in light of the Trudeau government’s fiscal and economic mismanagement.

For example, due to record-high spending, the Trudeau government will run its tenth-consecutive budget deficit in 2024/25 at a projected $39.8 billion. These deficits have contributed to a remarkable rise in federal government debt since Prime Minister Trudeau first took office. From 2014/15 (the Harper government’s last full year) to 2024/25, federal gross debt is expected to have approximately doubled to $2.1 trillion. And the Trudeau government has no plans to change course. Deficits are expected to continue until at least 2028/29, and projections suggest gross debt will increase an additional $400.1 billion over the same period.

What have Canadians gained from all this spending and debt?

Through the implementation of sweeping programs such as $10-a-day daycare and national dental care, the Trudeau government has expanded its role in the lives of Canadians. But because the government has chosen to use taxpayer dollars to provide services that were already offered privately, many Canadians have less choice of how to best to use their hard-earned money due to the imposition of higher taxes. Indeed, 86 per cent of middle-income families now pay more in taxes than they did in 2015, adding to the cost of living.

At the same time, Ottawa and some provinces have spent tens of billions on corporate welfare with the promise that it will promote economic growth. But over the last decade the economy has posted its worst performance since the 1930s, and Canadian living standards have been in a historic decline since mid-2019.

Finally, the burden of government debt and poor economic prospects may be why younger generations are feeling the most pessimistic. Indeed, among survey respondents aged 18 to 34, 41.3 per cent were “pessimistic” about the federal government while just 5.3 per cent were “satisfied” (the largest and smallest shares, respectively, relative to all other age groups). Despite the Trudeau government’s rhetoric about “generational fairness,” younger generations face a disproportionately higher tax burden in the future due to debt accumulated today. Meanwhile, according to long-term projections, Canadian living standards will fall further behind comparable countries (including the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom) over the coming decades.

Canadians are worse off today than they were 10 years ago, and should expect higher taxes and relatively little improvement in their living standards in coming years due to poor government policy. Is it any wonder they’re feeling pessimistic?

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Poilievre on 2025 Election Interference – Carney sill hasn’t fired Liberal MP in Chinese election interference scandal

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From Conservative Party Communications

Yes. He must be disqualified. I find it incredible that Mark Carney would allow someone to run for his party that called for a Canadian citizen to be handed over to a foreign government on a bounty, a foreign government that would almost certainly execute that Canadian citizen.

 

“Think about that for a second. We have a Liberal MP saying that a Canadian citizen should be handed over to a foreign dictatorship to get a bounty so that that citizen could be murdered. And Mark Carney says he should stay on as a candidate. What does that say about whether Mark Carney would protect Canadians?

“Mark Carney is deeply conflicted. Just in November, he went to Beijing and secured a quarter-billion-dollar loan for his company from a state-owned Chinese bank. He’s deeply compromised, and he will never stand up for Canada against any foreign regime. It is another reason why Mr. Carney must show us all his assets, all the money he owes, all the money that his companies owe to foreign hostile regimes. And this story might not be entirely the story of the bounty, and a Liberal MP calling for a Canadian to be handed over for execution to a foreign government might not be something that the everyday Canadian can relate to because it’s so outrageous. But I ask you this, if Mark Carney would allow his Liberal MP to make a comment like this, when would he ever protect Canada or Canadians against foreign hostility?

“He has never put Canada first, and that’s why we cannot have a fourth Liberal term. After the Lost Liberal Decade, our country is a playground for foreign interference. Our economy is weaker than ever before. Our people more divided. We need a change to put Canada first with a new government that will stand up for the security and economy of our citizens and take back control of our destiny. Let’s bring it home.”

 

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Canada Needs A Real Plan To Compete Globally

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From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Marco Navarro-Génie 

Ottawa’s ideological policies have left Canada vulnerable. Strategic action is needed now

As Canada navigates an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, the next federal government must move beyond reflexive anti—Americanism regardless of its political leanings. Instead, Canada should prioritize national interests while avoiding unnecessary conflict and subservience.

The notion that Canada can stand alone is as misguided as the idea that it is only an economic appendage of the United States. Both perspectives have influenced policy in Ottawa at different times, leading to mistakes.

Rather than engaging in futile name-calling or trade disputes, Canada must take strategic steps to reinforce its autonomy. This approach requires a pragmatic view rooted in Realpolitik—recognizing global realities, mitigating risks, governing for the whole country, and seizing opportunities while abandoning failed ideologies.

However, if Washington continues to pursue protectionist measures, Canada must find effective ways to counteract the weakened position Ottawa has placed the country in over the past decade.

One key strategy is diversifying trade relationships, notably by expanding economic ties with emerging markets such as India and Southeast Asia. This will require repairing Canada’s strained relationship with India and regaining political respect in China.

Unlike past Liberal trade missions, which often prioritized ideological talking points over substance, Canada must negotiate deals that protect domestic industries rather than turning summits into platforms for moral posturing.

A more effective approach would be strengthening partnerships with countries that value Canadian resources instead of vilifying them under misguided environmental policies. Expand LNG exports to Europe and Asia and leverage Canada’s critical minerals sector to establish reciprocal supply chains with non-Western economies, reducing economic reliance on the U.S.

Decades of complacency have left Canada vulnerable to American influence over its resource sector. Foreign-funded environmental groups have weakened domestic energy production, handing U.S. industries a strategic advantage. Ottawa must counter this by ensuring Canadian energy is developed at home rather than allowing suppressed domestic production to benefit foreign competitors.

Likewise, a robust industrial policy—prioritizing mining, manufacturing, and agricultural resilience—could reduce dependence on U.S. and Chinese imports. This does not mean adopting European-style subsidies but rather eliminating excessive regulations that make Canadian businesses uncompetitive, including costly domestic carbon tariffs.

Another key vulnerability is Canada’s growing military dependence on the U.S. through NORAD and NATO. While alliances are essential, decades of underfunding and neglect have turned the Canadian Armed Forces into little more than a symbolic force. Canada must learn self-reliance and commit to serious investment in defence.

Increasing defence spending—not to meet NATO targets but to build deterrence—is essential. Ottawa must reform its outdated procurement processes and develop a domestic defence manufacturing base, reducing reliance on foreign arms deals.

Canada’s vast Arctic is also at risk. Without continued investment in northern sovereignty, Ottawa may find itself locked out of its own backyard by more assertive global powers.

For too long, Canada has relied on an economic model that prioritizes federal redistribution over wealth creation and productivity. A competitive tax regime—one that attracts investment instead of punishing success—is essential.

A capital gains tax hike might satisfy activists in Toronto, but it does little to attract investments and encourage economic growth. Likewise, Ottawa must abandon ideological green policies that threaten agri-food production, whether by overregulating farmers or ranchers. At the same time, it must address inefficiencies in supply management once and for all. Canada must be able to feed a growing world without unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles.

Ottawa must also create an environment where businesses can innovate and grow without excessive regulatory burdens. This includes eliminating interprovincial trade barriers that stifle commerce.

Similarly, Canada’s tech sector, long hindered by predatory regulations, should be freed from excessive government interference. Instead of suffocating innovation with compliance mandates, Ottawa should focus on deregulation while implementing stronger security measures for foreign tech firms operating in Canada.

Perhaps Ottawa’s greatest mistake is its knee-jerk reactions to American policies, made without a coherent long-term strategy. Performative trade disputes with Washington and symbolic grandstanding in multilateral organizations do little to advance Canada’s interests.

Instead of reacting emotionally, Canada must take proactive steps to secure its economic, resource, and defence future. That is the role of a responsible government.

History’s best strategists understood that one should never fight an opponent’s war but instead dictate the terms of engagement. Canada’s future does not depend on reacting to Washington’s policies—these are calculated strategies, not whims. Instead, Canada’s success will be determined by its ability to act in the interests of citizens in all regions of the country, and seeing the world as it is rather than how ideological narratives wish it to be.

Marco Navarro-Génie is the vice president of research at the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. With Barry Cooper, he is co-author of Canada’s COVID: The Story of a Pandemic Moral Panic (2023).

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