Indian spiritual teacher Osho once said, "Democracy basically means government by the people, of the people, for the people — but the people are retarded."
His words resonate as millions of Canadians — like Matt Janes, pictured above — prepare to vote for Liberal Leader Mark Carney, who recently unveiled a $130-billion spending plan. The plan echoed Justin Trudeau’s mission to spend Canada into prosperity and offset what he calls "the biggest crisis of our lifetimes."
Carney points to the U.S. and Trump, to sway voters like Janes. But the truth is straightforward — Trudeau’s policies devastated Canada’s economy and Carney, at times, served as his economic adviser.
The real crisis is stupidity among voters — and Carney is capitalizing on it for the election.
Trudeau and Carney’s fiscal approach, rooted in Keynesian economics, progressivism and a focus on climate change and inequality, has faltered.
However, Carney is determined to push this approach to its limits, regardless of the consequences.
The $130 billion, seemingly conjured from thin air, includes $18-$30 billion for defence, $20 billion for infrastructure, $17.8 billion for housing, billions for health and social services, and billions for indigenous programs. These areas merit attention, but Canada is financially broken.
Borrowing cannot continue indefinitely. After nearly a decade under Trudeau, Canada’s national debt roughly doubled. The cost to service the debt in the 2024-25 fiscal year is projected at approximately $53.7 billion — or $147.1 million per day.
The Trudeau-Carney economic strategy has deepened poverty. Supporting it on April 28 would be retarded, as Osho might say.
According to the MNP Consumer Debt Index, conducted by Ipsos and published on Jan. 15, 35% of Canadians reported being insolvent, unable to cover bills and debt payments with their income.
With Canada’s population estimated at approximately 40,769,281 as of July 1, 2024, based on Statistics Canada projections, this translates to roughly 14.3 million Canadians facing insolvency.
Additionally, 50% of Canadians — about 20.4 million — reported being $200 or less away from insolvency, highlighting a significant financial crisis.
Food bank usage in Canada has surged, reaching unprecedented levels. The Food Banks Canada HungerCount 2024 report recorded over two million visits to food banks in March 2024, a 6% increase from March 2023 and a 90% increase from March 2019. This marks the highest usage in the survey’s history, which began in 1989.
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is raising concerns over Carney’s plan to add "$225 billion" to the debt.
“Carney plans to borrow even more than the Trudeau government intended,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF federal director.
“Carney claims he’s different from Trudeau, but when it comes to debt, his plan is billions worse.”
Carney’s projected annual budget deficits are: 2025-26 — $62 billion; 2026-27 — $60 billion; 2027-28 — $55 billion; and 2028-29 — $48 billion.
“Carney’s borrowing spree will waste $1 billion more annually on debt interest charges,” Terrazzano said.
Carney's spending will exacerbate the cost of living crisis through inflation. Millions more people will be forced into insolvency and poverty. Canada may collapse.
It's no joke — maybe we should listen to Osho.
