We naturally tend to rationalize taxes on others. However, the arithmetic is undeniable: we can’t solve our problems by soaking the rich
Eat-the-rich rhetoric is good politics but bad policy. The wealthy minority contribute precious investment and much-needed employment, but no good deed goes unpunished. The spectre of a wealth tax, which hangs over Canada, epitomizes infantile, self-defeating governance. Last autumn, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh introduced a motion in the House of Commons calling for a…
If Singh is the problem, who is there on the meagre parliamentary bench to replace him?
For the past 90 years, Canadian politics has been influenced by a genuinely left-wing political party. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) emerged in 1933. It demanded nationalization of essential industries, universal public pensions, health care, family allowances, unemployment insurance and workmen’s compensation. Its Regina Manifesto boldly asserted, “No CCF Government will rest content until it…
No prime minister in Canadian history has used identity politics more than Justin Trudeau
In a famous 60 Minutes interview in 2012, Mike Wallace asked actor Morgan Freeman how to get rid of racism. Freeman instantly responds by saying it’s easy: stop referring to him as a Black man and he will stop referring to Wallace as a white man. Freeman says only by removing racist labels will we…
Students learn best when they develop strong personal connections with their teachers. We need to stop dwelling on worst-case scenarios
One thing we’ve learned this year is that global pandemics have a big impact on teaching and learning. In mid-March, regular kindergarten-to-Grade-12 classes across Canada were suspended and instruction moved online. While schools in some provinces partially reopened in June, this doesn’t mean things are back to normal just yet. Students gained limited access to…
For business, an ideology-driven agenda – whether from the right or the left – doesn’t create favourable conditions for investment
Common sense is not so common, observed the 18th century French writer Voltaire. Sadly, he could be talking about politics in Alberta today. Albertans have been whipsawed by two back-to-back political parties that govern more by ideology than common sense. The NDP governed from the ideological perspective that the state should tax more and use…
Closing politics and public life to those who are religious leaves us with a less tolerant society that brings fundamental freedoms into question
Disagreement is normal, if not necessary, in a healthy democracy. Being intolerant and disrespectful toward those with whom we disagree, however, is fatal to that democracy. Historically, Canadians have had the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (and the Bill of Rights before it) for protection. That’s especially important for racial, religious, political or sexual minorities,…
A coalition partner could have been exactly what the prime minister needed to show Canadians that he needs a majority to do his job properly
After the Oct. 21 federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that he would continue his progressive agenda despite his Liberals losing 20 seats and falling 13 seats short of a majority in Parliament. A coalition government was widely expected, with the NDP opening the door to talks. However, a strong left-wing, progressive presence in…
It would be a gross violation of religious freedom if we allowed beliefs to become a test for fitness for office. Yet Andrew Scheer faced a barrage of criticism
Canada’s public square is an increasingly closed space, at least for voices of faith. This is dangerous – and not just for the faithful. The 2019 federal election campaign and its aftermath make clear that there are new boundaries to what can and can’t be said publicly. Moreover, the boundaries now cover what can and…
The prospect of a profligate Liberal minority government dependent on the even more financially destructive policies of the NDP is enough to send even more investors scurrying to the exits
The Oct. 21 federal election results confirm that most Canadians have lost all fear of deficit spending, no matter how large. That’s a serious problem for the nation. During the 2015 federal election campaign, the Conservatives led by Stephen Harper proudly announced a no-deficit budget after years of working to rebalance spending and revenues following…
The government has an impressive team, a strong record of legislation and has raised our international standing
Aided by corrosive social media, omnipresent angry groups and the need for climate tempering, the countdown to the federal election has been divisive and grouchy. While many viewed at least one of the leadership debates, I sense Canadians understand that there’s much more at stake than individual party leader street credentials in this election. Some…
Eat-the-rich rhetoric is good politics but bad policy. The wealthy minority contribute precious investment and much-needed employment, but no good deed goes unpunished. The spectre of a wealth tax, which hangs over Canada, epitomizes infantile, self-defeating governance. Last autumn, federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh introduced a motion in the House of Commons calling for a…
