Right in the centre - Things to ponder for troubled times
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- Published on Thursday, October 24, 2024
By Ken Waddell
Neepawa Banner & Press
This will be two columns in one. The first one is short and is an “ask”, a request for everybody who reads these words. If you want to do something good for yourself, for your family, for your community and in fact, for our country, please do the following.
If you are involved with a church, stay involved. If you aren’t, get involved. There are dozens of churches in our readership area and there will be at least one, and likely several, that would welcome your involvement and support. If there was ever a time when you need a church family or when a church needs you, it’s now.
If there’s past hurts in your heart that came out of a church setting, I am sorry that happened but by the Grace of God, forgive their trespasses. It might take more than one try, but I can guarantee it will be worth it.
The second part is a visit to the halls of the Canadian government. I don’t remember a time when a sitting government had worn out its welcome more so than the current regime of Trudeau, the Younger. I am not a fan of Justin Trudeau and I wasn’t a fan of his father, Pierre.
Here are some reasons why the current government is held in such low esteem.
1. The handling of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted years of peoples’ lives, billons of dollars and largely misread the response needs.
2. The government gun buy-back program has spent $67million over the past few years and not even one gun has been bought back. There has been an exemption period for gun owners that ends at Oct. 31 but it remains unclear what will happen then.
3. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the federal government to scrap its carbon tax following a Parliamentary Budget Officer report confirming the carbon tax costs average households more than they get back in rebates.
“Once again the PBO confirms the carbon tax costs average families hundreds of dollars more than they get back in rebates,” said Franco Terrazzano, CTF Federal Director. “This PBO report proves that politicians’ favourite talking point is incorrect and it proves the carbon tax is making life harder for Canadians.”
4. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released Leger polling showing 59 per cent of Canadians oppose the federal government’s ban on new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035.
“The results of the poll are clear: Canadians don’t want the government to ban new gas and diesel vehicles,” said Terrazzano. “Canadians want the option to buy new gas-powered minivans and diesel work trucks and taxpayers know this ban will cost us a fortune.”
The federal government plans to ban the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035.
The Leger poll asked Canadians if they support or oppose the federal ban on the sale of new gas and diesel vehicles. The results of the poll show: 59 per cent oppose the ban, 29 per cent support the ban, 12 per cent don’t know.
Among those who are decided on the issue, 67 per cent of Canadians oppose the federal ban on new gas and diesel vehicles.
5. And again from the The Canadian Taxpayers Federation who are calling on the federal government to cut spending to balance the budget following a Statistics Canada report showing interest charges increased by 29 per cent over the year.
Stats-Can recently released its Government Finance Statistics report for the second quarter.
“Interest expenses for the federal government grew 29 per cent year over year,” according to Stats-Can. “The federal government devoted 10.9 cents of every dollar of revenue to cover interest expenses.”
The federal government projects to run a $40-billion deficit this year, according to Budget 2024. The budget also projects interest charges on the debt costing $54 billion this year, which is more than the federal government will send to the provinces in health transfers.
The federal government won’t balance the budget until 2040, according to supplementary data released by the Parliamentary Budget Officer in its most recent Fiscal Sustainability Report.
“This report should be a wake-up call for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” Terrazzano said. “The feds need to cut spending and balance the budget before debt interest charges blow an even bigger hole in the budget.”
So, I ask you to seriously consider my question at the the beginning of this column and after that, to consider the above five points on federal policy when you cast your vote in the next federal election.
