Opinion: Government gravy trains has to stop some time

Unless you are completely out of touch, you know, good reader, we are in the midst of a federal election campaign.

We’re a little over a week in and the payola rolling out the door is incredible.

Promises left and right from all political stripes.

It’s nuts!

While that is and always should be a concern – how many times have taxpayers seen promises made and then, once elected, MPs and MPPs are trying to figure out how to pay for various things? – this time round your worry should be escalated.

Think back over the last 18 months.

How much fiscal accountability do you recall?

Most would say none, zero.

The feds finally produced a budget in April this year. There was no formal budget in 2020 due to COVID. Canada’s budget deficit in fiscal 2020/21 swelled to $314 billion, up from $21.77 billion the previous go-round.

Even if you give the party in a power a full pass due to COVID impacts and nobody, but nobody, having all the right answers, one would have to admit that’s a boat load.

The problem is, at the federal and provincial level, we have many industry advocates, union leaders and social assistance advocates who smell financial blood in the water. All sense governments are ready to throw money at things due to the cloud created by COVID. The pandemic makes it easy to justify.

The problem is, somebody, at some point, is going to have to pay. It won’t be anyone of voting age who pays. All those folks will be long gone and Canadians of the future will still be paying for the gravy train we see today.

Governments are not there to pay for every single thing on everyone’s wish list.

Sure, it would be great if they could, but nobody can afford that. Everyone complains about taxes, but many will spout off about how heinous whatever party in power is for not coughing enough dough to support different causes.

And that goes for Liberal, Conservative and even throw in the NDP. It is not about politics. It is about getting your feet back on solid financial ground and thinking past today. M.W.