Making Canada True North Strong and Free Again
Poilievre will Fix Canada's Trudeau Problem but the Rot Goes Deeper
The cost of living is going to cost Justin Trudeau the next election. Thank God almighty, there is an end in sight. Not that Canadians won't elect someone like him again. Let's hope not, but remember, this is Trudeau #2. And Justin is about as bad as the first. I don't think he's worse than Pierre Trudeau. But time will tell.
In the meantime, Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative Party will win because of the high costs of housing, utilities, transportation, and food. Critics are correct to point out that a new government – Conservative or not – can't just wave a wand and magically make these things cheaper. That's NDP-type thinking.
It's clear – at least right now – the Conservatives are the only adults in the room. Inflation isn't the result of corporate greed. You don't threaten people's profits and income with higher taxes. This isn't the 1920s, it's the 2020s. Forced redistribution of wealth is a debunked idea. Logic dictates that it won't work; history and reality confirm it.
Inflation is the increase of prices of goods and services over time. When there is inflation, the purchasing power of a family's income diminishes relative to goods like housing, utilities, transportation, food and fuel. People must spend more money to buy the same goods and services. This means also means people's savings are eroded. Savings are the building blocks of our capitalist system – you need capital to have a functional capitalist system, after all.
But what we have now are monthly expenses. Mortgages, rent, car loans, childcare, and additional health care costs not covered by taxpayer debt. Not to mention the waiting time and subpar care we receive from these government bureaucracies. In the words of the great Thomas Sowell:
"It is amazing that people who think we cannot afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, and medication somehow think that we can afford to pay for doctors, hospitals, medication and a government bureaucracy to administer it."
The point is that wages aren't increasing at the same rate as prices for these essential goods and services. It's even worse for people on fixed incomes, like retirees and the disabled. When the cost of living rises because of inflation, their fixed purchasing power decreases. Their standard of living suffers.
But it's not like those of us working are secure. Very few of us have the job security our parents or grandparents might have had. Job insecurity and the high housing, food, and fuel costs make it difficult for families to plan for their future. To not only meet their financial goals but to bother setting any in the first place.
Business owners, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are the lifeblood of our economy. The backbone of the middle class. A robust business class is what makes educational expenses possible. Parents shouldn't lose sleep over the rising daycare or college tuition costs.
Pierre Poilievre to the Rescue?
Now, this sounds like Pierre Poilievre's pitch to Canadians. And there's a good reason why. These are the issues affecting Canadians. A Poilievre Government obviously can't reverse eight years of unrelenting damage in a single term. In fact, assuming such is falling into the neo-liberal trap where daddy government does everything for you.
No, if Poilievre is an excellent prime minister (and many hope he will be), then he'll do exactly what he's saying. Cut taxes and spending, balance the budget, and let Canadians take control of our own lives. This is what will make Canada the True North strong and free again.
I'm hoping he paints the country blue. He's the perfect blend of outsider and insider. Yes, he's a career politician, but he knows how to make the bureaucracy work. You want someone in there with some experience. Justin Trudeau has zero experience, and in the last eight years, he's indicated that he’s not interested in learning from his experiences.
Poilievre may have been working toward this since he was 25 years old. But he's not some trust-fund man-child out of touch with the struggles of ordinary citizens. Who's the real dangerous populist? The ones raving on about corporate greed and income inequality? The ones that say real issues – like inflation – are part of a global problem that Canada alone can't address. (But then will contradict themselves regarding climate change).
Who are the real dangerous populists? The ones scapegoating a group – like well-off Canadians – calling them "the rich" who have "to pay their fair share." Creating this Us vs. Them mentality with people whose only crime has been launching a successful product, business, or service.
Poilievre gets blamed for simplifying complex economic issues and presenting them in an easily digestible way for the general public. But there is no other way to interpret the fantasy economics of the Liberal-NDP coalition than by doing just that. Inflation is a complex topic, but the socialist bloc will have us believe it's the fault of evil CEOs.
Poilievre is blamed for framing the narrative as the typical person versus the elites. Us vs. Them. But is this not what the Liberal-NDP coalition is doing? The difference is that the elite Poilievre targets deserve to be exposed. The elites of the Liberal-NDP alliance are boogeymen.
Suppose grocery store CEOs are making profits beyond what a free market would entail. If so, it's because of the regulations put in place by government bureaucrats. It’s just like our telecommunication sector. Capitalist cartels jacking up prices is not the result of a free market process. Blaming “capitalism” is like blaming bad weather on Canada’s lack of virgin sacrifices.
The State is not the solution. It's the problem. Getting rid of Justin Trudeau and electing a Pierre Poilievre Conservative Government is the first step to making Canada True North strong and free again. But it is one of many steps. And then we have another issue. What if the Laurentian Elite stops him the way the American Deep State has tried to stop Donald Trump? Even worse, what if Poilievre is a ruse? A World Economic Forum wolf in sheep's clothing?
What if Pierre is in on It?
Pierre claims to be against the World Economic Forum. As he told Andrew Lawton from True North, we can look at his track record, what he's said on the floor of the House of Commons, what's recorded in parliamentary committees and other areas. He's never been supportive of its policy objectives.
Now, this may be true. But I will examine the Stephen Harper government and how they dealt with the WEF. Because, as much as Poilievre may actually believe that the WEF is a globalist monster that deserves to be discredited – the fact is, once in power, Conservatives in Canada or Republicans in the US tend to side with the neoliberal establishment. They make concessions and sell out for power.
No more of that. We, the people, are done with these fake conservatives and liberals. We want the real thing. So, let's look at this press release put out by the Harper government back in 2014. Harper had sent Foreign Affairs John Baird and Trade Minister Ed Fast to the WEF in Davos. While they were there, Fast "accelerate[d] trade liberalization" by making some deals. This included getting a world-leading silicon metal and alloy company to build a plant in Quebec that would create 300 new manufacturing jobs.
Ed Fast and John Baird were there to sell the World Economic Forum on why Canada is a good investment destination. I have no reason to think Poilievre wouldn't do the same thing with his ministers. It might not be the WEF. They've got bad optics. But with some new international bureaucracy?
If this press release is accurate, there's no issue with sending trade and foreign affairs ministers worldwide to try and make the case for Canada as a law-abiding and profitable place to invest. So long as the domestic population is given the same rights.
Right now, Canadians are strapped for cash. We're suffering from crushing debt levels and a high cost of living. We don't want to see multinational corporations subsided with billions of taxpayer dollars so they can create a few hundred jobs.
We want our money back. We want lower taxes and higher purchasing power to invest in our communities and create jobs and businesses. We want to rely on something other than the globalist establishment with its diversity, inclusive and equity mandates. Success isn’t determined by your ESG score but rather by whether people voluntarily buy your product.
What happens once Conservative parties are in power? Does Poilievre represent something new? Or will he bend to globalist forces once he's prime minister?
Poilievre Is Good Enough
Don't get me wrong. Pierre Poilievre will fix Canada's Justin Trudeau problem. And we have a Justin Trudeau problem. Getting rid of the trust-fund man-child will do this country much good. And a lot in the Poilievre platform will likely happen, like getting rid of the carbon tax and defunding the CBC.
It's easy to be cynical about politics, but sometimes, good things happen. When Harper came to power, he cut the GST and put more money into the military. When the world entered a recession in late 2008, Harper was true to his word. He wouldn't run Canada's finances into the red in the name of stimulus spending. Harper had critiqued that viewpoint in his master's thesis. Once in power, he announced that Canadian families had to tighten their belts, and so would the Canadian government.
It was the proper, unapologetic conservative option.
But unfortunately, Harper only had a minority government. A coalition consisting of the weak and failed Liberal leader Stéphane Dion, the NDP under Jack Layton, and the freaking separatist party threatened to form government. Imagine a coalition government consisting of Quebec separatists forming the federal government in Ottawa.
They demanded stimulus spending, or they'd topple the recently elected Conservative government. Unfortunately, Harper didn't call their bluff. He folded and, like the rest of the world, Canada started into stimulus spending, which has continued unabated under the economically illiterate Liberal Party of Justin Trudeau.
The question is whether Pierre Poilievre will embrace the authentic conservative tradition. Certainly, Poilievre has a more extensive base than Harper ever did. In 2006, many Canadians voted Conservative as punishment for the corruption of the Chretien-Martin Liberals. Many may argue that the same thing is happening here, where - at least as far as polls go - Justin Trudeau is being punished.
What About Bernier and the People's Party?
Now, what about Max Bernier and the People's Party? Is a vote for them a vote for Justin and his neo-liberal socialist buddies?
In a way, yes. It depends on your riding. If you live in a spot that always goes Liberal or NDP, you're probably safe to vote PPC. That's what I've done in response to Blue Liberals like Erin O'Toole.
But this time might be different. This might be like the 1980s when Brain Mulroney captured ridings that traditionally went Liberal. I think it's necessary to vote Conservative in the next election because getting rid of Justin Trudeau is paramount. Once Poilievre has his majority government, we can rally around Mad Max regarding Pierre's shortcomings.
And we know he has many. All we have to do is look at the immigration and foreign policies of the Conservatives versus the People’s Party.
Pierre may reject the WEF but he embraces NATO and the US Empire as the world’s policemen. He won't be taking a Canada-first neutral stance on any wars overseas. That can be a guarantee. And if that's more important to you than getting rid of Justin Trudeau, I can see why you'd vote for Mad Max's party.
But what carries greater weight? Voting based on principles or voting pragmatically? If it's voting pragmatically, that means getting rid of Trudeau is priority #1, so my vote still goes Conservative.
But what about immigration? Does Poilievre offer a viable alternative to the mass immigration Canada has experienced under Justin Trudeau?
And the simple answer is no. Not really. Poilievre is very unlikely to reverse course on the multiculturalism cult that has been gripping this country for decades. Poilievre certainly isn't going to speak about a national Canadian identity that's based on our traditional English liberties. Those are dead in the water.
And this doesn't even begin to address the culture war. Things that shouldn't even be a political issue. Is that why Pierre is silent on the culture war? Or is it to win over socially progressive Canadians? Or does he only care for power?
Thanks, Mass Immigration
For these reasons, I'm not discounting the PPC. It's not Max's personal party. It's the unapologetic conservative party of the country. The mainstream Conservatives will fix our Trudeau problem. For that reason, I'll be voting Conservative.
But once Pierre is in the Prime Minister's Office, I'm shifting my support back to the People's Party, for we'll need to hold Pierre's feet to the fire. The power of a prime minister with a majority government is like a dictator. No man or woman can be trusted with it.
I’ve come to terms with being unapologetically conservative. And one way of doing that is by rejecting multiculturalism and mass immigration. That might get me called a racist or fascist, but that's okay. The opinions of a bunch of crybaby leftists mean nothing to me. I've seen our politicians salute a real-life Nazi. Nothing they say carries any weight.
So, in future posts, I'll likely explore how to be an unapologetic conservative in 21st-century Canada. Seems like an impossible task, but there are plenty of us. We are the silent majority. But only in some areas. Already, like in Alberta, the urban statists outnumber the rural conservatives.
The primary way this is done is through immigration. Now, immigration can be a wonderful thing. Seven generations ago, my family were Irish immigrants. And I've met plenty of immigrants who are industrious and hard-working. They live and breathe entrepreneurship. Meanwhile, how many born and bred Canadians are lazy and looking for handouts?
But let's be honest, there are plenty of immigrants who are like the average Canadian. They have no idea where or how wealth is produced. They just believe they're entitled to some of it. And the ballot box is the most effective way of getting it.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” ― Frédéric Bastiat
Bringing in people based on lofty ideals like multiculturalism instead of whether they can be productive members of society is an invitation for trouble. There's the strain on our public resources, like education, healthcare, and other welfare programs. The pressure on housing.
Mass immigration creates an oversupply of labour, especially in low-skilled jobs usually filled by teenagers and young people. Kids need that crappy work experience so they have some idea of what real life is like. But more so, creating an oversupply of labour creates competition in wages that has the potential to drive down income levels. When everyone wants to deliver pizza or work at an Amazon fulfillment centre, employers can get away with hiring the cheapest.
And not to mention, many of these low-income earnings don't even stay in the country. Immigrants often send their paycheque back home, where it gets a bigger bang for the buck. Native workers keep the capital in the country.
Now, the worse off Canada gets, the more likely you may see Poilievre begin to make these economic arguments. It all depends on his poll numbers and general sentiment. Fortunately, thanks to the lousy economics of mass immigration, Canadians are thinking twice about our open-door policy.
But I'm almost sure that - unless we undergo a significant conservative shift in the next few years - you can be certain Pierre Poilievre will not address the consequences of multiculturalism. Which, in Canada, should be conservative policy #1.
The Trudeau's Remade Canada in Their Image
Fortunately, Justin Trudeau's reign of arrogant incompetence is ending. We may be another year away from an election, but it’s clear this government is approaching its expiry date. Every government does. I remember when Chretien and Martin became unpopular, and Canadians slowly warmed up to Stephen Harper.
It's happening again, except this time Trudeau is far more unpopular than the Liberals ever were in the early 2000s, thanks to the Sponsorship Scandal. And Poilievre has way more of a following, especially among young people than Stephen Harper did.
So, while I’ll applaud Poilievre all the way to the Prime Minister's Office, I won't let him off easy once he's there. This substack is unapologetically conservative (or classically liberal, if you prefer). This means reversing the Trudeau Family's damage to Canada. Yes, this means undoing all the "woke" nonsense Justin Trudeau has done. I hope and expect Pierre Poilievre to do that much.
But we also need to reverse the damage of Pierre Elliot Trudeau. He turned Canada from a common-law-based constitutional democracy to a constitutionally mandated welfare state ruled by activist judges.
Today, we call America a melting pot and Canada a multicultural state. But this is all left-wing nonsense. Both countries are constitutional democracies. People immigrate here; they have freedom of speech, can start a business, and can carry on with their own religion, cultural beliefs and practices.
But everyone assimilates to the civic culture of life, liberty and property. Those aren't American values. They are universal liberties. We all have them.
Our rights don't come from governments or constitutions or bills of rights. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms can't guarantee them because they don't originate from the Charter.
Our rights transcend government authority. And that is the real reason establishment intellectuals in media and universities want to associate Western civilization with white supremacy and racism.
Neo-liberal fascists hate it when people recognize their individual sovereignty and the power of community over that of the State.