Mark Carney's has an uncanny ability to trick people into believing he is fiscally responsible as well as a shrewd negotiator. Nothing could be further from the turth.

Carney is as irresponsible with our money as his predecessor. Actually he is more incompetant than Trudeau. And he has Canada on a path similar to what we were in during the early 1990's facing a debt reckoning.

This editorial was written by Lorrie Goldtein of the Toronto Sun.

Study accuses Carney Liberals of 'substantially' worsening federal finances
Combined deficits from 2025-26 to 2029-30 will total $321.7 billion, compared to $154.4 billion projected by Trudeau

Prime Minister Mark Carney plans to spend more and run deficits more than twice as large over the next five years compared to those planned by the previous Liberal government, according to a new study by the Fraser Institute.

As a result, Carney's combined deficits are projected to total $321.7 billion from 2025-26 to 2029-30 — $167.3 billion higher than the $154.4 billion former prime minister Justin Trudeau was projected to spend during the same period, according to the report by the fiscally conservative think-tank.

The study says that will increase the total federal debt to a projected $2.9 trillion in 2029-30 or 79% of GDP.

In addition to running higher deficits, the Fraser Institute report says the Carney government plans to increase spending by $67.6 billion over five years compared to the Trudeau government's projections — $47.8 billion more for new programs and $19.8 billion more for servicing the debt.

Carney vowed 'different approach' to spending
This despite expecting slower total annual revenue growth from 2024-25 to 2029-30 of 14.2% or $72.3 billion, compared to 19.9% or $101.8 billion projected under Trudeau.

The study — "Comparing Federal Fiscal Plans: Is the Carney Government Truly Taking a Different Approach than its Predecessor? — is based on a comparison of the Trudeau government's last fall economic statement or "mini-budget" in December 2024 and Carney's first budget in November 2025.

"During the 2025 election, the Carney government promised to take a very different approach to federal finances than its predecessor," said study co-author Jake Fuss, noting Carney criticized Trudeau for "spending too much."

"But based on his first budget, spending is higher and deficits are double what even Trudeau planned to spend, which substantially worsens the state of federal finances."

Spending 'inappropriately' shifted?
The study is also critical of how Carney's budget divides government spending into operational spending — the cost of running the government — and capital spending on new infrastructure, while projecting a balanced operating budget by 2028-29.

While this is sensible in theory, the Fraser Institute study notes, the Parliamentary Budget Office has reported that 30% or $94 billion of the capital spending proposed in Carney's budget isn't, in fact, capital spending, but increased operating spending that may or may not lead to the creation of new assets.

"Simply put, nearly a third of the Carney government's planned capital investments should not be considered as such and instead represent operating spending or tax credits that have been inappropriately shifted over to the capital side of the budget," the Fraser Institute report says.

"Correcting this miscalculation shows that the Carney government is set to fall short of its commitment to balance operating spending against revenues."

Canadians know they live in a country that has embraced big government as the path to economic prosperity, but just how big it has become is alarming, and a new study says it is curtailing economic growth.

The fiscally conservative Fraser Institute, in a report released Thursday, estimates total public spending by federal, provincial and municipal governments grew to 43.6% of Canada's GDP in 2024, up from 37.4% in 2007 and far higher than the optimal level for economic growth of 26% to 30%.

"Put simply, the size of government in every Canadian province is above the optimal size to maximize economic growth," said Jake Fuss, co-author of the study, The Size of Government in Canada, 2024.

"In some provinces, it is twice as large as the optimal size."

In 2024, the only province where total government spending was close to 30% of GDP was Alberta, at 30.4%.

From 2007 to 2024, the size of government relative to the economy increased in nine of 10 provinces (except for P.E.I.), while from 2019 to 2024 it increased in every province.

In many provinces, government spending as a percentage of GDP is staggering — 61.2% in Nova Scotia in 2024; 60.6% in New Brunswick; 58.7% in P.E.I.; 52.7% in Manitoba; 50.1% in Quebec; 49.7% in Newfoundland and Labrador; 43.4% in Ontario; 40% in B.C.; 39.7% in Saskatchewan; 30.4% in Alberta.

At the same time, public sector employment steadily increased to 21.5% of all Canadian workers in 2024 and is now at its highest level since 2007, when it was 19.2%.

During that period, public sector employment in every province increased as a share of total employment.

As for what effect this rapid growth in the size and cost of government had on our economy, Prime Minister Mark Carney, when he was campaigning for Liberal leader, cited the high operational costs of the federal government as one of the reasons our economy was weak before U.S. President Donald Trump launched his global tariff war.

Over the past decade, Canada experienced the worst record of economic growth as defined by real GDP per capita, a widely accepted metric of the standard of living, of any federal government since that of R.B. Bennett during the Great Depression.
https://torontosun.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-big-government-cut-economic-growth

Neither Carney nor any premier is learning their lesson. They keep growing the size of their government. They keep spending more money, hiring more unnecessary employees, adding new bureaucracies and creating new red tape.

A major political shake up unfolded in Illinois as progressives whose views align with those of "the Squad" were dealt a decisive blow in recent Democratic primaries.

The losses highlight growing fractures within the Democratic Party, particularly between establishment figures and the party's far left flank associated with the likes of Jasmine Crockett, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Trump is not happy that Israel attacked oil and gas fields.

Japan and some Europeans have made a semi reversal on the Strait. They are now talking about defensive actions to protect their own supplies of oil and LNG.

Hochul pleads for wealthy New Yorkers to return from red states like Florida, Texas as tax base 'eroded'

Empire State Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, indicated that New York's tax base has eroded because wealth has relocated to red states like Texas and Florida.

Source: Hochul pleads for wealthy New Yorkers to return from red states like Florida, Texas as tax base 'eroded'

The midterms are shaping up to be a rough outing for Republicans, according to CNN analyst Harry Enten.

On Thursday, Enten pointed to Americans' attitudes on the cost of living and a massive drop in satisfaction from just before the election in 2024 until March 2026.

While President Donald Trump enjoyed a three-point net positive on the issue of cost of living in October 2024, he now has a negative 41-point rating on the same issue. The rating is the worst recorded, said the analyst.

"I would say that this is the most troublesome sign that I have seen for the president of the United States and the Republican Party so far," said Enten.

"You can't win when you're 41 points below water on the cost of living."

Among independent voters, which many consider to be a bellwether for elections, the drop is even steeper. The president had a net positive rating of 11 points in 2024, but that has fallen by 71 points to a net negative rating of 60 points among independents for the cost-of-living question.

"This, my dear friends, is just a political nightmare waiting to happen for the Republican Party come the midterm election," Enten added.

This is very unfair. Until the war, gasoline prices have dropped, food inflation is third what it is in Canada, he gave workers more disposable income with no taxes on tips and overtime.

Quote from: Biggie Smiles on March 18, 2026, 11:18:43 PMthink about it... where do the bigger population of targets reside at?

Their union protects peds too.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford lauded the homeowner who opened fire and wounded an alleged intruder earlier this week.

"Congratulations for shooting this guy — should have shot him a couple more times as far as I'm concerned," Ford replied after being asked about the incident during an unrelated news conference Wednesday, according to the CBC.

Quote from: Oliver the Second on March 19, 2026, 09:34:51 PMGotta admit Netanyahu made a good point earlier today 

Excellent point.