Our federal government is throwing billions of dollars around like it’s petty cash.
In Saskatchewan, where you’d hope some common sense would prevail, the two main parties in the ongoing provincial election are vying for votes with new spending plans that will inflate an already worrisome deficit.
People and businesses have certainly needed pandemic support and the federal government can be applauded for responding quickly even if some of the programs had to be adjusted on the fly.
According to economic theory, governments need to stimulate the economy during tough times to cushion the downturn. Unfortunately, the government was already running mounting deficits before COVID materialized.
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The pandemic provided the licence to spend untold billions without even tabling a budget in the House of Commons. Analysts say Canadian pandemic spending has eclipsed that of other developed nations.
But it’s never enough. Many farmers lament that they are not part of the gravy train. South of the border, United States President Donald Trump has pumped billions of new dollars into the hands of farmers to ensure their continued electoral support and that has many Canadian farmers green with envy.
Remember back in March when the pandemic began? There was an expectation it would pass and life would be back to normal in a matter of weeks, a few months at most. We just had to lock everything down for a while, flatten the curve and then life could resume.
Well, normal doesn’t live here anymore. Before we know it the pandemic will have stolen an entire year of normalcy. Perhaps an effective vaccine will eventually be developed, but it won’t be a quick fix. Even if you get all the safety and regulatory approvals, how do you roll a vaccination program out to all the citizens of the world and what about the people who refuse to get the vaccine?
How long can the feds continue all the wage and business subsidies while paying for everything else we’ve come to expect? It’s as if government debt isn’t real money that will eventually have to be paid back. We’re stealing from our children and grandchildren.
It’s disappointing to see the Saskatchewan Party sucked into spending promises it didn’t need to make to remain in government. The NDP can promise all sorts of spending with no plan to balance the budget because no one expects it to win the Oct. 26 election. The Sask. Party will have to deliver on its promises.
Why is a home renovation subsidy needed when home renovations are already booming and lumber is actually high-priced and in short supply? And what’s the logic for a rebate on everyone’s SaskPower bills? Programs should target real needs rather than a calculated buying of votes.
If you wonder why agriculture in Western Canada is not a primary target for vote buying, it’s because the farm vote is unlikely to change much no matter the size of the bribe.
Most farmers shun the Liberals and NDP in favour of the more right-wing alternative, federally and provincially. What could the federal Liberals promise farmers that would actually change their minds? Alternatively, the Conservative party doesn’t have to promise much because it already has farm support locked up.
It’s different in Ontario and Quebec where all the parties continually cater to the supply-managed agriculture sector.
Governments need to be compassionate, but they also need to be fiscally prudent. Vote buying with unnecessary spending needs to stop. Government debt is taxpayer debt.
Kevin Hursh is an agricultural journalist, consultant and farmer. He can be reached by e-mail at kevin@hursh.ca.
