Budget missing vision to grow economy, not just size of government

The federal government announced its 2022 Budget earlier this month and it is bad news for taxpayers like you.

As inflation spirals out of control, the budget added more inflationary spending to the already out of control fire.

Federal revenues were up $39 Billion due to higher taxes on the things Canadians need every day; groceries, gas and home heating. Yet, rather than returning some of that as temporary relief to Canadians who are alarmed at the rapidly rising cost of living; (as proposed by a Conservative motion to pause the GST at the pumps for a short period to give Canadians a break), the federal Liberal government piled on $50 Billion more in spending.

While federal intervention in the housing crisis is welcome, albeit late and insufficient, there are two fundamental problems this Budget ignored.

First, the size of the government is 25% larger than it was pre-pandemic. That’s right, the size of the federal government has grown 25% in two years. Has the service improved for you by 25 percent? As I’m always listening, constituents tell me their experience with federal departments like CRA, attaining Passports or needed documents, or Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has been arduous at best. My office is similarly experiencing longer wait times in dealing with those departments.

The lack of service is one thing, but moreover, it’s not sustainable.

Second, and most crucial, the Liberal Budget lacks a plan or vision to grow the Canadian economy. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reported in December, that Canada’s economy will be the worst performing in the industrialized world for the next decade and beyond until 2050. Worse than perennial under-performers Greece and Italy! This should be raising alarm bells. We need our economy to grow to provide the healthcare and services an aging population will need.

Meanwhile tariffs on fertilizer and rising costs on all farm inputs, especially the taxes on farm fuels, are hurting the local farmers that feed us. Something the Budget did nothing to address.

I look forward to the discussion of the Budget and the important economic and fiscal issues at stake.

If we can help with any federal issues or departments you’re dealing with, don’t hesitate to contact my office at dan.muys@parl.gc.ca or 905-648-3850.

More News

Scroll to Top