There is a real need for the advocacy of a dramatic counterweight to the dominant big-government narrative, but whether that advocacy will happen in the House of Commons remains to be seen.
It is undeniable that Canada at this moment is firmly in the grip of big government statists.
Federally and provincially, governments of all political stripes have advocated a vision that restricts individual liberty, expands the role of the state, and entrenches long-term budget deficits.
Personal freedom & personal responsibility, limited government, and sound money have all fallen by the wayside.
At the federal level, the Liberals – along with their statist allies in the NDP – have gone on an unprecedented spending binge, expanding what were supposed to be ‘temporary’ deficits in response to a crisis into long-term entrenched deficit spending.
This spending binge has been enabled by the Bank of Canada, who injected an unprecedented amount of fiat money into the economy.
Now, inflation is running rampant, with more and more dollars chasing a supply of goods that can’t keep pace.
The cost of living is also surging because of restrictions on the energy sector, and the demonization of that sector.
As our leaders fly around the world to make the biggest climate change promises, they are accomplishing nothing aside from damaging essential sources of affordable energy. And, since affordable energy is the foundation of advanced civilizations, they are doing immense damage to the broader economy.
Beholden and dependent on the narrative
The thing is, the solution to all of these issues is actually quite simple:
Limited government and sound money.
The problem, of course, is that most of the political class, corporate class, and media establishment is beholden to and dependent upon the big government, statist narrative.
The political class wants big government – and loose money policies – because it enables them to tax the public by stealth, robbing Canadians of our earning power while expanding the reach of the state.
The corporate class has spent so many years surrendering to virtue-signaling on the climate and acquiescing to regulations that they seem content to continue to ask the government for money. And, let’s not forget that they are among the first to benefit when the Bank of Canada prints more money out of thin air, giving it to large financial institutions.
Finally, much of the establishment media has chosen to become enablers of the government, rather than challenge the government. As they move in that direction, they lose trust and support, and thus lose money. So, they are now largely dependent on the government, and the last thing they want to see is a reduction in government spending and a return to sound money.
Fight, or give in?
In the face of this dominant statist narrative, those who should be fighting back are divided.
On the one hand, you have Independent Media, groups like the National Citizens Coalition, and some elected MPs like Pierre Poilievre who have pushed forward a clear alternative vision that counters the dominant narrative.
On the other hand, some in the Conservative Party – the O’Toole loyalists in particular – have sought to go along with the statist narrative, entrenching the role of government as a dominant institution that continues to expand (promising 10 more years of budget deficits in the 2021 campaign), and are terrified of making any waves by proposing large spending cuts and a return to a more limited role for the state.
Though there is some overlap between the factions – O’Toole had to acknowledge the influence of Poilievre’s message by returning him to the Finance Critic role for example – it remains an open question as to whether the CPC will be part of the pushback against the dominant narrative, or whether it will serve as a vehicle to advance the statist narrative by absorbing energy, volunteers, and money that would have otherwise opposed the status quo.
A new wrinkle in the situation is that the CPC faces more profound consequences if they become a statist party, because the rise of the PPC provides a place for disillusioned Conservatives to shift their allegiance toward, and the Maverick Party could do the same going forward if the CPC abandons the West.
What will the Session bring?
With the House of Commons returning for a short month, it will be instructive to see what issues dominate discussion.
The establishment media has already tried to make the issue of which CPC MPs are vaccinated or not the big issue, pushing the Liberal narrative without hesitation or challenge. This of course is absurd and worthless theatre, since vaccination status should be considered a personal, and private matter, but in today’s hyper-paranoid media environment it is being used as a cudgel to enforce conformity and obedience.
Beyond that, the key issue is the overall role of government, particularly in regard to the damage that rampant overspending and money printing is doing to the earning power of Canadians, along with attacks on free speech through Liberal efforts to censor and control the internet.
This is where it will be important to see how the Conservatives handle this upcoming session.
It’s one thing to criticize the Liberal economic record, given the obvious evidence of their failures.
But it’s another thing to have the courage to articulate clear alternatives.
The fact is, Canada needs spending cuts, the elimination of the carbon tax, reduced regulations, and reform/a new mandate at the Bank of Canada to ensure that sound money principles return.
There is also great potential for Conservatives to promote policies that would make Canada the best place in the world for cryptocurrency mining and cryptocurrency adoption.
The rise of cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin, holds the potential of the widespread adoption of what is essentially private, sound money, outside the control of government. Embracing cryptocurrency would be both good for Canadian innovation, and would be a huge benefit to enabling individual & economic freedom while weakening the role of state.
Becoming the party most friendly to cryptocurrency would help the CPC be more modern and future-focused, would help appeal to young people, and would be completely aligned with the core conservative principles of individual freedom and limited government.
The new session of Parliament provides the opportunity for Canada to have a real debate between those who value freedom, and those who value the power of the state. Whether that debate happens will depend on how courageous our elected officials choose to be.
Spencer Fernando
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