Politicians depend on voters who’re swayed extra by emotion, intestine intuition and catchy slogans slightly than coverage evaluation. Political scientists typically consult with this cohort as “low info voters” and so they can certainly swing elections.
The latest instance is the laughably empty Elbows Up marketing campaign that the Liberal Occasion efficiently ran on, however, in fact, has had zero success in protecting these elbows up.
Why can spoonfeeding such laughable info to sure voters be highly effective? Having a fundamental understanding of economics, taxation, public coverage, markets and accounting helps us perceive how authorities works together with its associated funds, however the overwhelming majority wouldn’t have these kinds of schooling. As a substitute, most depend on what they devour on-line.
In consequence, many election campaigns and subsequent governing insurance policies usually are not designed to appease folks with excessive monetary literacy. As a substitute, they’re typically designed to attraction to fundamental human feelings, particularly worry and the need for safety.
Concern generally is a big motivator, with Donald Trump‘s threats to over Canada being a current instance. The will for safety is usually appeased by spending initiatives or sweet, similar to promised tax credit (for instance lecturers getting a tax credit score), so folks really feel like they’re taken care of.
Accordingly, folks’s eyes typically gloss over after they hear concerning the billions being spent by the federal government or the newest authorities deficit estimates. Nice phrases similar to “investments” are used as substitutes for “spending,” and phrases like “funds” and “initiatives” are generally used to justify massive spending sprees that appease the cohort’s want for safety.
Within the meantime, the typical Canadian struggles with making an attempt to make ends meet whereas counting on our nation’s infrastructure for fundamentals similar to well being care and schooling (each portfolios beneath provincial jurisdiction with massive funding contributions being made federally).
It’s truthful to say that each our health-care and schooling programs have room for vital upgrades. Been to the emergency room at your native hospital lately? You possibly can typically wait hours and hours. Or do you want an MRI? Wait occasions are atrocious.
Who wouldn’t prefer to see enhancements? Sources, nevertheless, usually are not limitless, regardless of what politicians prefer to indicate with their countless guarantees. Because the outdated analogy goes: you may attempt to develop the pie or simply slice it in a different way.
If there aren’t any additional assets — in different phrases, the pie is just not greater — allocating extra to at least one initiative means taking them from one other. The tough fact is that with out financial development and disciplined fiscal administration, governments are left enjoying a zero-sum recreation.
Canada’s
and
have, frankly, been pathetic. This has been true for at the least the previous 10 years. Our nation’s financial issues didn’t begin with the threats of
or Canada turning into the 51st state. Removed from it. However our nation’s actual gross home product was down 0.4 per cent for the second quarter of 2025, in line with Statistics Canada.
To develop our economic system will take vital efforts by Canadians with coverage assist from our governments. And by coverage assist, I don’t imply spending masked as “funds” or “initiatives.” As a substitute, a lot assist typically comes within the type of getting out of the best way. Endeavor
can be one other great way to supply coverage assist.
Our economic system would additionally profit by electing governments in any respect ranges which can be financially literate and received’t mortgage our youngsters’s future for political wins at present.
For instance, due to our authorities’s amassed debt, it should pay curiosity and different prices to service that debt. For 2024-2025, our federal authorities paid $53.8 billion in such prices. To the typical particular person, that quantity means nothing, so let’s clarify that a little bit additional.
Of all of the federal authorities revenues that it collected from Canadians in varied types of taxation, charges and levies, it spent 10.8 per cent of it on curiosity prices throughout that yr, in line with the
. That quantity exceeded what the federal authorities transferred to the provinces for well being care ($52.1 billion) and child-care advantages ($35.1 billion) throughout that interval.
What if the curiosity prices had been zero? And even reduce in half? There would possible be room for materials tax reduction for all Canadians, not the token one per cent tax discount that has been promised however not but handed by the
authorities.
Vital tax discount would have a significant affect on decreasing the price of residing for everybody on condition that
taxes are the biggest expenditure
— 42.3 per cent of a household’s revenue — for the typical Canadian household. Sources is also reallocated to high-pressure factors similar to well being and schooling, as beforehand talked about.
If Canadians improved their monetary literacy, the attraction to “really feel good” politicians would diminish. As a substitute, financially literate Canadians would vote for politicians and events who would deal with their tax {dollars} with respect and, in flip, our nation total can be higher off.
Governments don’t get a move on fundamental arithmetic. Continued spending and not using a disciplined price range is unsustainable, regardless of whether or not it’s labelled as an
price range. Each borrowed greenback should finally be repaid, often via larger taxes or lowered providers. And elevated debt inevitably means larger borrowing prices that crowd out priorities similar to well being care and schooling.
As American economist Milton Friedman reminded us, “In the event you’re not paying for it within the type of express taxes, you’re paying for it not directly within the type of inflation or within the type of borrowing.”
Canadians want to start out planting acorns, and that begins with intentional efforts to enhance your monetary literacy to see via political sugarcoating. Solely then will Canadians develop the oak tree of prosperity, one led by governments that lastly deal with tax {dollars} with respect.
Kim Moody, FCPA, FCA, TEP, is the founding father of Moodys Tax/Moodys Non-public Shopper, a former chair of the Canadian Tax Basis, former chair of the Society of Property Practitioners (Canada) and has held many different management positions within the Canadian tax group. He will be reached at kgcm@kimgcmoody.com and his LinkedIn profile is https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimgcmoody.
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