Dear Editor:
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is yesterday’s man with yesterday’s ideas, ill-equipped to tackle our current crises and future reality. His abrupt shift from echoing MAGA talking points in January to calls for a united response to Trump’s threats to Canadian sovereignty weeks later is unconvincing, even if personally sincere.
His outdated approach to economic policy predictably relies on neoliberalist ideology that has failed to deliver broad prosperity and is demonstrably ineffective in addressing modern economic realities.
Poilievre’s unwavering, nostalgic belief in trickle-down versions of capitalism, “small government” and deregulation mirrors the Milton Friedman-tainted ideas of the 1980s that have driven grotesque wealth inequality and real wage stagnation or decline for many Canadians.
Poilievre is remarkably elusive regarding the specifics of his economic policy proposals, often preferring culture war bombast to serious discussion. His few substantive policies fail to account for contemporary realities like income disparity, globalization, the internet economy, climate change, and artificial intelligence. Simply “getting the government out of the way” is his hazy approach to issues like housing affordability, education and health care, which require comprehensive, coordinated solutions.
Poilievre’s approach to taxation will benefit primarily the wealthiest corporations and individuals and provide marginal tax relief for most Canadians while leading to further reductions in services and increased living costs.
But what is most unsettling about Poilievre’s leadership is his lack of imagination. Canada faces seismic shifts in global trade, alliances, climate policy and technological advancements, including a complete revolution of the economy driven by the rise of artificial intelligence.
Poilievre romanticizes about a past when hard work and “traditional values” were sufficient for success. This mirage has particularly little to offer younger Canadians facing challenges like student debt, precarious employment, environmental degradation, a housing market out of reach for many and an increasingly monopolized economy. Indeed, his advice to younger Canadians often seems simply patronizing.
Facing an increasingly and often perilously interconnected world, in which trade, climate change and artificial intelligence will play dominant roles, there is no turning back the clock.
We need well-informed, reality-based economic proposals, not retreads of stale neoliberal policies and sidetracking MAGA talking points.
Poilievre’s views on sustainability, equity, public health and fossil fuels have alarmingly garnered praise from his counterparts south of the border but would leave Canadians ill-prepared for the realities of the 21st century.
Which direction are you looking to Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong? In the rear-view mirror with your leader or towards the future?
It’s time for all Canadians to ask: do we want leadership that clings to suspect economic models and divisive rhetoric, or one that embraces innovation and cooperation to meet the challenges ahead?
Jonathan Schmidt,
Elora