Have you ever heard of a snake oil salesman?
The term originated in the 1900s from an infamous impostor who sold snake oil as a miracle medicine. It turns out the supposed “snake oil” was just a concoction of mineral oil, beef fat, red pepper, and turpentine.
It was not at all a remedy for sick people.
The con artist was eventually exposed in 1917, and he became a powerful symbol of warning against false advertising.
When looking at the Liberals’ 2024 budget, it is difficult not to think of a snake oil salesman.
On April 16th, the Liberals announced they will be strapping another $40 billion in new deficit spending to the backs of Canadians, which makes this the nineth year in a row that Mr. Trudeau has run deficits, while claiming the budget will balance itself.
Trudeau continues to claim families will be better off with more government spending—but we know this is rubbish.
This year, Canadians will pay $54.1 billion just to cover the interest owed on the deficit incurred since the Liberals took office. This is more than the government collects in GST; almost double what we spend on Canada’s military; and more than the federal government transfers to the provinces for health care.
When the government spends money it does not have, it causes inflation to rise, which drives up the cost of everything. Thanks to Trudeau’s out-of-control spending, Canadians are stuck paying more for housing, groceries, fuel, and other essentials. The prosperity most people enjoyed less than a decade ago has become a distant memory and altogether unattainable.
In 2014, under the previous Conservative government, Canada was home to the world’s most affluent middle class. Today, Bloomberg reports that Canada is home to a “housing crisis, packed hospitals and food lines.” The National Post recently reported that child poverty is rising at an astronomical rate.
All of this has to do with the Liberals’ tax-and-spend policies.
On April 22nd I hosted a public town hall that drew a full room. As individuals came to the mic with their questions and concerns, the resounding plea was that something must change. The cost and corruption of the current government cannot be allowed to continue.
Every month, I hear from hundreds of families in Lethbridge who are struggling to pay their rent, put food on their tables, or fuel up their vehicles. Much of this has to do with Trudeau’s punitive carbon tax, which was hiked by 23 percent on April 1st. The Liberals’ latest budget will only make things worse.
In Lethbridge, the Interfaith Food Bank has experienced a 75 percent increase in usage by working individuals, and food banks across the nation witnessed a staggering two million visits in a single month last year. An additional one million visits are expected in 2024.
To help Canadians through this affordability crisis, Common Sense Conservatives proposed three critical directives to correct the Liberals’ devastating mismanagement: axe the tax on farmers and food; build homes not bureaucracy; and cap spending by enforcing a dollar-for-dollar rule to curb out-of-control spending.
Trudeau has been touring the country the last few weeks, attempting to sell his snake oil to Canadians. He wants you to think he has the cure to the very sickness he created.
After nine years of Trudeau, Canadians are tired of snake oil and want actual solutions. The answer is simple: we need the government to get out of the way and let Canadians keep more of their hard-earned pay cheques.
People in Lethbridge must be allowed to invent, invest, and innovate. We need a smaller government to accommodate bigger citizens.