Carney’s political theatre is failing Canadian families

Posted on October 23, 2025 by admin

Back in the spring, when optimism was still running high after the federal election, Prime Minister Carney invited Canadians to judge his Liberal government by one thing: prices at the grocery store.

The former banker painted himself as the man who could fix Canada’s affordability crisis. In a made-for-camera moment, he announced he was “turning the page” on Trudeau’s high-tax era. Then, in Trump-like fashion, he pulled out a Sharpie to sign an order to scrap the consumer carbon tax. This was after years of pressure from Conservatives.

It was all theatre—big promises and big gestures.

But six months later, Canadians can see through the smoke and mirrors. By Carney’s own chosen metric, he is failing.

Food prices have risen 48 per cent faster in Canada than in the United States, and food banks across the country are reporting record demand. Hardworking Canadians, people who have never before needed help, are lining up for food.

Sadly, this isn’t just a national trend. It’s happening right here at home. In Lethbridge, food bank use among adults has jumped 45 per cent. Even more alarming, usage among children has soared by 150 per cent. Behind those numbers are real people—families doing everything they can to get by yet still struggling to put food on the table. I’ve heard too many of their heartbreaking stories.

One father from Lethbridge recently called my office, his voice tight with worry. He told me that he and his wife have started skipping meals so their three children can have enough to eat. This should never happen in Canada—a country rich in resources, innovation, and opportunity. Yet government-driven inflation and Liberal taxes on farm inputs and transportation have sent grocery prices soaring. Families who work hard, play by the rules, and do everything right are being punished, while the current government keeps making life more expensive.

Another woman, Joy, reached out in tears, explaining how difficult it has become to make ends meet on her small disability income. Each month is a battle to keep a roof over her head and food on the table. Canadians like Joy deserve to live with dignity, not in constant fear of choosing between rent and groceries.

Then there’s Susie, a senior who worked hard all her life and now struggles to pay for both rent and food. I raised her story in the House of Commons. The government’s response was both apathetic and insulting. Rather than offering meaningful help, the Liberals bragged about their bureaucratic school food program, suggesting that Susie might somehow benefit from it.

A school food program… for a senior? How out of touch can they be?

Stories like these aren’t isolated. They are the inevitable result of bad policy. Life in Canada has become outrageously unaffordable because of Liberal taxes, reckless spending, and misplaced priorities.

The Prime Minister claims to be turning the page on Trudeau’s fiscal record, but in reality, he’s doubling down. The Carney government’s deficit is projected to be twice as large as Justin Trudeau’s. Governments do not create wealth; they spend what Canadians earn. Every dollar Ottawa borrows, or taxes, means less investment, fewer jobs, and higher costs for families.

One of the most punishing policies still in place is the industrial carbon tax—the hidden tax that hits farmers directly through higher costs on fertilizer and equipment. Carney’s performative “scrapping” of the consumer carbon tax was never about helping Canadians. It was about enhancing his own image. While he staged his Sharpie moment for the cameras, he quietly kept the industrial carbon tax intact—the very levy that drives up the cost of producing food and, ultimately, the price Canadians pay at the checkout.

Canadians cannot afford this.

Conservatives have proposed a solution that cuts through Carney’s political theatre and delivers real results for Canadians. This starts with scrapping the industrial carbon tax, the fuel standard tax on diesel and gasoline, the inflationary tax caused by Carney’s money-printing deficits, and the costly food packaging tax on plastics.

We introduced this plan in the House of Commons through a motion, which was unfortunately defeated because the Liberals and other parties voted against it. Despite this, Conservatives will continue to fight for Canadians. We will keep pushing to lower costs, create jobs, and ensure all Canadians can afford their basic needs. 

Canadians were invited to judge Carney’s government by the prices at the grocery store. Six months later, families are still struggling, food banks are overwhelmed by demand, and political theatre has done nothing to ease the burden. 

The message is clear: Carney is failing by his own standard. 

Rachael Thomas, Lethbridge MP