COLEMAN: Talk is cheap, Mister Prime Minister

'Carney has a choice. He can continue down the path of complacency, recycling failed policies and delaying action, or he can start rebuilding trust and chart a new course.'

By Peter Coleman, President, National Citizens Coalition (click to read in the Western Standard)

It’s been nearly a month since a disappointing federal election that returned Mark Carney and his Liberals to a minority government. Touted by much of the media as the “smartest guy in the room,” Carney was supposed to be the mastermind who could navigate Canada out of the economic and social quagmire left by a decade of deliberate policy missteps—many of which, ironically, he advised on as a global economic insider. Yet, as we approach the one-month mark of his leadership, Canadians are left asking: where’s the urgency? Where’s the vision? And where’s the budget?

Instead of bold action, we see the same tired faces in cabinet, including divisive figures like Steven Guilbeault, now inexplicably tasked as Minister of Canadian Identity. This is the same Guilbeault who championed a carbon tax that hammered Canadian families and businesses while delivering negligible environmental gains. His reappointment, alongside other architects of the past decade’s policy disasters, signals a troubling lack of fresh thinking. If Carney truly believed in change, wouldn’t he have cleaned house?

Parliament’s schedule only deepens the disappointment. Delayed until next week and set to adjourn from June 20 to September 15, the House of Commons will sit for a mere 20 days over six months. This leisurely pace is an insult to Canadians grappling with recession, a federal debt with annual interest costs exceeding $60 billion—more than we spend on healthcare—and businesses laying off workers or eyeing moves south of the border. While Carney’s government takes a summer siesta, Canadians are left to wonder: who’s fighting for us?

Contrast this with the energy of Pierre Poilievre’s campaign, which promised to undo years of damage with decisive action, and promised to keep MPs in Ottawa for the summer. Poilievre vowed to prioritize pipelines, slash bureaucratic red tape, and restore economic vitality. Yet Carney, who leaned on a U.S. administration’s late bluster and interference to bolster his electoral chances, seems content to coast. His vague pronouncements on critical issues—skyrocketing debt, an influx of temporary foreign workers, and stalled energy projects—offer little reassurance. Canadians deserve more than half-promises and word-salads punctuated by countless “umms” and “ahhs.” We need pipelines built, jobs protected, and a government that works as hard as its people.

The temporary foreign worker and fake-student program, for instance, has ballooned to unsustainable levels. Millions of supposedly temporary workers fill jobs that could—and should—go to Canadians, especially as unemployment skyrockets, particularly among our youth. Companies preaching “Buy Canadian” must be held accountable to “Hire Canadian.” A government serious about recovery would act swiftly to recalibrate this program, lowering numbers substantially, deporting low-skill, non-permanent residents, and prioritizing Canadian workers and addressing the labour market distortions that have left many feeling like strangers in their own economy.

At the National Citizens Coalition, we believe Canada deserves better. Our mission is rooted in common sense, fiscal prudence, free speech, and a national pride not reliant on the prodding of an American president. While Liberal politicians retreat to their cottages this summer, we’ll be working tirelessly to grow the common-sense movement. We’re reaching millions of Canadians through grassroots campaigns, reaching policymakers and stakeholders, and engaging with great Canadian producers and manufacturers to support the jobs and industries this country desperately needs for recovery. Our vision is clear: a Canada that again rewards hard work, champions opportunity, and provides a clear path to prosperity.

Carney’s minority government has a choice. It can continue down the path of complacency, recycling failed policies and delaying action, or it can seize this moment to rebuild trust and chart a new course. Time is of the essence, and working Canadians don’t have long. If Carney truly is the “smartest guy in the room,” it’s time he proves it—not with rhetoric, but with results.

Peter Coleman is the President of the National Citizens Coalition.