John Robson: Why government only increases in size

PHOTO BY GETTY IMAGES/ISTOCKPHOTO

Given all that is happening today, it is appropriate to address an issue that could make some uncomfortable, as well as why the government is only increasing in size. In reference to that, it is no secret to anyone that in general and across the country, politicians who did not want to cut government in good times seem literally incapable of considering doing so in bad times.

A good question that has arisen and that has been circulating is, Is there something that the government does not do better than the private sector?

You could say that given the staggering variety of things modern governments undertake, regardless of jurisdiction, and how poorly many of them do, it shouldn’t be difficult to think of one that isn’t necessary. It is necessary to take into account one consideration and that is that the left does not like corporations and the right does not like subsidies.

Practical question

With governments desperately overextended fiscally and programmatically, and private sector tax revenues actually creating wealth in free fall, it is necessary to ask, isn’t it more urgent than ever to find unnecessary or useless programs to cut back so that they can pay for the crucial things? Given this, it could be said that governments around the world seem to be struggling to find new things to do.

All the way to Jason Kenney, Stephen Harper’s former right-wing lieutenant, who is now the leader of Alberta’s right-wing United Conservative Party on the right. Correct incorrect. Kenney’s party couldn’t even think of things to cut or ways to balance the budget when the sun was shining, albeit dimly, before the pandemic. And now they are laughing at a $ 24.2 billion red ink hike and, instead of trying to eliminate things that are useless or worse, they are developing brilliant new “sector strategies” to socially engineer “a very different Alberta”.

As mentioned previously, across the board and across the country, politicians who didn’t feel like cutting government in good times seem literally incapable of considering doing so in bad times, and apparently, there is no problem. Or a situation, in which more government does not seem the only answer. Even their endless indebtedness is driven by the belief that governments create wealth better than private companies.

Source: John Robson | National Post