Poverty for Christmas 🎄

Where news meets rational thinking

Good morning, It’s Wednesday, December 11th. In today’s news, Trudeau’s “Tax Holiday” will accelerate economic collapse, 30,000 individuals facing deportation have vanished, Poilievre Says Canada Shouldn’t Interfere in Syrian Revolution, TikTok Looks to Block Canadian Government’s Shutdown Order With Court Challenge, and much more.

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Trudeau’s “Tax Holiday”: A Gift of Poverty Wrapped in Debt

Justin Trudeau’s so-called “tax holiday” is a gift of poverty wrapped in debt. While the Liberals paint Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives as heartless for opposing these measures, let’s cut through the nonsense.

The federal government is introducing a temporary GST tax break on select goods. However, the tax break doesn’t just eliminate the federal portion of the sales tax—it also removes the provincial portion. So, rather than actually eliminating the GST (and HST in some provinces), the federal government is effectively subsidizing the provinces for the lost revenue. The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) has revealed this “tax break” will actually cost Canadians a staggering $2.7 billion. The money isn’t truly being "saved"—it’s being shifted from provincial coffers to the federal deficit, funded by borrowed money that taxpayers like yourself will owe with interest.

Now consider the $250 rebate. While 18.7 million Canadians are set to receive $250 each, 31 million taxpayers will foot the $322-per-person cost. Why? Again, borrowed money incurs interest. On top of the raw costs, bureaucratic inefficiency will likely waste another $2.8 billion. By the end, this “affordability measure” costs Canadians roughly $10 billion. Let that sink in: $322 from 31 million taxpayers to hand out $250 to 18.7 million.

Adding fuel to the fire, Parliament just approved $21.6 billion in new spending for programs like child services, dental care, and immigration. The Conservatives opposed it, citing fiscal irresponsibility, but Trudeau framed their stance as a lack of care for struggling Canadians.

However, Trudeau himself has admitted to having a “slight learning disability” and that he doesn’t “think about monetary policy.” The rare case where his words align with reality. Basic fiscal logic dictates that the first and most important move when dealing with crushing debt is to cut spending. Instead, the Liberals are spending more, collecting less revenue, and relying on a stagnating GDP per capita. Trudeau’s plan is the equivalent of recklessly racking up a credit card, while taking a pay cut, with no plan for increased pay in the future. In other words, a recipe for bankruptcy.

Here’s the kicker: MP Rick Perkins revealed that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s projected $40 billion deficit may actually hit $60 billion—a 50% overshoot. The Trudeau government has racked up more federal debt than all other Prime Ministers combined, yet the quality of life for Canadians is rapidly deteriorating.

The writing is on the wall. As debt grows and incomes stagnate, Canadians will owe more to a government incapable of managing its finances. Without significant reform—slashing spending and providing real, sustainable tax relief—this strategy inevitably leads straight to economic collapse and widespread poverty.

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“It’s Not Our Fight”: Poilievre Says Canada Shouldn’t Interfere in Syrian Revolution

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made it clear that he doesn’t think Canada should get involved in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. After 13 years of civil war and over 50 years of Assad family rule, rebels ousted Assad, reportedly forcing him to flee to Moscow.

“Assad was a puppet for Iran, committing genocide against Sunni people,” Poilievre said. “Now he’s gone, and we don’t know who will take over, but we shouldn’t get involved in that mess. It’s not our fight.” He added that Canada’s focus should be on protecting its own borders and addressing issues like crime and national security instead of worrying about far-off conflicts.

This hands-off approach marks a shift from the Harper Conservative government, which isolated Assad and joined the fight against ISIS but avoided full-on intervention in Syria’s civil war. It also echoes former US President-elect Donald Trump’s non-interventionist stance, with both leaders emphasizing that their countries should steer clear of Syria’s chaos.

While Poilievre stresses putting Canada first, Trudeau took a different tone, celebrating the fall of Assad’s regime and calling it a chance for Syria to start fresh. However, the reality on the ground is messy. The group leading the charge against Assad, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has ties to al-Qaeda, and its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, is on a US bounty list. Canada even issued a travel advisory warning against visiting Syria, citing risks like terrorism, criminal activity, and torture.

Poilievre also pointed out the challenges Canada faced after bringing in over 44,000 Syrian refugees during the civil war. Many of these refugees still rely on government assistance years later, highlighting the long-term impact of past decisions. For him, the focus should be on fixing Canada, instead of getting drawn into foreign conflicts. Source

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Canada’s Immigration Enforcement in Chaos: 30,000 Deportees Vanish

Canada’s immigration enforcement system is mired in dysfunction, with newly-released data painting a grim picture of mismanagement and systemic failure. Nearly 30,000 individuals under deportation orders have vanished, and Ontario accounts for over 21,000 of these missing cases—the largest cohort of immigration absconders in the country. This is part of a larger issue, with a staggering 457,646 individuals currently caught in various stages of deportation proceedings.

Of these, 27,675 individuals are in the “working” category, meaning they are in the final stages of the removal process. Another 378,320 are being “monitored,” which includes those awaiting refugee status decisions, pending permanent resident status, or under unenforceable removal orders. Additionally, 20,921 individuals have been granted a stay from removal proceedings. Finally, 29,730 individuals have been ordered removed but cannot be located. These figures are not mere statistics; they reveal a system overwhelmed by its own complexity and plagued by a lack of accountability.

Conservative Immigration Critic Tom Kmiec has called these numbers a “shocking failure that puts the safety of Canadians at risk.” He went on to say, “Justin Trudeau and his incompetent Ministers have yet again proven they have broken our immigration system. This comes after they printed tens of thousands of fraudulent student visas, did nothing about Roxham Road for six years, and relaxed visitor visa requirements, resulting in a sharp hike in asylum claims at our airports.”

This failure isn’t just a matter of inefficiency; it’s a breach of public trust. Canadians have been asked to shoulder higher taxes and navigate an affordability crisis while their leaders fail to deliver on the most basic responsibility of governance—ensuring safety and order. When 30,000 individuals slated for deportation can simply vanish, the question becomes: what else is slipping through the cracks?

Trudeau’s government has long relied on lofty ideals to justify its policies, but ideals without practical execution are worse than useless—they create chaos. As the cracks in Canada’s immigration enforcement grow wider, Canadians must ask themselves whether they can afford to trust a government that consistently fails to deliver on its promises. This isn’t just a policy issue; it’s a warning sign of deeper systemic decay. Source.

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TikTok Looks to Block Canadian Government’s Shutdown Order With Court Challenge

TikTok is challenging the Canadian government’s November 2024 order to shut down its operations, arguing it will cost hundreds of Canadian jobs and disrupt contracts with local advertisers. The order, issued after a national security review under the Investment Canada Act, claims TikTok poses risks due to its Chinese ownership.

TikTok filed a court challenge, seeking to pause the shutdown while it disputes the decision. The company argues the order was unreasonable, lacked transparency, and ignored less drastic alternatives. TikTok emphasizes its contributions to Canada’s economy, culture, and public policy, including partnerships on election integrity. More

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US Transfers $20 Billion Loan to Ukraine Backed by Frozen Russian Assets

The Biden administration has transferred $20 billion to Ukraine as part of a $50 billion loan backed by interest earned from Russia’s frozen central bank assets. This loan, designed to support Ukraine's economy amid ongoing conflict and uncertainty over future US support, aims to mitigate the impact of the war without adding a financial burden on taxpayers. The loan was a collaborative effort by the Group of 7 nations and is seen as a policy achievement for the Biden administration, signalling continued support for Ukraine despite potential shifts in US political leadership. More

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Wealthy Family of CEO Killer Luigi Mangione has Extensive Involvement in Healthcare - More

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Montreal Community Centre Lambasted for Charging White People More for Tickets - More

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China-Backed Salt Typhoon Hacking Group Remains Embedded in US Telecommunications - More

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Israeli Warplanes Pound Syria as Troops Reportedly Advance Deeper into the Country - More

Study: Canadian Charitable Giving Reaches a 20-year Low

A new study from the Fraser Institute shows that Canada’s charitable donations have dropped to the lowest level in 20 years. Only 17.1% of Canadian tax filers claimed a charitable donation, down from 25.4% in 2004. The average percentage of income donated also decreased from 0.55% in 2012 to 0.50% in 2022. Manitoba had the highest donation rate, with 19.3% of residents donating, but even here, the total amount donated as a percentage of income declined. New Brunswick had the lowest donation rate at 14.7%, a 28.1% decrease from a decade earlier. Factors such as after-tax income, the cost of living, age, and religious affiliation are believed to influence the decline. Despite the downturn, experts remain hopeful that charitable giving may rise again during the holiday season. More

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The World’s Largest AI Data Centre is Coming to Alberta - More

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Federal Judge Halts $25 Billion Merger Between Kroger and Albertsons - More

NASA and SpaceX Plan to Launch SPHEREx Sky-mapping Mission in Early 2025

NASA and SpaceX are planning to launch the SPHEREx astrophysics observatory in late February 2025. SPHEREx, which will be carried aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, will be placed in a polar orbit around Earth. The project aims to create a 3D map of the entire sky, capturing images in 102 colours to study the universe's structure. Its three main scientific goals include investigating cosmic inflation, mapping the glow from galaxies to understand their distribution, and searching the Milky Way for key building blocks of life, such as water and carbon dioxide. The launch will also include NASA's PUNCH mission, which will observe the sun's corona to study the solar wind. More

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Has the Universe Been Designed to Support Life? Now We Have a Way to Test it! More

FIFA Bends Own Rules to Give Saudi Arabia Coveted 2034 World Cup

FIFA is set to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host for the 2034 World Cup, amid concerns about its human rights record. Critics argue that the country's bid process was manipulated, as FIFA changed its rules to combine the 2030 and 2034 World Cup votes into a package deal, effectively forcing members to approve both. Human rights groups are especially concerned about the treatment of migrant workers who will build the infrastructure for the tournament, echoing issues raised after Qatar's 2022 World Cup. Saudi Arabia's vast spending on sports has earned it global influence, but the bid has faced accusations of "sportswashing" to divert attention from its human rights record. More

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NHL Salary Cap Projected to Jump to at Least $92.4 Million Next Season, Says Commissioner Bettman - More

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Scottie Scheffler Joins Tiger Woods by Winning 3rd Straight PGA Tour Player of the Year Award - More

Trump Calls Trudeau ‘Governor’ of the ‘Great State of Canada’ in Latest Social Media Jab

Ontario University Launches 12-week Course on Taylor Swift

Man Spends 3 Days Stuck in a Well Because People Mistook His Cries for Ghost Wailing

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