If Trudeau has brought in Mark Carney as a kind of special advisory role, then it's likely the upcoming budget will resemble the budget the Labour government in the UK unveiled just recently. It'll likely be a large stimulus bill aimed at getting cash into hands and raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations.
If the howls for Trudeau's resignation are any indication, he's probably placed a lot of confidence into Carney, and why wouldn't he? Carney's well-respected and liked by the Canadian public and seen as someone who's able to stand up to bullies such as Harper and Poilievre. The work in policy Carney has done recently inspires me quite a bit, and I'm quite a bit of a radical, standing considerably to the left of the federal NDP.
From the results of the Cabinet shuffle, Trudeau seems to be keeping Carney at arms length away from the Cabinet, but I wouldn't be surprised if Carney is on speed dial for both him and the entirety of Cabinet. But it's likely Carney is the antithesis of Freeland's idealogy. He's definitely not a neo-liberal. His protege in the UK Labour government, Rachel Reeves is also definitely not a neo-liberal, as she has begun instituting something that seems quite like a Keynesian stimulus bill.
Freeland decided the most damaging time to betray Trudeau and the Liberals is probably now. She used the timing of Fraser's resignation for her own benefit while also inflicting as much damage as she could on her way out. And it's quite likely her and her ilk will ditch the Liberals altogether once Carney's in. But it's likely too little, too late for the neo-liberal contingent in the Liberal Party. Trudeau's probably seen the writing on the wall. Going with neo-liberalism into the next election will be the death knell for the Liberal Party in Canada. It would be far better to change course into a Keynesian style politics and Carney's the perfect policy expert to seek advice from in that regard due to his popularity.
Neo-liberalism is dead now in Canada. Trudeau's going to strong-arm Carney into the Liberals, and that'll reset Liberal ideology. And Freeland's not much more popular with the Conservatives. The neo-liberals might be on the outside looking in from now on in Canadian politics.
Carney's budget —and let's be honest, the upcoming budget will likely have his fingerprints all over it— could very well signal a new era in Canadian politics.
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