Munk Dialogue with Andrew Coyne: Is Mark Carney governing like a Conservative?

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What can we expect from a make-or-break federal budget delivered in the middle of a trade war? Rudyard and Andrew look at the growing appetite in the business community for broad tax reform—and ask whether now is the moment for Canada to make itself as competitive as possible for investment. If the government wants to deliver meaningful tax cuts, they argue, it will need to tackle spending, including business subsidies, so that companies make investment decisions based on economics rather than government incentives. And with Carney’s government far ahead in the polls and a “wolf” named Trump at the door, is there any better time for the government to spend its political capital on bold economic reform?

Given the government’s retreat from climate commitments, rollback of the capital-gains tax increase, support for pipeline building and moves on immigration reform—is this really a Liberal government? Andrew argues that it is much easier for a Liberal government to do conservative things than for a Conservative government to do conservative things. With Carney enjoying extraordinary freedom of movement, almost akin to a wartime situation, he is taking full advantage of it. But where does that leave the Conservatives?