Civilizations can be measured by how children are treated.
The recent federal budget presents Canada’s current point of view concerning children.
"We act for the years and decades to come," Morneau said in his maiden budget speech in the House of Commons. "We act for our children and our children's children."
Thomas Jefferson expressed a different perspective: Loading up the nation with debt and leaving it for the following generations to pay is morally irresponsible. Excessive debt is a means by which governments oppress the people and waste their substance. No nation has a right to contract debt for periods longer than the majority contracting it can expect to live.
Of course, Jefferson was an American and his perspective is ignored. Whereas each baby in BC owes almost $32,000, American babies owe $59,000 (state debt excluded.)
Canada’s newly stated belief is that our children’s best interests are served by increasing their indebtedness and passing on their parent’s debt. More bluntly, our government intends to steal more from our kids who have no understanding of our generation’s financial immorality.
Pierre Trudeau governed Canadians with a similar attitude. When he became PM, national debt for every baby was almost non-existent at $687.
By the time he left office, each baby’s share of the national debt increased 750% to $5160. Brian Mulroney then followed by pleasing voters and increasing it another 208%. Politicians cannot readily reverse voter expectations.
Fortunately, more than a decade with PM Martin (reduced debt by 6%) and Harper (increased debt by 13% during recession) saw some sanity restored, and our morally responsible generation should be focused on paying its own expenses rather than stealing from its children.
Fortunately, there is some protection for our children because their own parent’s debt cannot be passed on. Only politicians have the legal right to bankrupt our children.
Jim Dueck