The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - Your Turn -- Good Politics and Policy or Bad?

Episode Date: November 28, 2024

How did you feel about Trudeau's GST free holiday and 250 dollar giveaway? Plus the Ranter on Trump's plan for tariffs.

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest edition of The Bridge. Good politics or bad politics? Good policy or bad policy? That was the question. Today, your answers, right here, on your turn. Coming right up. And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. This is your turn. Last week on Good Talk, we had a robust discussion on the whole issue of the Prime Minister's move, the Liberal Party's move to give a GST kind of tax-free holiday for a couple of months coming up just before Christmas.

And also the whole idea of a $250 check to some Canadians, not all Canadians, but to some Canadians. And good talk pretty much thrashed the idea, saying it was a desperate move by a party trying to get back up in the polls. Some of you wrote over the weekend saying, hey, not so fast. Listen to what I have to say. So we thought, okay, we'll throw that open as question of the week. And boy, did we get answers. And you're going to hear almost all of them today.

There were a lot of answers sent in for your turn. Some of them very similar, so we've had to drop some. And some a little long, so we've edited them. But I think you're going to get the flavor of the month here when you start hearing what's being said by Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Also, the Random Ranter is here with his take on the Trump tariffs question. That'll be interesting. We'll hear from him a little later in the program.

But let's get started right now with, you know, your answers, your turn on that key question. So let's get started. I won't sum it up yet, but you'll quickly get the flavor. Mike Roberts writes from Kingsley Falls, Quebec. That's about an hour north of Sherbrooke. Is it a political stunt? Yes, absolutely. The Liberals have had a constant cloud over their heads for the last while

with scandal after scandal. They needed to change the negative news coverage and hastily release the unthought-out GST rebate and $250 tax refund. It will backfire, and the Trudeau Liberals will pay an even higher price in the polls because of it. They left out the people who needed the money, the most like students and retirees. My parents, for example, weren't aware. They weren't included because they thought their pension income would be counted as income because they still pay income tax on it. But they were very disappointed that they aren't included.

Robin Ward in Edmonton. Bad policy because the cutoff should be lower. I make less than the cutoff, so will receive this gift, but I do not need it. And it's an inappropriate use of taxpayers' dollars. If the cutoff was lower to target lower-income folks, I would be in favor. Bad politics, too, because it makes me respect the Liberals less. Lawrence Rainey in Muskoka, Ontario. Good policy, middling politics. We have the lowest debt in G7

and interest rates are dropping again, so give some limited relief to many Canadians suffering the most from post-COVID inflation. Only a new leader, Mark Carney, question mark, will give the Liberals a chance in the next election. Justin should take that walk in the snow his father took all those decades ago. Matt McDonald in Ottawa. The current government has no business continuing the liberal policy of reckless spending. How can anyone take this government seriously with the current financial mess? I'm worried about what the public doesn't know that will be uncovered by the next government. My $250 is directly going to support Pierre Poliev. This is yet another example of the malignant narcissism that is Justin Trudeau. Don Mitchell, Ottawa.

No, no, no, no. There is much better use for the money we Canadians provide to the Government of Canada than going through the big expense of giving it back to us. It is worse than a waste. It's bloody stupid. Use it to come up with a plan to improve our health care situation, for starters. Or as Jana Stein said the other day, get the procurement of military hardware sorted out

so that we're not waiting 15 years to get a new piece of kit. Giving our money back to us as a bribe is stupid, stupid, stupid. Pierre Roy in Ottawa. It's both bad policy and bad politics, both in the extreme. To raise our deficit by yet another six billion dollars with minimal short-term benefit for consumers is terrible policy. It's bad politics since the initiative is tough to implement, insulting to taxpayers, and alienates those provinces losing revenue through HST suspension. This is the last drop that overfills my glass. I won't be voting Liberal at the next election.

Given the anti-environment Conservatives do not offer a serious alternative, I'll once again be forced to vote not for the best alternative, but for the least bad alternative at the next federal election. Lee Birch in Edmonton. There is a case to be made for the Trudeau Christmas gift meeting a genuine need. But the fact that some Canadians with equal need, such as retired seniors on fixed incomes, will receive little or no help is troublesome.

It reminds one of last year's carbon tax break offered to some select Canadians, but not all. The sunny ways promised long ago by Trudeau has sadly morphed into divisive ways. Daryl Johansson in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. In my opinion, it was bad policy and extremely bad politics. Trudeau's decisions are based on desperately trying to get votes to stay in power. Trudeau believes he's smarter than everyone and knows what we need.

Very disconnected. Better to use the money that we didn't have a few months ago but suddenly found on defense. Pat Barr, just outside Halifax. I work at the local food bank. In the one and a half years I've worked there, we've seen the need for help increase threefold as it has across the country.

Of course, this announcement is a political move, not one that will help the Liberals. But as a policy move, it is first rate. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who relies on the food bank to help them feed their families so they have more money left over to pay rent and utilities. These are working folks who are struggling to make ends meet, and I was thrilled that the federal government is doing something to help. Christine McDonald in LaSalle, Ontario. Fear has a smell, and it is unpleasant. I've been a liberal for over 50 years,

and this was both shameful and insulting at the same time. Trevor Barry in Saanich, B.C. Broad-based checks in the mail. It's good policy, good economics, in spite of the budget hit. It's bad politics. It wedges the liberals fiscally into a vanishing center. Plus, it's just so cynical. GST holiday? It's bad policy. Too quick, too short, clunky for some retailers. It's good politics, and helped along by Doug Ford. Plus, who doesn't love a

Christmas bonus and a deal while holiday shopping? Imagine your cousin at holiday dinner. I'm sick of that Trudeau guy, but gosh, I like his two-month Boxing Day Black Friday deals. Taryn Beck in Toronto. I arrived home on Friday after three weeks in Europe to find our Prime Minister has taken a page out of Dougie's playbook, and I'm shaking my head in disappointment. As a resident of Ontario and Toronto, I have no love for our Premier. I don't want a $200 check. What I want is emergency rooms in rural areas, open, proper funding for our education system, and most of all, housing and support services for those who are unhoused and living in parks and tents.

To see our Prime Minister using the same type of bribes as Doug is disgraceful. We need real policies and programs, not gimmicks and social media soundbites. Craig Jansen in Indian Harbor, Nova Scotia. That's near Peggy's Cove. Craig writes, There's no doubt that household costs have increased dramatically and the proposed measures could help those most in need. In that sense, it is a good and timely policy initiative.

The implementation is far too complex and broad-based, however. A better idea would have been an extra holiday deposit for eligible GST rebate recipients. This would give more for those most in need with no additional administrative overhead. Phyllis Umferville in Saskatoon. It's a political ploy. The late Premier Ralph Klein used it in 2006. Alberta's prosperity bonus, it was called, or at least nicknamed by Ralph. It was nicknamed Ralph's Bucks. It was a one-time $400 payment. There was provincial budget surplus

at the time, and Premier Scott Moe used it in 2022, Saskatchewan's $500 checks called affordability checks. It worked for all of them, so it just might work for our Prime Minister Trudeau. Freda or Frida Jesse in Moranville, Alberta, that's just north of Edmonton. The proposed GST tax break and the $250 rebate will do nothing to help the Liberals' fortunes in the next election. What it will do is provide some relief to so many hard-working Canadians that still find it hard to make ends meet.

As for the Liberals, they can go out on at least one positive note. To all the Grinches out there, let the people enjoy the slight tax break and cash. Kevin Verberg in Grand Bend, Ontario. That's right on the shores of Lake Huron. It's a bad policy for Canada, but a good policy for Canadians. This might sound contradictory, but it isn't. Canada as a whole doesn't need this policy.

But many, many individuals, Canadians do. It's a little late for Christmas, and it's not going to have political benefits since everybody's ready to move on from the Trudeau 2.0 era, and that's that. Kate Wilson in Toronto. When I was a child, my mom was a single parent in the low-income bracket. The economic measures being implemented during the next two months would have made our Christmas very good and relieved some of her stress. So I can't begrudge anyone a little extra help these days. However, I'm concerned about the $6.3 billion being handed out now when we know Trump is threatening 25% tariffs starting January

of 2025. We may need that money for necessary things to help taxpayers in the future, like food. Ron Mayette in Moncton, New Brunswick. It was poor politics and bad policy. Canadians do not need a break on chips and beer. Trudeau took $62 million from our province. Waste of money spent better elsewhere. Every dollar should go toward defense spending and housing. What a joke. Les McConnell in Chateau-Guey, Quebec. That's on the south shore of Montreal. $250 check is good policy and good politics. My wife and I are retired and

do not meet criteria to receive, but we will not begrudge those who do. Paul Geddes in Zurich, Ontario. That's on Lake Huron too, I think, in the west of Stratford. One would have to be willfully blind to not see the latest cash for Canadians as a political carpet bomb by the Liberals to woo over Canadians who are at their wits end trying to stay above the debt waterline. Billions of dollars being spent on Justin Trudeau's political campaign, another shameful example of government buying votes.

Curtis Hildebrand in Calgary. It's clearly a desperate political ploy. The majority of the items proposed to be excluded from the GST are not essentials. They are comfort foods and distractions and aren't particularly good for you. And in true Trudeau form, poorly thought through. There is no consultation or coordination with the provinces and their taxation systems, no consultation with retailers, and the trouble it will cause them, unlikely will be of little benefit to those who are truly in need. Worst of all, his statement of, I'll let the bankers worry about the economy,

whether he realizes it or not, that statement will be the eulogy of his political career. Paula Gratton in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Don't you love this? It's like they're from all over the country. There's clearly the majority don't like these moves. Not everybody, but I think the majority, it's safe to say. But they come from every province. Paula Gratton in Miramichi, New Brunswick. Although I'm quite liberal and always vote as such, the GST break feels exactly like a political ploy to gain votes. Trudeau is grasping at straws while practically screaming, please like me. Don't get me wrong, I'll gladly use the tax break and also will happily accept the $250. But to think this isn't purely political is wearing rose-colored glasses that even this hippie won't wear.

Michael Artendale in Sudbury. If my most hated politician does the same thing as my most beloved politician, and my reaction is not the same, then the problem isn't them, it's me. Here in Ontario, Doug Ford is going to be sending out checks to everyone. Now Trudeau's doing it. So my thinking is they're both wrong. It won't meaningfully change the cost of living. It won't bring down housing costs. And we do not have a surplus budget. It is not just bad politics, but bad policy too. To show them how bad it is, we should simply write

return to sender on the envelope when it comes in. Toby Bergman in Winnipeg. The decision to send checks and give Canadians a break during the holiday season seems like bad policy and bad politics. It seems like the latest in a list of short-sighted decisions made by the Trudeau government. As a 23-year-old student, I'm likely one of the target demographics for these breaks. However, the notion that the bill for this spending is still going to fall on us in the future makes it such that this policy move is another example of why young people feel left behind

by our government. Julianne Brown in Georgetown, Ontario, west of toronto was this a political ploy absolutely this was a ploy if genuine this tax holiday is poorly designed as it arbitrarily helps some including those who don't need it and it leaves others in the dust who may need it more desperately, such as people who didn't file income taxes in 2023. The mere fact that beer and wine is included is proof enough this isn't a genuine attempt to help those who most need it. Richard Hill in Ottawa. It's not good politics. Receiving $250 and no GST on certain items will not change the voting intentions of most people. As an individual who predominantly votes Liberal,

I'm struggling this time. Do I hold my nose and vote Liberal, or do I give the Conservatives a serious look? Good policy? I don't think so. It should have more targeted, and giving a GST break for beer and chips, I could go on, but you said to keep it short. Lorne Meschusnik in Moores Beach, Saskatchewan.

That's about an hour northwest of Regina. It's good public policy, but because it's temporary, it's bad politics. Paul Pachota in Ottawa. In my view, this was a nakedly cheap political stunt, but it's not going to be so cheap after all. Just as the country looks to have wrestled down generational high inflation and the Bank of Canada is easing interest rates, the government throws fuel onto flames, risking another inflationary cycle. And for what? Maybe a temporary 3 to 5 percent bump in the polls and nowhere near enough to dig themselves out of the hole

when the sugar high of the gst holiday ends and voters have forgotten about the 250 dollar checks the liberals will once again find themselves in a near impossible electoral situation where cheap political stunts will not convince voters they deserve another mandate if anything it has the opposite effect on voters. We're going to take our kind of halfway break here in a minute, but I'll read one more before we get there. Ken Pellishock in Eustat, Ontario. Honestly, I'm not sure I'm qualified to recognize what good politics is anymore. I'm inclined to think most Canadians will see it as a bribe,

with the added kick of the Liberals thinking we're too stupid to see it as such. However, we're in the age of post-truth populism, and I believe it comes from the left as well as the right. So we Canadians will choose our team, along with a set of facts that confirm our bias. Hmm. Okay.

We've got quite a few more, but we are going to take our halfway break and then we'll come back with the random rancher's thoughts for this week. But first of all, we'll be back right after this. And welcome back. Peter Mansbridge here. This is the Thursday episode of The Bridge. It's your turn. And we've been reading your letters that have been coming in all week on the question of good politics or bad politics, good policy or bad policy,

the issue at hand, the GST-free holiday of two months, and the $250 checks to some Canadians. We'll get back to more of your letters in just a moment. We're going to take our weekly random ranter break. The ranters moved on a couple of days. He was very much eager to write something and talk about something that he saw this week, and that was Donald Trump's move on tariffs and how they're directly going to affect Canada and what Canada should do about it. So without further ado, shall we bring in part of the Thursday team, our friend, the random renter.

Here he is. It's high time Canadians realized that Trump is not a reasonable or reliable person. You can't negotiate with a liar and you can't appeal to someone's better side when they don't have one. So with Trump, all you can really do is pucker up and keep puckering up or fight back. And as Canadians, we need to start thinking about how to fight back. Because if Trump follows through on his 25% tariff threat, it will be a catastrophe for not only our economy, but for international diplomacy. I mean, what's the point of trying to negotiate with the guy when he's basically saying that on his first day, he's going to violate an international trade agreement, one that he himself signed off on just four years

ago. Under Trump, America's word will mean little. And in the zeitgeist of Trump's America, Canada's place has gone from respected partner to subservient satellite state. That's really sad because historically, our countries have been tied at the hip. I mean, we've all heard the talking points, the undefended border, the closest of allies, blah, blah, blah. Well, you know who has no respect or understanding of history? Donald Trump and his cadre of bootlicking MAGAites. They embody a new level of American arrogance. I call it arrogance plus, with the plus being ignorance. Because Trump's tariff policy is dumb. It will hurt everyone and everything, with the first in line being American consumers. But there's no point wasting

any breath on that argument, because Trump has a solid record of burning everyone who does business with him, and that's about to include all those Americans who are so eager to don their made-in-China red hats and cast their votes. Trump's whole approach to world trade is founded upon his belief that America is omnipotent, that they can impose their will with no consequences. It's not unlike his hero Putin's approach to making Russia great again by having his way with Ukraine, never imagining that they could actually punch back. Well, it's time we start planning on how to punch back against America, because if Trump's threats come to fruition, then the very least we owe him is a bloody nose. Look, I don't believe

for a minute that Trump is going to follow through on his 25% across the board threat. I think he's going to make exceptions that will benefit America when it comes to energy and critical natural resources. And I think he believes we'll be so grateful for his partial grace that we'll rush to cut any deal he puts before us. And maybe we will. I mean, I don't have a lot of faith in the backbone of any of our political leaders right now. This announcement seems to have caught them like deer in the headlights, so shocked that our friends could possibly do this to us, even though Trump has been telegraphing his intentions for months. This might be a little

unconventional, but I don't think we should necessarily respond with tariffs of our own. I think we should listen very closely to what the Americans are willing to make exceptions for, because those are the things that America wants, and more importantly, needs. And then we should impose an export tax of at least 25% upon those goods. To me, it boils down to this. Trump wants to dismantle our manufacturing sector and move it to the US. And in his arrogance plus approach, he wants us to provide the energy and raw materials for him to do it. Well, if that's what he wants to do, there really is no stopping him. But we

can make it hurt. And we can make it hurt by not granting him any exceptions. And that includes our oil, our gas, our electricity, all our rare earth minerals, and all our raw materials. If they want to make an exception to their tariffs, then we answer that with an export tax. I mean, if they want to carve us up, we shouldn't be handing them the knife. We should be looking for a place to stick it. Because under Trump, America is no longer our friend you know the problem with the random ranter is he has such a hard time giving us his real opinion i mean like what does he really think

whoa i think we know on that one. Yes, sirree, Bob. Okay. Listen, this is going to be a debate for the next little while. In fact, I'm sure if Justin Trudeau could replay the last two weeks, he wouldn't have done what he did last week. If he'd known this was coming, this is ground to fight on. This is ground where he could separate himself, perhaps, from the conservatives. This would have been interesting. But now he's clouded the fact with his GST break and the $250 checks. Anyway, thanks to the random ranter for that one. I'm sure he'll be hearing from you on

tariffs in the days and weeks ahead. All right, back to our letters on the topic of those $250 checks and the GST break. Richard Wright, who's a Canadian living in Hong Kong, he has something to say here. Although some people will benefit from this measure, it's clearly an act of desperation on the government's part to curry favor and hopefully votes. We are not all equal.

Programs need to be means-tested and applied to target groups in need, not as a blanket giveaway of much-needed tax revenue. I'm a Liberal, but in this circumstance they are failing the nation. Harold Gold of Calgary. I've fully supported many of the Liberal government's initiatives of late, but this one is a hard one to swallow. The GST holiday can't be seen as anything but a rushed and desperate act for votes. If they were really concerned about helping those who are struggling financially, there are a multitude of ways to do so. Financial support for food banks,

emergency shelters, and housing for the houseless would be a good start. Having a GST holiday for things like alcohol, snack foods, and dining out does nothing for those who already can't afford it. Ron Biggs in Edmonton. That's where you are, Ronnie Biggs. People know that name? Well, you've got to be as old as me to know that name. Ronnie Biggs was the mastermind, at least one of them, behind the great train robbery in 1963 in Britain. I don't think this is the same Ronnie Biggs. In fact, I

don't think Ronnie Biggs is alive anymore, but he was a great folk hero. Anyway, this Ron Biggs writes from Edmonton. I've been jobless since August. It's been a struggle. Luckily for me, I've had some help from family and friends, but you can only ask for help from family for so long before they get fed up. This policy came at the right time. I believe their intentions were good because people were legitimately hurting, and conventional government assistance isn't always available.

It certainly wasn't for me, since as a full-time student, I'm ineligible for employment insurance. If we need to go any further into debt, let it be for something truly worthwhile and not just a means to party harder. Julie Rind in Calgary. No one making $150,000 needs $250, so that's a waste of tax money right there. The ones who most need the money, such as retirees or people on disability or unemployed, don't qualify. That's an odd choice. It should have been assistance for the most need the money, such as retirees or people on disability or unemployed, don't qualify? That's an odd choice. It should have been assistance for the most needy among us,

with a much lower threshold. The GST break makes no tangible difference. Carol Collins in Toronto. If Trudeau had kept the GST holiday to essentials like diapers, kids' clothes, winter clothes that aren't maybe Canada goose, I think it would be a good policy. It would give a break to the people that need it. When the holiday included alcohol, Christmas trees, restaurant meals, it failed to be a good policy and feels like he's buying my vote. Carol Cornwell in Lacombe, Alberta, that's between Red Deer and Edmonton, closer to Red Deer. The $250 is a drop in the bucket to those dealing with monthly huge rents, utilities, and food costs.

It's bad politics because of the financial cost to all Canadians. Alicia Benson in Winnipeg. My daughter wants to be Prime Minister when she grows up because she wants to end homelessness in Canada. And she thinks the Prime Minister, as the person in charge, is best placed to accomplish this. She sees people trying to survive Winnipeg winters in tents by busy roads. When they come up to our car at stoplights, she gives them her allowance or food

from her lunch kit that she won't eat. The parliamentary budget officer has suggested that reducing chronic homelessness by 50% would cost the country about three and a half billion dollars annually. If I told my 10-year-old that the government scrounged around in the couch cushions of the budget and came up with six billion dollars to give to give people who already have jobs when that money could be spent on reducing chronic homelessness by about 85 percent i think she'd be livid i think she'd have some tough questions about the long-term priorities of the people that canada is meant to look to for leadership and governance i think she would wonder why this policy is able to be enacted so What a great letter.

From Alicia Benson in Winnipeg. The story of her daughter. Emmy Penny in Pasadena, Newfoundland, Labrador. That's in western Newfoundland near Corner Brook. I was up there this year, this summer. Emmy writes, I'm more concerned with how it will affect shops and shoppers. It comes into effect December 14th, 10 shopping days before Christmas.

Many shoppers have already bought their gifts, toys and Christmas trees, and some will consider returning them and then repurchasing them tax-exempt. That's a retailer's nightmare. Two, others will put off buying until the 14th, creating a very slow few weeks leading up to this day. And three, shops will have the time-consuming task of determining what is tax-exempt and what isn't, and reprogramming their point-of-sale systems twice within a two-month period. Most are already working hard

to stay afloat in these economic times and don't need the added stress in December. We all love a tax break, but the lack of planning feels like a desperate move on the part of the government. Krista Dumas in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. You know what they used to say about Kirkland Lake? Kirkland Lake is where the NHL players all come from. Because there was a period in which, in the 50s and 60s,

it seemed like all the great players came from Kirkland Lake. Anyway, Krista writes, Some people will hear tax holiday, $250 check, and feel that Justin Trudeau is finally listening to Canadians. But it is insulting Canadians' intelligence to think we will not recognize that there are better options

to help struggling Canadians, and it's very transparent. He's desperate to selfishly remain as the Liberal Party leader. Wayne Mills of Fort Erie, Ontario. Take the money and buy a submarine. Well, actually, we don't really know how much the Navy's plan for subs will cost. Twelve subs could cost $100 billion. That seems to be the best guess. So that's more than $8 billion each.

Sean Aiken in Whitby, Ontario, just east of Toronto. I think the Liberals want a few months of a Trump government before any election, and this buys them time to prove their mettle. Maybe. Maybe that's what's going on. Henri Vaudon in Ottawa. Bad politics and bad policy. From my point of view, Trudeau is attempting the political equivalent of pulling his goaltender while on a two-player penalty kill. David Lépine in Ogden, Quebec. That's in the eastern townships. Justin Trudeau thought he could get away with

eliminating the carbon tax on heating oil only. His party was sinking in Atlantic Canada. Well, guess what? The move backfired and his polling numbers fell even faster. I think most people will see this for what it is, an electoral ploy without any policy substance. Will they cash the check? You bet, but I don't see anybody switching their vote because of it. Ryan Zaitsoff in Fraser Valley, BC. How on earth can you justify spending six billion taxpayer dollars to dole out $250 checks to some Canadians and not even include some of the most vulnerable in our society, seniors and people who aren't working. Meanwhile, Canadians get taxed more every year

and everything from health care to education to housing seems to be falling apart. This has the appearance of doing nothing more than a desperate attempt to do anything to close the gap in polling. There are so many other places where the feds could have put $6 billion taxpayer dollars to better use. Christopher MacDonald in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I believe the recent decision in question represents both good policy and good politics. It's my opinion that society has become too skeptical

and at times has lost the ability to recognize sincerity. Times are tough, and this decision will make a difference for many. Your question reminded me of the saying, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Marilyn Wallace in Fanny Bay, British Columbia. This week, Marilyn writes, not only does the working class benefits plan appear to be a shameless grab for votes, it has also been poorly implemented. With less than a month to prepare, many businesses will incur considerable costs as they scramble to make sense of the new tax changes. Some provinces will face economic hardships as

their tax income is unfairly reduced. Even premiers were not consulted nor warned ahead of time. The hasty execution of this plan makes the Liberal government look desperate for votes, or else simply ineffective and clumsy. Neither one seems attractive to voters in a brewing election environment, even to those like me, who have previously always voted for them. Ben Duggan, or Ben Duggan, in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, Labrador. Government spending under Trudeau has been out of control even before the pandemic. My generation will be the one to bear the burden of this continuously growing deficit. Ben doesn't say how old he is, but I'm thinking he's pretty young.

20s or 30s maybe. Minicoulis in Guelph, Ontario. This money would have been better spent to help the homeless and to develop better mental health programs. I'm seeing so much disparity firsthand in Guelph. I hear the ambulance sirens going off all night. Many of these calls are to aid overdose drug victims. Canada needs a true leader right now, making good decisions and policy,

and none of the candidates leading the parties currently fit the bill. We need a leader to energize and bring Canadians together. I'm tired of voting unenthusiastically. Percy Phillips in Portage to Prairie, Manitoba. Canadians are intelligent enough to cash the check from the government of Canada when it arrives and then vote for whoever they want to, whether it has the Liberal Party's name on it or not. It is condescending and demeaning by a tired

and out-of-touch Liberal government to think Canadians will do anything else. John Mullen in Dartmouth. As far as the government's concerned, it doesn't matter whether it's good or bad politics or policy. The Canadian public and PM Trudeau are not unlike a couple whose relationship has ended badly. No matter what is done or what words are said, the good of any actions are lost because trust is gone. Don Dufour in Ottawa. I agree with Doug Ford on one thing. Any relief the government can provide to a large swath of Canadians

is very welcome at this time of year. Having said that, while I was taxiing a dear longtime friend, an octogenarian, to get her flu shot yesterday, she started grumbling about that nasty Trudeau and the fact she won't be getting the $250 gift. I chuckled and climbed on my soapbox once again to remind her that that nasty Trudeau implemented the Canadian dental care plan

that has allowed her to receive $3,000 in dental care over the past six months for free. Gave her food for thought and the grumbling subsided. For what it's worth, when our family receives the $200 handout from Ontario and one of us receives the federal $250 gift, a donation will be made to our local food bank to help those really in need. Nancy Abba in Toronto. I think the Liberals do really want to help those who are struggling

but have not thought through the details of the proposal. If the income limit for the checks was significantly reduced and seniors under that limit were included, then I would call it a good policy. As for the politics, even though it is not as blatant a bribery attempt as Doug Ford in Ontario has put forward, I think it will be seen that way. If the policy was more targeted to the people who really need the help, it would be harder to see it that way for most people. Trudeau haters excluded, of course, as they would disagree with him if he said the maple leaf on our flag was red.

David Ennis in Fort Langley, British Columbia. It's absolutely political, but it also happens to be good for Canadians. It's like a teeter-totter, with two kids sitting on each end trying to balance it in the middle. Politics on one side, what's good for Canadians on the other side? The NDP wanting to add seniors and students sounds better to me than the original plan. How about up to $75,000 and add students and seniors? If the Liberals have the guts to change the plan, that would push the teeter-totter down onto the side of good for Canadians.

Just coming up to the last couple of letters. Callum Arnold in Ottawa. I don't think that the holiday tax break, like any tax break, solves anything and in that sense is bad policy. The issues of our weakened currency, the frozen wages of the average worker when you adjust for inflation, and a workforce that is disillusioned and, for the most part, non-unionized, are incredibly complex. Trudeau doesn't have the political capital to introduce policies that might begin to tackle those points, so he's decided to spend a few billion dollars of tax revenue instead.

He's at the end of his term, one way or another. Elizabeth Prosser in Bracebridge, Ontario. That's cottage country north of Toronto. I feel the Liberal Party sees the Canadian people as being easily placated by cash in our pockets. I want a government that lays out fiscally responsible plans to solve the housing crisis, health care and climate change. This dumbing down of public policy to buy votes and sway polls is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Canada.

Take the billions of dollars these ridiculous money giveaways are going to cost and use it for long-term solutions for our country. Ian Gorman in Ottawa. I think that the GST holiday is a bad policy because it gives greater benefit to people who can spend more and it forces federal policy on the provinces that participate in HST. I think that the $250 checks are bad policy because they're distributed according to source of income rather than amount of income. The Liberals did get one thing right, Peter.

People like you and I will not get checks. Yeah, right about that. Okay, where are we here? We got a couple more yet. Joshua Winters in Surrey, B.C. It seems like everything this government does is a day late and a dollar short. I say this not as a partisan, but as a disillusioned liberal voter who's upset by this shameless attempt to garner support. It's not a coincidence that this is taking place on the eve of a coming election. While I gladly welcome support for working people,

the thought that individuals making over $140,000 will be receiving a check, but a pensioner or a disabled person living in poverty will get nothing just seems perverse to me, and frankly, un-Canadian. Doug Clark in Castlegar, B.C. This tax break is the Liberal Party throwing a goodbye party for themselves on their way out of power. Emilio Lavacidis in Toronto. Maybe I'm wrong,

but I think the Liberals are about to score a goal on their own net. And our last letter this week comes from Doug Yarnell in Warman, Saskatchewan. Unfortunately, I'm unable to answer this week's question because there's simply no such good thing as good politics, especially lately. So there you have it. Probably more letters read in this one edition of your turn

than we've seen since we started this selection of pointed questions, directed, targeted questions to the audience. So I want to start by thanking you ever so much for writing and some really good letters on both sides of this issue. It was pretty well one-sided in opinion that came in. I'd say probably 80-20, who felt that the government was doing bad policy and bad politics, sometimes a little bit of both.

So, I mean, there you have it. We'll see. There are going to be polls out about how Canadians felt about this announcement. But quite frankly, it's going to be stampeded somewhat by this whole issue around tariffs. I just think if Trudeau is looking for an issue, handing out freebies is not as good as challenging Trump on a major trade issue that's going to affect all Canadians. And a lot of Americans, too. They may not see it coming, but they're about to be if this goes through.

Like everything else with Trump, who knows? I'm not getting into predicting because I've been a disaster on predicting Trump, including this past election. I was wrong on that. So I don't know what's going to happen here. I would just find it surprising if at the end of the day what happens is what he said the other day, but we'll see. More important, how will Canada react?

We'll probably get into that tomorrow on Good Talk with Chantel and Bruce. Our most looked forward to show of the week usually is Good Talk with those two. And tomorrow will be the same. Saturday's the buzz. If you haven't subscribed already, go to nationalnewswatch.com slash newsletter to subscribe to my weekly newsletter. We're very proud of that little newsletter. It only started about a year

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