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John Robson: Keynes Gave Politicians Permission to Spend—and They’ve Never Stopped

John Robson: Keynes Gave Politicians Permission to Spend—and They’ve Never Stopped
Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques prepares to appear before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 25, 2025. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
John Robson
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Commentary
So we’re at it again over the budget, and particularly borrowing and debt. We’re promised an “austerity and investment” budget, but the interim Parliamentary Budget Officer just warned of “shocking,” “stupefying,” and “unsustainable” profligacy. What say we take a step back from the mud-buckets and the brink, and try to talk clearly about … dang it … principles again.
John Robson
John Robson
Author
John Robson is a documentary filmmaker, National Post columnist, senior fellow at the Aristotle Foundation, contributing editor to the Dorchester Review, and executive director of the Climate Discussion Nexus. His most recent documentary is “The Environment: A True Story.”