Canadians are fed up with high taxes and broken services

A recent study confirms what Canadians already know: we’re paying more in taxes than ever and getting less in return

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There’s a quiet rage building in Canada—and it’s not about housing or food. It’s about taxes.

A recent study from the Fraser Institute—an independent Canadian think tank—confirms what many already feel in their bones: taxation, not groceries, gas or shelter, is now the single biggest cost facing Canadian households. Before we feed our kids or heat our homes, we pay the government.

And what do we get for it? Family doctors are missing. Emergency rooms are shutting down. Classrooms are overburdened and struggling to meet core learning outcomes. Insurance premiums keep climbing, while utility bills are packed with green levies and regulatory costs.

But instead of fixing the system, politicians keep saying the same thing: we need more revenue. Where’s the accountability? Where’s the return on investment? And more importantly, why can’t we ask these questions without being branded selfish, privileged or partisan?

Trust in government isn’t automatic: it’s earned through transparency, stewardship and results. But where are the independent, public reviews of government spending? Where’s the plan to cut waste and reduce overlapping bureaucracies?

When the premiers met with Prime Minister Mark Carney recently to talk tariffs, did anyone speak for the small business owner drowning in red tape? Did anyone advocate for the single mom driving 60 kilometres just to find a walk-in clinic that’s still open?

Canada used to be a country of common sense. Now we avoid hard truths and worship polite narratives. We tell ourselves we can tax our way to prosperity and subsidize our way to fairness. Meanwhile, the middle class is cracking under the weight of it all.

Canadians are frustrated. But we don’t riot. We simmer. Quietly.

That’s beginning to change. Social media outrage is spilling into council chambers, school board meetings and hospital hallways. The decline in civility isn’t because Canadians have become rude: it’s because they’ve been stretched too far for too long. There’s a cost to asking people to do more with less year after year.

And while Canada dithers, other countries are acting decisively.

Look south. U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda may have been brash, but it produced results. He fought for better trade deals, brought industry home and put national interest front and centre.

Canadian leaders, by contrast, are relying on diplomacy while economic pressures continue to mount. They pursue open-border agreements and interprovincial cooperation, but too often seem more concerned with avoiding disruption than achieving results. In global economics, hesitation is not a winning strategy.

Our public education system tells a similar story. It’s being pulled in every direction—trying to accommodate competing ideologies and social demands—while students fall behind in reading, writing and basic reasoning skills. Compassion matters, but so does competence. In prioritizing inclusion without clear limits, we’re losing sight of the fundamentals every child needs to succeed.

This isn’t an argument against diversity: it’s a plea for direction.

What is the core mission of education? What’s the non-negotiable promise of public health care? And how can we align taxes with actual outcomes, not just lofty intentions?

Canadians aren’t growing more divided. They’re growing more disillusioned. They’re asking hard questions: If I’m paying more in taxes than ever, why is life getting harder? Why do I feel more alone, not more supported? Why is success punished and scarcity normalized?

It’s time to stop pretending everything’s fine.

We need to get honest: about tax, trade, trust and the stories we’ve been told to accept without question.

The polite silence is over.

Faith Wood is a professional speaker, author, and certified professional behaviour analyst. Before her career in speaking and writing, she served in law enforcement, which gave her a unique perspective on human behaviour and motivations. Faith is also known for her work as a novelist, with a focus on thrillers and suspense. Her background in law enforcement and understanding of human behaviour often play a significant role in her writing.