Looking around our country, reading our national financial statistics, watching what’s happening in other countries as the burden of years of debt take their toll…Canadians should be worried. We should be very worried.

Our country was founded on Christian principles, which have historically provided for wealthier and healthier economies. While recognizing the need for borrowing in a national crisis such as war, the principle of remaining debt free is a wise one.

But Canada, like so many countries around world, has spent carelessly by borrowing to pay for what would otherwise be unaffordable. As the burden of debt interest, over $164 million per day, zaps an increasing amount of our financial resources, Canadians have started to feel the pinch.

Over a decade ago, we saw the riots in Greece after the austerity measures were implemented due to their massive debt. The cuts the government made decreased their standard of living and unemployment spiked.

This year in France, we saw similar rioting for these same reasons—the increased financial burden, high cost of living and fiscal decline.

All the signs of fiscal decline are visible in our own Canadian economy—persistent budget deficits, accumulating public debt, high debt-servicing costs, and erosion of investor confidence.

There is a price to pay for the over-indulgence of these current generations. Various governments have promised more and more perks if we vote for them during an election. However, the perks we were promised were on the backs of our children and grandchildren. We have taken away the promising future that each generation should pass on to the next, and instead, have cumbered that generation with a debt that they will not be able to repay. We’ve cumbered them with a debt that there is no plan in place to repay. Financial forecasts are for the debt to increase from its current $1.47 trillion (roughly $35,500 per Canadian citizen).

According to The Hub, “Canada Strong Budget 2025 projects that, by 2029, federal debt charges will consume one in every eight dollars of revenue Ottawa expects to bring in.” They go on to say that Canada’s national debt will soon consume more than healthcare and childcare combined.

Canadians elected an economist to lead this country last year. However, there is very little economy in his spending. He continues along the path of the previous government: to spend with abandon, as if there is unlimited money available. There’s not. “Increasing the money supply” by deficit spending simply devalues the currency and causes inflation.

Canadians are now feeling the pinch. Groceries in Canada have increased by 25%-33% since 2020. Gasoline prices have increased by 79%-80% in this same time period. Average wages (inflation adjusted) have increased by a paltry 5%. That’s a huge gap, and it places a huge burden on Canadians trying to support their families.

Sadly, elections are the only place where we can rein in government spending but to do so would spark our own austerity measures. What would happen if Canadians, who are used to having dental coverage through the government, are suddenly left paying their own dental costs? What happens if Canadian parents are suddenly required to pay full costs for their children to attend day care?

What would austerity look like in Canada? We need only look to Europe with whom our Prime Minister seeks a closer alliance—Greece, suffered massive wage and pension cuts and tax hikes; Ireland, restructured and slashed public spending; Italy implemented over $100 billion in emergency tax and spending cuts, and the list goes on. Where the cuts were deep, the people rioted!

If we look at this in the Canadian context, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland are all near or over a debt to GDP ratio of 90%, which means it would take 9 out of every 10 dollars generated in their economies this year to retire the debts.

We are not far from where France currently is or Greece was; our economist Prime Minister is simply tricky enough to make us think that all is well. There are a lot of pensioners out there. Did you know that your pension plan was being accounted for as if it was the government’s $942 billion to spend as they will rather than your money held by the government for your pension?

That puts a whole different face on things!

Canadians, very definitely, must rein in our out-of-control spending. That will, very definitely, be painful. We must begin as soon as possible because the further down the road we go, the more painful putting our financial household in order will be. However, the debt problem is not just a money problem, it is a spiritual problem. What was the source of our national prosperity?

The source of our economic prosperity was not just in resisting the urge to go into debt. It was in our acknowledgment that the Lord is the source of all prosperity. Our prosperity was demonstrated in the prudent use of our land, labour, intellect and resources. We cherished the biblical values of work, loyalty, honesty, thrift and provision for our family, church, neighbour, and society.

There were expectations that, as a Christian country, we would honour God in all that we do. There was the expectation that, as we served Him, He provided what was necessary for us.

Today, in Canada, God’s image bearers are killed in the womb and are euthanized when their usefulness has been exceeded. God is not acknowledged as the source of our wealth. We seek ‘god status’ in the creation of ‘artificial intelligence’. The list goes on.

It’s time for this nation to repent, to return to our God, acknowledge Him as the source of our wealth and well-being; and to restore the foundation, which is our Christian heritage.

Only one political party will clear the stage for godly principles in governance, empower the church to again serve as conscience in our country and lead the way in acknowledging the source of our national prosperity.

It’s time for Canadians to stop putting their support behind the god (little “g”) of this world. We must put our support, including our vote, behind the one and only God (big “G”) of this world.

Join CHP Canada today! Work toward reestablishing the biblical principles that made this country great and humble ourselves before our great Redeemer.