Unemployment Rising, Taxes Up — Who Is Actually Running Canada?

Canada’s unemployment rate just spiked to 6.8% in December — and on the latest episode of Inside Politics, Winnipeg Sun publisher Kevin Klein says that number is more than a statistic: it’s a flashing red light that Ottawa is drifting while Canadians pay the price. Joined by Winnipeg Sun columnists Lawrence Pinsky, KC and Royce Koop, Klein tore into what the panel calls a growing “competence gap” under Prime Minister Mark Carney — a leader elected to steady the economy and deliver U.S. tariff relief, but who, they argue, has produced little beyond photo-ops and promises that keep getting kicked down the road.

The trio didn’t just blame Washington — they blasted Canada’s own political class for making things worse. Pinsky singled out Ontario Premier Doug Ford for “Team Canada” talk while taking swings at Manitoba jobs, arguing that targeting products like Crown Royal is economic self-sabotage dressed up as patriotism. Koop went further, warning that Carney’s pledge of a quick tariff breakthrough has collapsed into delays that could stretch deep into 2026, with Ontario and Quebec already feeling the first real job-market bruises.

Then the show pivots hard — from unemployment to the bigger pattern: governments saying yes to spending, no to accountability. Klein compares January 1 to an annual punishment: taxes up, fees up, rates up — while services keep sliding. The panel raises uncomfortable questions about whether Canada is funding too many pet projects, too many overseas commitments, and too many politically “approved” initiatives — while hospitals, affordability, and basic public services fracture at home.

And if you think it’s just economics, the episode goes sharper. The panel dives into the growing rage over the blurring of church-and-state, political pandering, and “divide-and-reward” spending that they argue is splintering Canadians into competing groups instead of building unity. They also take a blowtorch to what they call the easiest addiction in politics: spending other people’s money, then acting shocked when the bill arrives.

Bottom line: this isn’t a polite panel. It’s three voices calling out what they see as hypocrisy, weak leadership, and a country sliding into higher unemployment and lower confidence — while politicians keep smiling for the camera.

If you want the full argument (and the sparks), watch the episode on Inside Politics and judge for yourself.