But while patting oneself on the back is tempting, contrasting the Harper years with what came after is more instructive. Federal debt under Prime Minister Stephen Harper grew to from $494.4 billion in 2005-06 to $612.3 billion in 2014-15, due mainly to deficits intended to mitigate the 2008 financial crisis. Average house prices increased by 49 per cent under Harper, to $413,000, but then jumped 97 per cent between 2015 and 2021, to $811,700. The Harper government was generally laissez-faire on energy, with a lower regulatory burden, and oil production increased by almost 50 per cent. Podcaster Konstantin Kisin gave an apt description of how many people view politics: liberals are well-intentioned but incompetent, conservatives are competent but evil.

Source: National Post February 02, 2026 11:39 UTC