The Really Big Show with Jim Csek & Iain Burns

Today on The Really Big Show, Jim Csek and Iain Burns tackle a wide range of major national stories, led by a central question: are Canadians about to face a GST hike?

The discussion focuses on growing fiscal pressure in Canada, with new reports suggesting that increased defence spending could force the federal government into difficult decisions, including raising taxes. This comes as concerns mount over rising deficits, inflationary pressures, and the impact of policies like the industrial carbon tax, which has now increased again.

The show also explores competing visions for affordability, including calls to eliminate federal fuel taxes to provide immediate relief, while comparing Canada’s approach to other countries that have already reduced fuel taxes to ease cost-of-living pressures.

A major portion of the conversation examines Canada’s economic direction, including deepening trade deficits, rising mortgage arrears, and increasing concerns about investment, manufacturing, and international competitiveness. We also look at Canada’s evolving relationship with China, as top financial leaders join a federal delegation for economic discussions.

Beyond economics, the show covers a wide range of political and policy issues, including firearms legislation and provincial pushback, RCMP staffing challenges, electric vehicle policy, Indigenous governance debates, and tensions around land and property rights.

Throughout the broadcast, one theme stands out: Canadians are facing rising costs, growing uncertainty, and increasingly difficult policy choices across multiple fronts.

With taxes, deficits, and economic pressures all converging, what direction do you think Canada should take next?

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While the world enters a "scramble for security," Canada sits on the very resource everyone is desperate for, yet the domestic economy is showing signs of "energy paralysis." According to the latest Statistics Canada data, the economy eked out a meager 0.1% growth in January—and that tiny fraction was driven almost entirely by the 1.2% rebound in the oil and gas extraction sector.

While the Prime Minister touts hitting the NATO 2% defense target early, the victory is being overshadowed by allegations of "creative accounting"—folding non-military bureaucracies into the $60B defense spend to meet the goal without actual military enhancement. This occurs against a backdrop of $2.6 trillion in household debt, with Gen Z and Millennials now holding nearly half of that burden. Despite the Finance Department’s claims of real income gains, the reality for many is a G7-high debt-to-income ratio and a housing market where 500,000-home-yearly pledges have resulted in only 259,028 starts.

The latest data from Statistics Canada and the OECD confirms a troubling trend: Canada’s economy actually shrank in late 2025, making it the only G7 nation to post negative growth during that period.

 This stagnation isn't just a statistical anomaly; it is a direct reflection of a labor market in distress, with over 100,000 full-time positions vanished since the start of the year.

The headline story this week is the total collapse of integrity within the International Student Program. A devastating Auditor General report has confirmed that the system is not just flawed—it is being treated with "indifference" by those in charge. With 150,000 high-risk cases left uninvestigated and 92% of known fraudsters later being granted legal status, the message to the world is clear: in Canada, rules are optional.

A scathing 2026 report from the Auditor General has pulled back the curtain on a system defined by "indifference." The audit reveals that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has effectively lost track of its own mandates, allowing a culture of fraud to take root in the international student program.

 With 710 out of 800 closely examined students found to be using fraudulent documents for non-existent schools, and no federal action taken against them, the "integrity" of the system has become a national punchline.

Leadership Candidate for the Conservative Party of BC  with MLA Peter Milobar

The current headlines reveal a country fractured by its own geography and policy. While Saskatchewan powers ahead as a rare economic engine—fueled by a massive $60B project surge and Canada’s lowest unemployment—the rest of the nation feels increasingly left behind.

From the global stage to the kitchen table, the prevailing sentiment is one of being "sidelined." Internationally, Canada is watching from the bleachers as the U.S. and Mexico deepen trade ties, while domestically, citizens are grappling with an 11-year "happiness recession." With the population falling for the first time since Confederation and record-low happiness rankings, the "Canadian Dream" is being replaced by a struggle for basic affordability and a search for a new national direction.  

After 11 years of shifting policies and economic cycles, Canada finds itself at a historic crossroads where the standard of living no longer aligns with the national "brand." While the country was once a perennial Top 5 contender in global well-being, it has now plummeted to 25th in the Oxford World Happiness Report—its lowest position since records began.