Terence Corcoran: Trudeau’s Liberals gearing up fresh rounds of government intervention in media, plastics and happiness

Hey, Canada. It’s February 2020. To paraphrase the 1970s’ TV warning to parents about what their teenage children might be up to, do you know what your federal government is doing? A lot can happen during the bleak days of a Canadian political winter, when the skies darken early and snow blankets the nation’s capitol. Ottawa may look cold and deserted, but in the over-heated recesses of government buildings Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are gearing up fresh rounds of government intervention.

In the course of a few days last week, the government released new reports and dropped hints of policy initiatives that imply Ottawa is preparing an unprecedented expansion of federal economic and political power.

On top of the existing massive regulatory regime needed to achieve net zero carbon emission targets by 2050, and the looming pharmacare initiative, three other areas were opened up for the heavy hand of government: media, plastics, and happiness.