Governments have one essential job: to manage the business of the city, province, and country. They are responsible for keeping us safe, enforcing laws, managing essential services, and ensuring that public systems work efficiently. That’s it. They should not be in the business of dictating how individuals live their lives, think, or believe. Yet, increasingly, governments at all levels are overstepping these boundaries. They seem more interested in social engineering—shaping how we think, what we do, and even what we buy—than in fulfilling the basic responsibilities they were elected to carry out.
This misplaced focus is evident in the deteriorating state of our infrastructure, rising taxes and regulations, and deepening divisions within our communities. Roads are crumbling, transit systems are inadequate, and healthcare is overwhelmed, yet governments devote time and resources to imposing their vision of what society should look like. This is not governance; it is overreach.
Take the push for bike lanes as an example. In cities across Canada, including Winnipeg, millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to build infrastructure for a small segment of the population. The intent is clear: to nudge people out of their cars and onto bicycles under the banner of environmental sustainability. While reducing emissions is a worthy goal, these policies are often implemented without clear evidence of their effectiveness or sufficient consideration of public preference. The reality is that many Canadians, especially in a climate with long, harsh winters, prefer the convenience and safety of cars. Yet governments insist on imposing their agenda, disregarding the autonomy and practical needs of citizens.
Environmental taxes, such as those on gasoline, further illustrate this point. These taxes are ostensibly designed to reduce carbon emissions, but there is little evidence to suggest they have achieved this goal. Instead, they have made life more expensive for ordinary Canadians. Heating homes, running vehicles, and operating businesses have all become more costly, with no tangible environmental benefit to show for it. This approach doesn’t solve global challenges; it simply shifts the burden onto working families.
Governments are also overreaching in more personal aspects of our lives, such as language and social norms. The issue of pronouns is a case in point. Political leaders have begun to dictate how individuals should address one another, stepping beyond the realm of governance into the domain of personal interaction. Respect for others is important, but enforcing specific language choices amounts to thought policing. Language is a tool for authentic communication, not a mechanism for political conformity. When governments start telling people what they can and cannot say, they undermine the very freedoms they are supposed to protect.
Similarly, government funding for specific cultural or religious groups is counterproductive. By promoting agencies based on ethnicity or cultural identity, governments are fostering division rather than unity. True multiculturalism requires treating all Canadians equally, regardless of their background. When governments fund organizations based on religion or ethnicity, they create fragmentation and weaken the social fabric. This approach is not only unnecessary but also harmful, as it prioritizes special interests over the collective good.
The push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the private sector further demonstrates government overreach. Businesses should have the freedom to hire based on merit and their specific needs, not on government mandates. When politicians impose hiring rules or workplace structures, they disrupt basic business practices and create unnecessary tension. These policies do not advance equality; they complicate operations and generate division. The private sector is not a tool for social experimentation, and governments should not treat it as such.
Universities are another battleground for social engineering. Rather than being places where diverse ideas are shared and debated, they are increasingly becoming echo chambers for a narrow set of ideologies. Young people are being indoctrinated rather than educated, often pressured to adopt views that align with specific political or social agendas. Special interest groups, including some with extremist ties, are actively targeting students, encouraging them to embrace divisive or harmful ideologies. This is not education; it is manipulation. Universities should foster critical thinking and open dialogue, not act as training grounds for ideological conformity.
The problem doesn’t stop there. Governments often fund programs that indirectly enable this kind of indoctrination. By financially supporting organizations with a clear political or social agenda, they give these groups undue influence over our youth. The result is a generation that is less capable of independent thought and more susceptible to manipulation by vocal minorities or extremist groups. This is a dangerous path that undermines the principles of freedom and democracy.
Financial mismanagement is another glaring issue. Governments at all levels are spending beyond their means, racking up debt while neglecting critical infrastructure. Instead of addressing the real problems facing citizens, such as deteriorating roads, underfunded transit systems, and overwhelmed healthcare services, they pour money into non-essential projects and special interest groups. This kind of spending prioritizes political agendas over practical governance and leaves taxpayers footing the bill for initiatives that provide little to no benefit.
The consequences of this approach are evident in our communities' strained state. Governments that focus on pushing ideological agendas neglect their fundamental duties, leading to societal decay. Public safety is compromised, essential services are underfunded, and communities are increasingly polarized. Politicians seem more interested in making us feel guilty about our history or dictating how we should think than in solving the pressing issues that affect our daily lives. This does not create a stronger society; it creates division and resentment.
Politicians today have lost sight of their primary role. Too many are activists, not leaders. They seem afraid to stand up to vocal minorities and instead follow the path of least resistance, pushing social agendas instead of focusing on their real job. Leadership requires strength and clarity. It means staying in their lane and doing the hard work of governing—fixing roads, managing healthcare, and ensuring public safety. Governments need to get out of our daily lives and stop trying to control how we think or what we do. Let citizens make their own choices, learn from their mistakes, and take responsibility for their lives. That’s how we build a stronger society. It’s time for leaders to lead and let the rest of us live our lives as we choose.