When Mark Carney said Canadians would need to make sacrifices, it’s becoming clear that the burden was never meant for his wealthy peers or the foreign property holders who treat Canada like a safety deposit box. The sacrifices, as usual, are being handed to the same people who already shoulder them: ordinary taxpayers.

Ottawa’s decision to scrap the luxury tax on private jets and yachts while leaving it in place for pickup trucks and farm equipment should tell Canadians everything they need to know about this government’s priorities. This is not “Canada strong.” If strengthening the country meant strengthening the buying power of everyday people, Budget 2025 would look very different. Instead, we’re left to believe that the working class can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that they won’t have to pay tax on the new yacht they were absolutely planning to buy this year.

The government is also eliminating the Underused Housing Tax, introduced in 2022 to discourage non-resident owners from keeping Canadian homes empty. Apparently, the housing crisis is either solved or imaginary. Either way, foreign buyers who do not live here just got a windfall.

According to government documents, these changes will lighten the load at the Canada Revenue Agency. Perhaps that means someone at the CRA will finally answer the phone when Canadians call about their own taxes. But the real impact is far more lopsided. The luxury tax on vehicles over $100,000—expanded in 2023 to include private aircraft and yachts—will now disappear for aircraft and watercraft starting the day after the budget’s release. If you’re a farmer needing a new piece of equipment or a tradesperson replacing your truck, however, don’t expect the same break. Feeding Canadians is apparently a luxury; flying private is not.

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer called the move out of touch with the reality facing households. “How does Mark Carney look at the landscape in Canada, see all those people lining up at food banks, young people moving back into their parents’ basement because they can’t afford housing, and arrive at this,” Scheer said in a video released on social media. His point is hard to dispute. Families are cutting back on groceries while the government appears more interested in easing burdens for those strolling country-club patios.

Budget documents claim the repeal of the aviation and boating tax will “streamline” the system and “provide relief” to those industries. What they do not provide is relief at the grocery store, where prices continue climbing. Instead, Canadians are told to accept higher costs as the new normal, inching closer to dependence on the very government creating the pressure.

Scheer is right to note that the budget does nothing to bring down housing costs, grocery prices or inflation. Farmers and tradespeople will remain on the hook when purchasing essential vehicles, even as private jets glide off the hook entirely.

The government insists these changes are simply administrative housekeeping. I see something very different: a budget that once again tilts toward the affluent and toward foreign nationals who own high-value assets in Canada but do not live here. Meanwhile, ordinary Canadians are left with no relief on food, housing, or the cost of living.

Elbows up, Canada — you’re going to need it.