There is a central problem with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s economic plan. It might have worked when soldiers were returning from war in 1945, and one goal was to send women out of the workforce back to the home, but times have changed. The government’s strategy is disproportionately focused on physical infrastructure and defence, but largely neglects a foundational pillar of a modern economy: care work.

A familiar playbook for an unfamiliar moment

Canada’s current economic strategy, shaped in the aftermath of a global pandemic and amid shifting geopolitical alliances, leans heavily on historical precedent. The federal government has signalled its intent to rebuild by revisiting a familiar playbook: large-scale nation-building infrastructure projects and targeted investments in key domestic industries such as natural resources, construction, manufacturing, and, increasingly, national defence and artificial intelligence.

On paper, this approach is logical. It offers clear metrics, tangible outputs, and a proven narrative. After all, similar strategies helped fuel economic recovery following the Second World War.

But the assumption that what worked 80 years ago will work today overlooks the profound structural changes that have reshaped Canada’s economy and society.

Then and now: A different economic reality

In the post-WWII era, infrastructure spending was designed to absorb returning soldiers into the workforce. At the same time, women, who had entered paid employment in large numbers during the war, were systematically pushed out. Government-supported childcare programs were dismantled, hiring........

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