Since the Depression years, the Bank of Canada has played a critical role in recovery from financial crises. The Bank’s current bond-buying program has allowed the federal government to shore up incomes and keep our economy functioning during the pandemic. But we are facing a new age of austerity if governments take their cues from conservative voices already calling for cuts to program spending. We speak with Scott Aquanno, professor of political science at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa.