"It’s so unfortunate" — Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary criticizes Canada’s 1.4% growth over the past decade

In an Instagram reel published on April 10, 2025, Shark Tank star and Canadian businessman Kevin O’Leary shared his views on Canada’s economic trajectory in an interview with journalist Daniela Cambone on The Daniela Cambone Show.

Kevin discussed Canada’s economic condition over the last ten years. In the interview, the Shark Tank investor expressed concern over the country’s slow growth rate, stating that Canada had only grown 1.4% in an entire decade.

“It’s so unfortunate for Canada,” he shared.

The caption of the reel included further remarks from O’Leary.,

“We actually only grew 1.4% in a decade. Not per year, in the whole decade. No one has ever done that, ever before, to Canada,” he wrote.

O’Leary also criticized former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his advisors, claiming that the current policies were damaging the country’s economic future. He said that the focus on a green agenda, combined with the lack of energy and development policies, was a major reason for the poor economic outcome.

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Shark Tank star O’Leary criticizes current policies and leadership in Cambone interview

In the interview, Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary made several comments on Canada’s current political and economic condition. Referring to the last ten years,

“We have just been slaughtered with bad management. It's, it's so depressing to look at the numbers,” he shared.

He pointed out that the 1.4% economic growth was not annual but over the full decade. O’Leary went on to criticize former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Trudeau is an empty suit. He was the idiot king. Butts did all the policy, along with Telfer,” he added.

He claimed that Gerald Butts and Katie Telfer were the main drivers behind the government’s policies, particularly the focus on a green transformation. He explained that, Butts is "hell-bent" on turning Canada into a green utopia. "No energy, no pipelines, no development of resources.” According to O’Leary, these priorities were making it difficult for Canada to function economically.

He also questioned whether the Canadian economy could survive in the long run under the current path of policy. O'Leary presented his remarks as factual rather than sentimental throughout the conversation.

"The numbers don't lie. This isn’t emotional," he stated.

The interview has contributed to wider public and media dialogue about the country’s development plans and leadership structure.

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Trudeau’s resignation and O’Leary’s continued criticism

On January 6, 2025, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his decision to step down once a new Liberal Party leader is chosen. In January 2025, Kevin O’Leary appeared in an interview with BNN Bloomberg, where he expressed criticism of Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.

“I mean no disrespect, but I wouldn’t let them run a bodega. They don’t know what they’re doing,” he said.

Shark Tank mentor Kevin O’Leary also commented on Freeland’s experience.

“I want to respect Freeland because she is the finance minister. But I don’t know why she’s the finance minister. She has no experience at this,” he added.

In his view, recent decisions by the government, such as the capital gains tax increase, would affect the country’s competitiveness. He explained that changes to corporate tax policies could lead to business relocations and reduced investment in Canada.

In a CBC News interview in December 2024, O’Leary described the economy as being in “free fall,” attributing it to long-standing decisions around natural resources and fiscal policy. These repeated comments reflected O’Leary’s ongoing perspective on the current government’s approach.

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