The Canadian middle class

May 27, 2013

Two weeks ago I reached out to Canadians and invited them to share their questions for Mr. Harper and his ministers on the economic pressures facing the middle class.

Why is this focus on the middle class so important? Why not target help for the poor? Or take aim at trickle-down economics? It’s simple: a strong economy is one in which the largest number of people benefit from prosperity and high-quality jobs.

In the last 30 years, Canada’s economy has doubled in size yet the median household income – or the average middle class family income – has only risen by a meager 13 percent.

This means that despite all of our supposed economic growth in Canada, middle class families have barely earned a raise in a full generation.

Wealthier Canadians should draw an urgent conclusion from all this: if we don’t solve this problem, the anxiety that is out there now will grow, and eventually, Canadians will stop supporting a growth agenda.

Canadians who struggle with lower incomes have an equal if not greater stake. Core to our Canadian ideal is the promise that upward mobility will be a realistic prospect for all.

The reality is that Canadians now feel they are more likely to fall out of the middle class into poverty, than rise out of poverty into the middle class.

Food bank usage is up 31 percent since 2008 and household debt is skyrocketing. Costs have shot up for items that lead to middle class success and a high quality of life, particularly post-secondary education, childcare, and out-of-pocket healthcare including prescriptions and homecare.

From coast to coast to coast, families are feeling the pressures of this economic reality.

Wherever I meet Canadians, from Squamish to Shediac, I am continuously reminded that we need to take action. The time for investment in a thriving middle class is now.

Over the next few weeks, Liberal MPs and I will be putting these issues – and your questions – to Mr. Harper during Question Period in the House of Commons.

It’s time you had your voice heard in Ottawa.

Justin