How to measure 'prosperity'
5/7/202654 min
It's safe to say right now the majority of us are feeling the pinch. Grocery and fuel prices are on the rise and the income gap between the wealthy, and everyone else, continues to grow. And yet, aside from the U.S., Canada is the strongest economy of the G7. A prosperous country doesn't necessarily translate to a fuller wallet for its citizens. Host Nahlah Ayed and panelists discuss how 'prosperity' should be defined and how that can be achieved.
Guests in this episode:
Hon. Lisa Raitt is a former Conservative cabinet minister, who now co-chairs the Canadian Coalition for a Better Future.
Zita Cobb is a Fogo Island entrepreneur, founder of Shorefast which supports local economies and community development.
Kaylie Tiessen is the chief economist at the Shield Institute.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
[gentle music] Legendary composer Max Richter takes center stage at the National Art Center. Join us on June 26 for his ninth solo album, In a Landscape, which blends electronic and acoustic genres that highlight the quiet pleasures of living. Get your tickets at nac.ca.
Lisa Raitt· Guest0:16
[upbeat music] This is a CBC podcast.
Nahlah Ayed· Host0:21
[upbeat music] Welcome to Ideas. I'm Nahlah Ayed. The vast majority of Canadians are feeling the squeeze.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:31
If you've been feeling like you're working hard but still falling behind financially, well, Statistics Canada has a possible reason for that. Its latest household income reading shows how Canadians have less money to spend as prices and interest rates soar.
Speaker 4· Soundbite0:47
It's a stark look at just how unaffordable life has become for many. At grocery stores across Canada, a familiar story, the cost to fill carts and cars with groceries on the rise again.
Nahlah Ayed· Host1:00
And the income gap between Canada's wealthiest and everyone else continues to grow.
Speaker 5· Soundbite1:09
The richest 1% control more than half the world's wealth, and their share of the global pie is only getting bigger.
Nahlah Ayed· Host1:17
Well, the gap between Canada's top CEOs and the average worker in this country is widening. Yet at the same time, Canada's gross domestic product shows growth, slowly but surely.