Hub Podcasts How the poor are paying for ‘Elbows Up’
May 22, 2025
Adam Legge, President of the Business Council of Alberta, engages in a candid discussion about the economic challenges facing Canada's impoverished families. He sheds light on how retaliatory tariffs are pushing food prices up, disproportionately affecting low-income households. The conversation also explores the implications of an aging population on the country's fiscal landscape, spotlighting Ontario's massive budget deficit. Legge calls for transparency in government spending and urges policies that foster fairness across generations amidst rising healthcare costs.
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Tariffs Hit Poor Hardest
- Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods have sharply increased food prices, hitting poorer families hardest.
- Tariffs are regressive taxes with no rebates, disproportionately burdening low-income households.
Aging Population Drives Deficits
- Ontario's $14.6 billion deficit matches increased medical spending for seniors, highlighting aging population costs.
- Lack of transparent age-based public spending data conceals fiscal strain and intergenerational trade-offs.
Create Fair Aging Finance Plans
- Provinces should create transparent age-based fiscal reporting to reveal spending patterns and plan sustainably.
- Governments must develop fair revenue strategies for aging populations to avoid burdening younger generations.