Generation Squeeze's Hard Truths

It’s no secret, GenZ and Millennial Canadians are finding it harder and harder to afford the basics: rent, child care fees and tuition. In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw introduces a new study by Generation Squeeze: “Medical Budgets in an Aging Canada”. He points out a hard truth and draws an important connection: The rising costs of medical care for retirees is crowding out the investments needed to address the affordability challenges faced by younger generations.

Most Canadians believe that Canada's Old Age Security benefits act as a safety net, lifting struggling retirees out of poverty. But in this episode of the Hard Truths pod, Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw explains the hard truth: Some seniors with two homes, seven-figure portfolios, and six-figure incomes are still collecting OAS. And not just a token amount — retired couples with $180,000 in income still qualify for roughly $18,000 a year in OAS benefits. Paul dives deep into The Globe and Mail's "Financial Facelift"column. Every weekend, financial experts help Canadians fine-tune their retirement plans. The advice is smart and methodical, showing how to make the most of tax and benefit rules. But those columns also reveal something deeper —how our most expensive federal program, Old Age Security, has drifted from protecting retirees from poverty to padding the comfort of affluence .

The Generation Squeeze analysis of Canada’s Budget 2025 is getting a lot of media attention! That’s because we’re pointing out a hard truth: The fiscal imbalance in budget 2025 began decades ago when governments failed to plan for the rising costs of an population aging. And as predicted, these costs are now crowding out space for investments to help younger and working Canadians build homes, raise families, and strengthen productivity. In today’s episode we’re showcasing last week’s episode of CBC’s Day 6 with Host Brent Bambury who invited Gen Squeeze founder and executive director, Dr. Paul Kershaw to speak to the structural inequity in government spending that is hitting younger Canadians the hardest. Paul describes what might be a rare moment in politics: One in which politicians on both the left and the right seem to agree on the solution to the problem.

Budget 2025 sidesteps a hard truth: neither the Prime Minister who tabled it, nor the Opposition Leader who critiques it, has found the courage to ask financially secure retirees to share equally in this national moment of sacrifice.In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, our social media coordinator Jennifer Fox presents the Generation Squeeze press conference direct from Ottawa. where Gen Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw spent budget day crunching the numbers on Prime Minister Carney’s long-awaited fiscal plan. Paul unpacks what Budget 2025 reveals about generational fairness — how rising costs and ballooning deficits continue to deepen the divide between young and older generations ofCanadians.

The Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) proposes an increase to Canada's Old Age Security but it won’t lift most poor seniors out of poverty. Yet, it would pad the pockets of financially secure retirees and add more than $3-billion to the deficit. In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, our social media coordinator Jennifer Fox joins Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw as he explains how some politicians and lobbyists wrap themselves in the language of helping poor seniors, but what they’re really doing is enriching households with six-figure retirements — all while governments rack up massive deficits and hand the bill to younger Canadians.

A recent poll shows that most Canadians — especially olderones — support requiring young adults to spend a year serving in areas like health, disaster response, or the environment. In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, our social media coordinator Jennifer Fox joins Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw as he explains how younger Canadians already perform a critical national service: They pay more out of pocket, and sacrifice their standard of living, to protect healthy retirements for our aging population. Paul argues that before we ask younger Canadians to shoulder more service, it’s timewe acknowledge the service they already provide.

This week's episode is a feed swap with Aborsh – A podcastabout abortion in Canada, by playwright and podcaster Rachel Cairns.What do abortion and housing have in common? Well, they areboth recognized as human rights by the UN and multiple other international organizations and agreements. But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from living in Canada as the ongoing housing crisis locks people into unaffordable living situations. In this episode, Rachel explores the gendered impacts of the housing affordability crisis and how it impacts reproductive decisions, with insights from the Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network, the National Right to Housing Network, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

Dr. Paul Kershaw, UBC policy analyst and founder of Generation Squeeze, dives into the striking surge of mortgage-free young Canadians. With homeownership among under-35s hitting a record 44%, Paul reveals that 18% of them have no mortgage at all, raising concerns about the shift from a meritocracy to a landed aristocracy. He discusses how family support influences this rise and highlights growing wealth gaps between homeowners and renters. Paul calls for older generations to recognize their privilege and advocate for policies that promote housing equity.

Canadian politicians are sidestepping the most important – and politically dangerous – question in our housing debate: Should home prices rise, stall or fall? Until we answer it, we can’t fix what’s broken in Canada’s housing system. In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, our AI host Jenna talks with Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw as he explains why politicians continue to dodge the question: They fear backlash from older homeowners whose wealth is tied to high prices and younger owners who risk going under water if prices fall.

For decades, Canada's politicians have been protecting the wealth gains of primarily older homeowners at the cost of affordable housing for the generations who follow. Younger Canadians are stuck with higher rents, bigger mortgages, and way less of a shot at home ownership. Compensation for Millennials and Gen Z is long overdue but what does that look like?In this episode of the Hard Truths pod, our AI host Jenna asks Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw the tough questions: Who’s being protected by the current system? Who is being harmed? And how can Canada provide protection for those left behind? Do you think young Canadians deserve compensation? Join us: https://action.gensqueeze.ca/compensate_young_canadians