Like many countries, Canada has an aging population. While we have a duty to ensure our aging parents and grandparents have a dignified, healthy, and financially secure retirement, there is a parallel duty to ensure their children and grandchildren can thrive. But how have governments adapted their budgets to fulfil both responsibilities?
Research reveals a troubling trend: Canadian governments have not committed to intergenerational justice in their budget decisions over the past four decades. Older generations have been prioritized, as younger Canadians fell further and further behind.
To ensure greater intergenerational justice in government budgets, we need our elected officials to first have access to data showing how they break down by age.
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We already know how to do it: we've got a peer-reviewed methodology that works.
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It wouldn't cost anything: beyond some staff time to adapt the methodology and incorporate it into annual budgeting.
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It would be transformative: knowing how much we invest in — and raise revenue from — young and old alike allows us to address imbalances, and build a Canada that works for all generations.
