The Missing Middle Podcast

S abrina Maddeaux is a journalist and political commentator who announced that she’s seeking the Conservative nomination for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill.  In this 22-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Maddeaux about the housing and affordability crisis and what role that played in her decision to run for political office. Host...

Politicians, policy makers, and journalists all talk about the middle class and how well they are doing economically speaking. Middle-class voters make up the bulk of the voting population so it makes political sense to court them. But what exactly does middle class mean today? Who is considered middle class and what makes them middle class? In this 23-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute...

The city of Toronto is currently contemplating a significant property tax hike as part of its proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The move is generating widespread discussion and debate among residents, businesses, and policymakers.  In this 23-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute   economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the proposed tax increase and the possib...

Canada’s place in the global world order is shifting and according to the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) Canada will be the worst-performing advanced economy over the next decade John Rapley is a political economist specializing in global development, the world economy, and economic history. He was born and raised in Ottawa and is a political economist at the Universi...

Yesterday was the first time Mike or Cara ever heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalling that his government would work to cap the number of international students allowed in the country, tying the numbers to available housing. Mike and Cara discuss what this development means and how it could even work. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is fun...

In a throwback to the post-war era, Trudeau's federal government is looking into creating a catalogue of pre-approved home designs that they hope will speed up housing development. But why do they even matter, and where can they go wrong? Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation. Host...

Canadian bond yields have been fairly volatile in recent weeks...but what does that even mean, and why does it matter to anyone outside of the finance world? Mike gives a primer on what bond yields are, and why the middle class should understand and care about them. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the...

British Columbia's Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon joins Mike and Cara to talk about the big plans his government has to make it easier for developers to build homes.  We cover everything from zoning, to immigration, and building with timber. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation. Hos...

Justin Trudeau's government released its Fall Economic Statement this week, introducing what Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called meaty measures...and what Mike Moffatt grades at a C-. He explains why, and what they could have offered instead. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Founda...

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner joined Mike and Cara to talk about his two private member's bills that aim to increase housing supply, as well as how he hopes to represent young people who have been priced out of the market. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation. Hosted b...

The provincial government has set the target of 1.5 million homes in the province over a 10-year period. That involves major increases in the rate of construction, beyond anything we've seen in decades. To incentivize municipalities, the federal and provincial governments are tying infrastructure funding to  these targets. But are these goals realistic? And what does a "new housing unit&...

The Ontario NDP and Olivia Chow both recently released their housing plans. They're both big budget projects, but with wildly different calculations in how much it costs to build a home. Alex Beheshti is an urban planner and land economist with the Altus Group, and he joins Mike and Cara to evaluate the feasibility of these plans. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredit...

A lot of politicians say that development charges are paid for out of the pockets of big developers, and save taxpayers from footing the bill for infrastructure. The question we have is: Is that really true? Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation. Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern...

When the Ontario government put together a Housing Affordability Task Force to advise them on housing policy, they got the advice to up-zone the whole province to a minimum of four units on any lot. The government decided against forcing municipalities to do that, but have advised municipalities that they should voluntarily do so. Recently, Guelph and Kitchener agreed to craft a bylaw, while Missi...

Since Mike Moffatt has advised Justin Trudeau, and Sean Speer has advised Stephen Harper, we thought it would be fun to get them in a (virtual) room together to discuss how both sides of the political spectrum have changed their approaches on economics in recent years. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre and funded by the Neptis Fou...

Mike's been talking for years about how Canada isn't considering international students in our immigration numbers. They all need places to live, so this oversight really messes with the housing market.  Finally, politicians are starting to pay attention! He unpacks the story of how we got here and what needs to change. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Mart...

Sean Speer, editor-at-large for The Hub , joins Cara and Mike to analyze what it means that Doug Ford reversed his land swap, and put the newly rezoned land back into the Greenbelt. Missing Middle is hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre . This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation . Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern &...

Mike gives an overview of 15 Minute Cities, and why he has some worries about what impact they might have on the middle class. Then Vass Bednar joins them to talk about why Canada needs more competition, especially in places such as our grocery stores. Vass Bednar is the founder of Regs to Riches, and a  senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. She's also the execu...

Welcome to the Missing Middle, a new podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to reverse course. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern, and produced by Meredith Martin. Thank you to the PLACE Centre. This podcast was funded by the Neptis Foundation. Hosted by Mike...