The CBC and rest of the Cartel media’s tepid reaction to the leaking of a Privy Council Office report prepared by Policy Horizons: Future Lives: Social Mobility in Question that paints a bleak future for Canadians by 2040 is another yet another perfect example of how much they are all in the tank to help Mark Carney and the Liberals win the election. They’re not event trying to hide it anymore.

CBC went right to town to write an article to go after Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre for making the report seem ‘scarier than it actually was’, because the Liberals have never used scare tactics or whipped up fears about Donald Trump to garner votes during this election. It was after Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington, during a news conference at a rally in Woodbridge, Ontario, asked Poilievre to comment on the report, that the Cartel media whitewashing began. And if you’re still not sure how in the tank the Cartel media is for Carney — Warmington was heckled by other media present for asking the question.

CBC’s Parliamentary Reporter Katherine Tunney was tapped to write the article to downplay the content and predictions in the report with the heading:

Poilievre says a government report predicts a 'terrifying' 2040. Here's what it actually says… not only is the report far from that stark, authors stress its not meant to be seen as predicting the future.

Yet, ironically, after making that statement, she goes on in her article to outline all of the ‘far from stark predictions’ the report makes, which, in reality are pretty stark, yet makes no real argument to back up her headlines. Except at the end where she quotes from the report:

“While some of the policy considerations are bleak, the loss of belief in social mobility could "make space for positive ideas. People could rethink what 'prosperity' means, or 'fulfillment.” Now that sounds an awful lot like convincing people they really need to start thinking about lowering their expectations for their futures, but that’s just me.

Perhaps if Ms. Tunney read the report and was really honest about the state of Canada in 2025 – what she should have said that was that:

‘While the authors stress its not meant to be seen as predicting the future, it actually isn’t doing that because you can’t predict what has already happened.’

This subtitle and quote from the introductory section of the report is already quite telling to anyone with any type of insight:

More Snakes than Ladders — “In 2040, upward social mobility is almost unheard of in Canada. Hardly anyone believes that they can build a better life for themselves, or their children, through their own efforts. However, many worry about sliding down the social order.”

The heading More Snakes than Ladders obviously is a play on the child’s game Snakes and Ladders, where if your game marker lands on a ladder you go up the rungs to win the game, and if it lands on a snake, you slide down, falling behind. So with a title like that — despite the valiant efforts of Ms. Tunney to downplay it — this seems to be setting the stage for some ominous predictions as the report presumes to focus on the snakes.

The only problem is that most of those snakes slithered into Canada long before 2040.

In 2040 the idea of pursuing post-secondary education will no longer be considered a reliable path to social mobility. Tuition and housing costs exclude all but the wealthy from being able to afford it.

Isn’t this already the case for many? Currently we hear stories of university students living in homeless shelters and going to food banks because they can’t afford rent or groceries. Enrolments in colleges and universities are already in a downward trend because tuition is outrageous and ordinary people simply can’t afford it. Additionally many young people are beginning to question the cost in terms of whether it will buy them a better life, as many graduates often find themselves working as baristas or waiters because they can’t get jobs in their fields of study or jobs that pay enough to pay their bills. This is now, so how much worse can it get?

In 2040, owning a home is not a realistic goal for many.

This is already the case in 2025, and has been the case for a number of years before that. The statistics are depressing, with home ownership rates among Canadians ages 18-34 dropping from 50 percent 25 in in that last five years. This decline is largely attributed to rising housing costs, including high mortgage rates and prohibitive home prices and the overall rising cost of living caused by inflation and carbon taxes. Skyrocketing real estate prices have made home ownership out of reach for even those with decent jobs. Many young people can’t even afford to the high rents they have to pay while trying to save for a house. Just recently we heard the story of a 26 year old firefighter in Toronto who had to move back in with his parents because he could not afford rent and groceries while trying to save money for a down payment on a house, and he is making a six figure salary!

The only hope for some is to get help from parents, if they have the necessary financial resources. That, however, is dwindling as well, as retirees find their savings drying up as they face lower return on their investments due to market conditions or lower interest rates combined with higher living costs due to inflation and increasing taxes from all levels of government. The only real investment they may have is their home.

“Property ownership – and by extension wealth – may become even more concentrated if younger generations abandon the idea of buying single-family dwellings in favour of renting or forming alternative households.” And if you’re wondering what alternative household. I wasn’t quite sure what alternative households are so I did a little research and again, discovered — we are already there.

Alternative households include living with relatives — your parents, or perhaps your in-laws, or getting roommates to help share costs. Of course we have heard the stories of high numbers of foreign students or new immigrants living together crowded quarters. Then where is this idea of working as in-home caregiver for an elderly person in lieu of rent, or living in vans or other type of mini or modular housing… or in tent cities?

In 2040 people will look to inheritance as the only reliable way to get ahead.

The report predicts that society will increasingly resemble an aristocracy with wealth and status passed down the generations. Family background – especially owning property – will divide the ‘haves’ from the ‘have-nots’. We are not quite there yet, but soon will be, based on many of the factors mentioned in the previous paragraph affecting the middle class. Many adult children from middle class families are seeing the hopes of any inheritance coming their way dwindling as inflation, low interest rates, and increasing taxes chip away at their parents savings. So the inter-generational wealth of middle class families leaving something for children or grandchildren is shrinking rapidly. Soon it will only be the ultra rich elites that can leave a wealthy legacy to the heirs.

In 2040 there will be a lowering of aspirations and expectations in the population in climbing the social ladder.

This is already the case for much of the younger generation right now in 2025, for reasons that have already been discussed. The limited job and career opportunities because of economic downturns, the inability to own a home and to have a family all work against young people in climbing the social ladder.

The report talks about: “Cognitive dissonance between what youth are programmed to want and what they know they can expect leads to frustration and apathy.” Yes, living in your parent’s basement, playing video games and watching pornography all day, while smoking mind numbing pot that only serves to blunt any motivation or initiative one might have to do anything with one’s life. And we know that is the case for many young men, in particular. Given this, the report might have wanted to figure into this prediction, how much the legalization of marijuana and the softening of other drug laws might contribute to this situation, but it doesn’t. As a matter of fact it doesn’t mention Canada’s growing drug abuse and addiction problem, or fentanyl problem at all.

In 2040, the Canadian economy could shrink or become less predictable. What is predictable is that the economy it is likely to shrink more. Just look at where Canada now sits with its GDP (Gross Domestic Product*) compared to most other major economies in the world.

*GDP per capita measures a country's economic output per person, providing a rough indicator of the average standard of living. It's calculated by dividing a country's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by its population.

Capital for investment in new enterprises may concentrate in the hands of a small number of very wealthy, older people. That is largely the case now, with the tech giants and other major businesses holding all the cards.

Job actions and strikes may disrupt economic development. We have already seen some of that with recent strikes and work stoppages as labour unions negotiate higher pay for workers to keep up with inflation and other cost of living concerns, such as housing, once again. The following labour disputes occurred in 2024. The Canada Post strike, which may resume in mid-2025; the Quebec Common Front Strikes which contributed to significant worked stoppages in that province 2024, the BC and Montreal Port Strikes that included a lockout of workers and government intervention to resolve the dispute, and the rail strikes involving workers at CN and Canadian Pacific Kansas City .

In 2040 people’s mental health will suffer.

It is clear we are here already and for the reasons listed in the report. Because people are already struggling with the stress to afford rent and pay their bills and buy groceries now and because their is so much uncertainty in their futures. One only has to look at the staggering line ups at food banks, the sharp rise in homelessness with people living in tent cities or even in their cars. The mental health crisis has reached the point already that the current social services and Canada’s crumbling health system cannot meet the demands.

Additionally, what is not noted here, is that private counselling and therapy, most of which is not covered under any public health system, is expensive and out of reach for those that need it the most. The statistics on the numbers of young adults and even adolescents and children battling depression and anxiety and other associated mental illnesses is staggering.

Some have not yet recovered from the draconian ‘safety’ measures imposed during the pandemic as reported by the Canadian Mental Health Association. Many people battling mental illness, which is not mentioned in the report, will often self medicate with drugs and alcohol, thus worsening the alarming addiction crisis Canada is already facing. Another element that should be mentioned in any document looking to the future of Canada, but is not in this one.

Workers may seek greener pastures elsewhere. We have already heard about the brain drain with professionals like doctors, engineers and other areas of STEM fields going to the United States or elsewhere in the world where they see better opportunities and better pay. A report issued by Immigration Canada in in late 2023 details, with alarm, a startling exodus. It is doubtful things have improved.

Canada may become a less attractive destination for migrants if it is seen as a country where upward mobility is uncommon. This is already occurring, migrants and immigrants who have arrived are returning or planning to return to their home countries when they see what little opportunity there is for them in Canada, as reporter in Reuters as early as late 2023.

If young workers leave Canada, it may become harder to pay for the systems that support a growing number of older people. In a recent survey taken after Donald Trump pondered making Canada the 51st state, asked how Canadians felt about that, the majority who felt that might not be a bad idea were young men. Beyond this observation, this section looks like it's leaning towards the fact the elderly are going to be left out in the cold when it comes to pensions and health care. We aren’t quite there yet, but again it won’t take 15 years for this to occur given the current state of Canada’s pension funds and health care system.

What is not mentioned in the section under people seeking greener pastures is that many young middle class families are also seeking greener pastures, as are retirees who fear what the future may hold for them in Canada. Places like Portugal, Costa Rica, many Caribbean islands, and ‘red’ states in the US are fast becoming destinations for those who still have the means to put down new roots.

In 2040 people might find alternative ways to meet their basic needs.

Strangely enough this element of that the report tries to make some things sound ominous that are not necessarily bad, and are actually happening now as well. “Housing, food, childcare, and healthcare co-operatives may become more common.” In addition to other community based organizations such as homeschooling co-ops have also become a growing trend with families coming together for various educational activities and social interactions, often led by parents and retired teachers, meeting in homes, churches and community centres. These have arisen largely from parental concerns that public and even some private schools are indoctrinating rather than educating their children — the report does not mention this though.

The report says that forms of person-to-person exchange of goods and services could become even more popular, reducing tax revenues and consumer safety. Gardening co-ops, and people growing their own food may also become more common and exchanging it for other goods. This underground market already exists and is growing and it not only involves bartering, but also cash payments for goods and services to avoid paying sales and income taxes, in a country that is already vastly over taxed — thus reducing tax revenue flowing into the government. Communities working together to address needs without government intervention in these areas don’t sound like terrible idea. It was the way societies evolved and took care of themselves for thousands of years without government intervention. But it could prove worrisome to a government that is prone to interventionism.

But one must be wary of “grassroots solutions,” the report suggests. “Governments may come to seem irrelevant the they cannot enforce basic regulations or if people increasingly rely on grassroots solutions to meet basic needs.”

Does this mean that government, in losing control may begin cracking down and enforcing regulations to regain control using, possibly draconian measures?

In closing, as mentioned earlier the report states: But loss of belief in social mobility could also make space for positive ideas. People could rethink what ‘prosperity’ means, or ‘fulfillment’. They may reject conspicuous consumption. They may focus on policies that promote human flourishing. This could include healthcare, housing, the environment, and education for its own sake.

This, as also mentioned earlier sounds like a valiant attempt to lower expectations with flowery words and purple prose changing concepts and meanings around “fulfillment and prosperity.” It’s kind of like putting lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig. Don’t fall for it, and don’t fall for the the Cartel media’s attempts to sweep the report under the rug to save the Liberals, yet again — because it has the fingerprints of the Trudeau government’s damaging policies all over it, and is indeed an harbinger of similar things to come if Mark Carney should he win the election…. so if you think things are bad now…..

You can read the whole report here..