Welcome to the Missing Middle, a 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.
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What Happens When an Outsider Runs for Party Leader? | Eric Lombardi
Season 1 · Episode 213
Tuesday, October 6, 2026 • Duration 59:13
We often talk about how politics caters to seniors at the expense of young people, and that part of the cure is to get more young voices into politics.
But what actually happens when a young outsider puts their name on the ballot for a major party leadership position?
In this episode of Answer Period, former Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Eric Lombardi joins us for a candid conversation about his outsider campaign, navigating the tension between sound-bite politics and deep policy, and the double-edged sword of social media in modern campaigns. We'll dive into the harsh realities facing young political outsiders, what it truly takes to challenge the establishment, and key takeaways for the next generation of leaders looking to make a real impact.
Credits: Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social
Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social
Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social
Sean Foreman @seanegertonforeman https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social
Canadian Civil youtube.com/CanadianCivil
Co-op Student Francis Gabriel Carmona
Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/
Housing affordability is increasingly shaping how young people think about politics, political parties, and the future of democracy.
On this episode of DemograFix, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern explore what research tells us about the relationship between the housing crisis and young people's political views across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Does declining housing affordability deepen the divide between younger and older voters? Is it pushing young people away from centrist parties, or toward the left or right? And what happens when an entire generation starts to lose faith in its ability to ever own a home?
Mike puts six statements about housing and politics to Cara, drawing on academic research and polling data to explore how housing affordability is reshaping political priorities, polarization, voter engagement, and the desire for homeownership.
Chapters:
00:00 Housing Affordability Is a Global Crisis
01:26 Could the Housing Crisis Radicalize Young Voters?
03:45 Is Housing Widening the Generational Political Divide?
06:24 Is the Housing Crisis Polarizing Young Voters?
10:12 Is Housing Pushing Young People Left or Right?
13:11 How Housing Is Creating a New Class Divide
17:12 Is the Housing Crisis Driving Political Disengagement?
Bank of Canada’s Carolyn Rogers on Productivity, Trade-offs, and Housing
Season 1 · Episode 211
Thursday, October 1, 2026 • Duration 17:24
Join us for an exclusive post-speech interview with Bank of Canada Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers following her address to the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and CFA Society Victoria.
In this conversation, Rogers sits down to unpack her frank speech on Canada's housing affordability dilemma. We discuss why interest rates are too blunt of a tool to fix housing, how Canada's heavy reliance on residential real estate impacts our national productivity, and what regulatory stress tests actually achieved versus what they couldn't fix. Plus, we dive into the trade-offs of measuring shelter costs in the CPI and what it will genuinely take to untangle the Canadian economy from the housing trap.
Research:
Canada’s housing market / Le marché canadien du logement
In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt examine how Canada’s outdated Employment Insurance model leaves young professionals and gig workers behind during record spikes in youth unemployment. They explore why current rules penalize urban renters, how maximum benefits fall short of basic living costs, and what practical policy reforms could fix the system for the modern workforce.
Chapters:
00:00 Canada’s EI System Wasn’t Built for Today’s Workers
01:02 How Employment Insurance Became Outdated
02:16 How EI Eligibility Actually Works
03:10 Why Young Workers Are Falling Through the EI Gaps
06:23 EI Doesn’t Cover Most Gig Workers
07:38 The EI Rules That Punish Short-Term Jobs
09:24 What Happens When EI Runs Out?
11:11 Why Ottawa’s EI Fixes Aren’t Helping Young Workers
15:03 EI Benefits Don’t Go Very Far in Toronto
17:42 How We Could Actually Fix Employment Insurance
Can Egg Freezing Really Delay Your Biological Clock?
Season 1 · Episode 209
Friday, September 25, 2026 • Duration 18:30
As life milestones like finishing school, buying a house, and getting married get pushed further into our 30s, biology remains the one deadline that refuses to bend. In this episode of DemograFix, hosts Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern take a deep dive into the business, economics, and realities of egg freezing, sparked by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) publicly sharing her own fertility journey.
Mike and Cara discuss how skyrocketing housing prices, student debt, and extended education force modern life choices to clash directly with biological clocks. They break down what real-world data shows about live birth success rates, explain why calling the procedure an insurance policy is deeply misleading, and unpack the steep financial burden and physical toll involved.
While egg freezing gives many people options and extra time, this episode asks the bigger question of whether medical technology can truly fix the broader structural economic problems delaying family life today.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro: Delayed Milestones and Biological Realities
00:42 - AOC’s Journey & Public Misconceptions Around Egg Freezing
01:52 - Why Economic Factors Are Pushing Fertility Later
03:58 - Corporate Benefits: Workplace Culture vs. True Solutions
05:12 - The Emotional and Physical Reality of the Process
07:12 - High-Pressure Marketing and "Insurance Policy" Claims
09:50 - What the Data Actually Says About Success Rates
12:11 - Ideal Ages vs. Realities of When People Freeze Eggs
13:28 - Financial Costs and Lack of Public Coverage
15:12 - Common Myths About Aging Eggs and Fertility
16:15 - The Need for Clinic Transparency and Industry Regulation
17:20 - Conclusion: Fix Structural Causes, Not Just Biological Clocks
Dragon’s Den Legend Reacts To Today’s Squeezed Economy: Interview with David Chilton
Season 1 · Episode 208
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 • Duration 45:49
In this episode of Classonomics, host Mike Moffatt sits down with financial advice guru David Chilton, author of the Canadian classic The Wealthy Barber and former co-host of Dragon's Den. Decades after his original bestseller offered foundational advice to young Canadians, Chilton reflects on how drastically the economic landscape has shifted, and why writing his updated edition proved far more challenging.
The conversation dives deep into the realities facing young adults today, from ubiquitous credit and skyrocketing housing costs to the inflation rates hit hardest by major life stages. Chilton and Moffatt dissect the underlying factors behind housing unaffordability, such as stubborn land costs and municipal development fees, while addressing the growing "brain drain" of talent moving away from expensive urban centers. They also evaluate whether renting and investing the difference in broad-market, low-cost ETFs can outperform traditional homeownership, the dangers of online sports gambling among young men, and how older generations truly feel about housing value trade-offs.
Finally, Chilton shares actionable, practical guidance tailored for three groups: policy recommendations for economic productivity, non-financial advice on staying optimistic for recent graduates, and smart pre-retirement steps for mid-career professionals.
The Wealthy Barber 2025 Indigo Exclusive: The Fully Updated All-Time Canadian Classic
Why Everyone Is Fighting Over Bike Lanes
Season 1 · Episode 207
Friday, September 18, 2026 • Duration 22:41
How did bike lanes become the ultimate political wedge issue?
In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern sits down with Tom Babin, urban cycling advocate and creator of the YouTube channel Shifter, to break down the growing "bike-lash" across Canada and the U.S. From provincial overrides in Ontario and Alberta to the culture wars dividing suburban drivers and downtown commuters, we explore why bike infrastructure generates such intense debate.
We dive into the math behind induced demand, the reality of winter cycling, why "road diets" actually work, and how cities can design better, safer streets for everyone.
Chapters:
00:00:00 The Bike Lane Culture War
00:03:10 Bike Lanes & Politics: Evidence vs. Fact
00:05:03 How Amalgamation Ruined Everything
00:06:29 Do Anti-Bike Policies Actually Win Votes?
00:08:11 Why Biking Belongs on Both Sides of Politics
00:09:22 Debunking the "Empty Bike Lane" Myth
00:11:03 Why Pro-Bike Campaigns Are Failing in Suburbs
00:12:48 Ravine Trails vs. Real Urban Mobility
00:14:27 Do Winter Bike Lanes Actually Work?
00:15:54 The "One More Lane" Traffic Fallacy
00:17:47 Why Canadian Cities Build Bad Infrastructure
This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament in an effort to "create greater certainty, security, and prosperity for our peoples." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Canada is seeking to become an "Associate Member" of the European Union. In our Answer Period livestream, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt will be talking about the benefits and drawbacks of a closer association with the European Union, what an associate membership could look like, and take viewer questions.
Canada Could Build Better Homes AND Make Them Cheaper
Season 1 · Episode 205
Wednesday, September 9, 2026 • Duration 26:27
Why is Canadian housing so expensive and why are we getting so little for our money? In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt talks with Adam Mongrain of More and Better Housing about how Canada can build more affordable, better-quality homes while also tackling climate change and housing affordability.
They dig into why Canada struggles to build the “missing middle” housing that exists in cities around the world, and how zoning rules, building codes, construction costs and a lack of standardization are making it harder and more expensive to build the homes Canadians actually want. Adam explains why legalizing density isn’t about deregulation, how European-style housing could help lower costs, why Canadian elevators can cost four times as much as comparable ones in Switzerland, and how modern construction methods could transform the housing market.
They also discuss climate-resilient housing, the need for millions more social and not-for-profit homes, and the five “game changers” that More and Better Housing believes could help Canada build more and build better.
Chapters:
00:00 — Why Is Missing Middle Housing Missing?
02:27 — What Does “More and Better Housing” Mean?
04:51 — Can Better Housing Also Be More Affordable?
07:43 — Why New Housing Isn’t Worth the Price
11:23 — What Does “Legalizing Density” Actually Mean?
15:37 — How Building Codes Drive Up Housing Costs
19:14 — Why Factory-Built Housing Needs New Standards
21:57 — Building Housing for a Changing Climate
23:27 — Can Canada Afford Millions of Nonprofit Homes?
Should Parents Get the Right to Vote for Their Kids?
Season 1 · Episode 204
Friday, September 4, 2026 • Duration 23:48
Are Canadian elections actually fair if 7 million citizens are completely excluded from the process?
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt unpack the hidden flaw in Canada’s electoral system: the complete disenfranchisement of children and young people. As Canada’s population ages, politicians are incentivized to cater to older voters while ignoring the long-term economic interests of younger generations.
We explore a radical yet historical solution: proxy voting.
What if parents could cast ballots on behalf of their children? Could giving every citizen a voice from birth fix our policy incentives? And is it an impossible reform?
Chapters:
00:00 - Should Children Have a Vote in Canada?
03:34 - How Demographic Voting Shapes Economic Policy
05:48 - The Issue With Relying on Youth Voter Turnout to Solve Things
08:13 - What Is Proxy Voting for Parents?
10:22 - Would Proxy Voting Lead to Family-Friendly Policy?
12:17 - Can We Trust Parents to Vote in Their Child's Interest?
14:49 - Early Civic Engagement and Primary Caregiver Voting Rules
17:52 - Is Electoral Reform Truly Realistic in Canada?
22:52 - Why Power Disincentivizes Democratic Change
Tobi Lutke’s idea that pensioners be excluded from voting is offensive. The concern behind it isn’t
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More and Better Housing Canada website: https://www.moreandbetterhousing.ca/
This is how we could fix a problem Canada has been overlooking for decadeshttps://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/this-is-how-we-could-fix-a-problem-canada-has-been-overlooking-for-decades/article_6970b764-8d33-4d7d-87d6-be8efea8038c.html
Blueprint for More and Better Housing: https://housingandclimate.ca/blueprint/
