In-house Privy Council research indicated middle-class Canadians were disappointed with the cabinet's Strong Middle Class budget.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, federal focus group participants said they felt overtaxed and disillusioned with the cabinet.“No participants felt the Government of Canada currently devoted enough attention to the middle class,” wrote researchers. “Asked what more could be done to help middle-income households, several expressed the need for tax relief.”The recently revealed focus group report is dated April 12, which is two weeks after the cabinet presented its Strong Middle Class budget on March 28.“Asked whether the budget was focused on the right issues most expressed uncertainty,” said the report Continuous Qualitative Data Collections of Canadians’ Views.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in her budget address, mentioned “middle class,” “families” and “work” 24 times. The response was not positive, wrote researchers.“Many expressed disappointment there were not more initiatives introduced that would directly benefit the middle class,” said Canadians’ Views. “The view was reiterated by several that middle-income Canadians were also struggling financially and required a far greater level of support than they were currently receiving.”Middle-income Canadians were also doubtful of the repeated claims made by the cabinet that Canada had the best economic indicators among the G7 countries.“A large number expressed skepticism regarding this statement, with many stating this information did not align with what they had observed in their own lives,” said the report. “It was widely thought that many low- and middle-income Canadians continued to face significant economic challenges and even if the statement was technically correct, it did not mean these issues had been resolved.”The findings came from nationwide focus groups. The Privy Council commissioned this research under an $814,741 contract with a Toronto-based polling firm The Strategic Counsel.In a previous Access to Information memo, the finance department calculated the middle class in Canada had shrunk to a minority.“Concerns have been raised that Canada’s middle class, families in the middle of the income distribution, has been shrinking and ‘hollowing out,’” said the 2016 memo Growth Strategy Storyline.“The share of the population in middle-income, if defined as those with adjusted after-tax family income between 75% and 150% of the median, slightly declined from about 50% in the 1980s to 46% in 2011,” said Storyline. “This was due to increased shares of the Canadian population in both higher and lower income groups.”
In-house Privy Council research indicated middle-class Canadians were disappointed with the cabinet's Strong Middle Class budget.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, federal focus group participants said they felt overtaxed and disillusioned with the cabinet.“No participants felt the Government of Canada currently devoted enough attention to the middle class,” wrote researchers. “Asked what more could be done to help middle-income households, several expressed the need for tax relief.”The recently revealed focus group report is dated April 12, which is two weeks after the cabinet presented its Strong Middle Class budget on March 28.“Asked whether the budget was focused on the right issues most expressed uncertainty,” said the report Continuous Qualitative Data Collections of Canadians’ Views.Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, in her budget address, mentioned “middle class,” “families” and “work” 24 times. The response was not positive, wrote researchers.“Many expressed disappointment there were not more initiatives introduced that would directly benefit the middle class,” said Canadians’ Views. “The view was reiterated by several that middle-income Canadians were also struggling financially and required a far greater level of support than they were currently receiving.”Middle-income Canadians were also doubtful of the repeated claims made by the cabinet that Canada had the best economic indicators among the G7 countries.“A large number expressed skepticism regarding this statement, with many stating this information did not align with what they had observed in their own lives,” said the report. “It was widely thought that many low- and middle-income Canadians continued to face significant economic challenges and even if the statement was technically correct, it did not mean these issues had been resolved.”The findings came from nationwide focus groups. The Privy Council commissioned this research under an $814,741 contract with a Toronto-based polling firm The Strategic Counsel.In a previous Access to Information memo, the finance department calculated the middle class in Canada had shrunk to a minority.“Concerns have been raised that Canada’s middle class, families in the middle of the income distribution, has been shrinking and ‘hollowing out,’” said the 2016 memo Growth Strategy Storyline.“The share of the population in middle-income, if defined as those with adjusted after-tax family income between 75% and 150% of the median, slightly declined from about 50% in the 1980s to 46% in 2011,” said Storyline. “This was due to increased shares of the Canadian population in both higher and lower income groups.”
