You have to understand that’s a video released by the leader of the official opposition so it’s going to be pretty, uh, slanted. Yes, we’re having cost of living problems like everywhere else. Our housing is a huge sore point. But you’re from New Zealand…? I’m guessing? So I imagine you know pretty well about that, and our inflation is something like half yours. Society isn’t on the verge of collapse.

You’re a foreigner but all your lemmy posts are about Canadian politics and your link is to a campaign video for Pierre Poilievre?

Rent and house prices have inflated significantly in recent years but that only effects people who don’t own a home. I own a home so I haven’t noticed drastic increases in my expenses. I spend about $1,000 a month on mortgage and house bills, I have friends renting small apartments for $2,000 a month. It’s impossible to save for a downpayment with that kind of monthly expense. A downpayment would be something like $50,000 for a really cheap place. If you don’t own a home already, I really do feel like you’re stuck unless someone helps you with the downpayment (typically parents/grandparents). This really needs to be fixed.

Groceries can be expensive too but I meal prep cheap foods like pasta, curry, burritos and pizza. I eat for about $80 a week. I know people who spend $400 a week because they buy non-essentials. When I talk to them about this they usually just say that they want to be able to eat what they what, when they want, and not have to be rich to enjoy such a simple luxury. I get it, but unlike housing and rent, I don’t have much sympathy for people spending $20 on Doritos and Pepsi or using a food delivery app to order a burger and fries for $50. Yes it’s expense, so stop buying it.

Edit: I forgot kids. Raising a kid is a huge expense. My friends with kids are broke. This is a pretty common problem in any advanced economy though, which is why their birth rates are so low.

It’s bad, ie rents keep rising, groceries keep rising, gas keeps going up. Average wages don’t. But at the same time we have lots of people with plenty of money, moms with time to walk their kids to the parks on a Tuesday afternoon… Plenty of people are making plenty of money. It’s just that if you aren’t one of those it’s pretty difficult.

Younger peeps are just living with roommates or shacking up to make it work. But they aren’t living in vans en mass, or something.

It depends where. BC and Ontario, most notably Vancouver and Toronto city, are completely absurd. Québec and the maritimes are fine. A bungalow that goes for 1.5 million dollars in Toronto or Vancouver is about 200-300k$ elsewhere. My house is worth something along those lines nowadays. People just need to move around a bit more instead of being held hostage in those 2 cities. Montreal is just as big, and houses can be gotten for 400-500k there.