Governments talk about equality but keep adding obstacles: high taxes, restrictive licensing, housing rules. To fix the elevator of opportunity, we need to lift these barriers instead of blocking the doors.

In Canada, your chances of getting ahead still depend too much on where you live. Alberta ranks first in social mobility, Quebec last. Artificial barriers hold some provinces back and slow down the whole country.

Canada’s social elevator is broken. Tax burdens, housing rules, and restrictive licensing add artificial barriers to natural disadvantages, holding back the progress of millions of Canadians. It’s time to restore real opportunities for all.

Social mobility is held back by two types of barriers: natural and artificial. While the former are hard to change, the latter—taxes, regulations, restrictive licensing—are in the hands of policymakers. Reducing them means giving everyone more opportunity.

Like Oscar, too many Canadians see their future held back by outdated rules and artificially high costs. Reducing regulatory and tax barriers means giving a real chance to those who want to work and move forward.

Social mobility is the ability to climb the income ladder and move forward through effort and talent. When that chance disappears, trust in the value of hard work crumbles.

In 2024, over 1.2 million Canadians, nearly 1 in 13 ER visits, left without being treated. Crowding, long waits, and lack of options are pushing patients out. It’s time to expand access to health care beyond ERs.

Quebec could have balanced its budget as early as 2023–24. Instead, the government fell into the ratchet effect trap—keeping pandemic-level spending. Now we face a record $13.6B deficit. It’s time to restore fiscal discipline.

Overcrowded ERs and growing waitlists are failing patients. A new poll shows most Canadians support faster care—even if it comes from private providers. It’s time to put patients first.

Ottawa says its deficit spending drives growth, but at what cost? After ramping the debt up to $1.4T, with $54B in annual interest, GDP per capita has inched up just 2.5% in a decade. Meanwhile, a recent inflation surge eroded wages, and young Canadians face a future burdened by debt. Was it worth it?