Challenges Ahead for Canada's Public Sector

September 12, 2011 | BOB RAE, INTERIM LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA

Some of the journalists on Parliament Hill like to joke that nothing ever happens during the summer. For reporters who cover the economy and financial markets, July and August have been anything but boring. Today, there are 18 percent more unemployed Canadians than there were three years ago. While inflation has remained relatively low, key household staples like groceries and gasoline have been climbing quickly. Over the past ten years, the average price for a house in Canada has increased roughly 70 percent but salaries certainly haven't kept up.