Climate change isn’t topping Canadians’ priority lists anymore, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped caring.

New polling shows only 13% of Canadians now rank climate change as a top personal issue, down sharply from 2019. With affordability, housing, and the economy dominating attention, it’s easy to think climate action has fallen off the radar.

But the data tells a more complicated story.

In this episode, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down new surveys from Abacus Data and Ipsos showing Canadians still feel a moral obligation to act, are making more sustainable purchasing decisions, and want governments to do more, even as optimism declines and affordability pressures grow.

They also explore why climate messaging may be backfiring, how individual actions can feel too small to matter, and why smart housing policy could reduce both emissions and household costs.

In this episode:

- Why climate change dropped in Canadians’ priorities
- Whether affordability is crowding out climate action
- Who’s actually buying sustainable products
- Why Canadians still want government action
- The gap between individual effort and policy leadership
- How housing policy can lower costs and emissions

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Climate Action vs. Affordability Trade-off
00:22 The Worrying Drop in Climate Change as a Top Priority
01:20 Climate Engagement Remains Strong Despite Affordability Issues
02:23 Who Are the Conscious Consumers? Income, Age, and the Moral Obligation
03:25 Generational Views on Climate Hope and Hopelessness
04:45 Why Bother? The Feeling of Tiny Individual Efforts
05:57 Government Action: Massive Mandate vs. Lack of Clear Plan
07:38 Blending Environment and Finance: Smart Housing Policy Solutions

Research/links:
https://moreandbetterhousing.ca/2024/11/19/fourpathways/
https://angusreid.org/election-2019-climate-change/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Rents are finally falling across Canada. But will it last?

In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down new data from the CMHC showing rising vacancy rates, record rental supply, and the first meaningful relief for tenants in years. They explore why an influx of new housing and slower population growth are pushing rents down, and what that reveals about how housing markets actually work.

But the conversation goes deeper: from the real impact of immigration on housing demand, to the heated debate over rent control and new policy changes in Manitoba that could reshape the market. Will government intervention protect renters, or make the housing shortage worse? And what happens next as Canada’s population growth slows and hundreds of thousands of new units come online?

00:40–01:38: Introduction: Rent Control in Manitoba and the Risk to New Housing Supply

01:38–02:58: CMHC Report Findings and the Impact of Supply on Decreased Rents

02:58–03:46: The Link Between Immigration Policy and Housing Scarcity

03:46–04:27: Future Rental Market Forecast: Supply-Demand Mismatch

04:27–05:38: Developers' Investment Decisions Based on Future Immigration Targets

05:38–09:24: The Core Debate: Personal Experience, Stability, and Rent Control's Impact on Supply

09:24–10:26: Detailed Breakdown of Manitoba's Bill 13 Rent Control Expansion

10:26–12:36: Controversy Over Above Guideline Increases (AGI) and Renters' Need for Stability

12:36–15:14: Concerns Over Sustainability, Discouraging Investment, and Who Should Cover Landlord Costs

15:14–16:17: Final Thoughts on Bill 13 and Conversation Conclusion

Research/Links:

NDP plan to expand Manitoba rent control protections

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-residential-tenancies-changes-renters-9.7125916

Big rent hikes — a made-in-Manitoba problem

https://www.policyalternatives.ca/news-research/big-rent-hikes-a-made-in-manitoba-problem/

Rent control killing jobs: landlords

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/04/07/rent-control-killing-jobs-landlords

Bill 13 - THE RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES AMENDMENT ACT

https://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/43-3/b013e.php

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Young Canadians are now less happy than seniors, and the gap is getting worse.

The latest World Happiness Report shows Canadians under 30 have fallen to 71st in the world for life satisfaction, while Canada’s overall ranking has dropped from 5th to 25th. In this episode, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern break down what’s driving the decline — from housing affordability and falling “option freedom” to expectations, social media, and why the drop is concentrated in countries like Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia.

We also explain how the World Happiness Report actually works, why expectations matter as much as income, and what policy choices may be making young Canadians feel like they’re playing by a different set of rules.

Chapters

00:00 Intro: The U-Shape of Happiness and Midlife Crisis

00:51 Canada's New Phenomenon: Young Adults Are Less Happy

01:48 From 5th to 25th: Canada's Global Happiness Ranking

03:00 How Happiness is Measured: The Gallup Poll Ladder Question

04:43 The Fundamental Equation of Happiness: Expectations vs. Reality

06:11 Canada's Mixed Ratings: Inequality and "Option Freedom"

07:18 Social Media's Impact: Passive vs. Communication Platforms

08:50 The Real Solution: Fixing Middle Class Housing and Policy Choices

Research/links:

World Happiness Report 2026 | The World Happiness Report

https://www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2026/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/