On March 21, 2023, the Max Bell School of Public Policy hosted Should Canadians Worry About Inflation? Is the Cure Worse than the Disease?, a panel event that brought together top economists, Armine Yalnizyan and Frances Donald, to discuss the rising costs of living in Canada and the potential steps governments could take to reduce inflation or its harmful effects. Watch the recording of the panel below to learn more about how Canada can battle inflation.
Like many countries, Canada has experienced a sharp increase in consumer price inflation since mid-2021. The rising costs of living has been especially harmful to low-and middle-income families. Armine Yalnizyan, Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers, and Frances Donald, Global Chief Economist & Head of the Macroeconomic and Strategy Team at Manulife Investment Management, spoke to Chris Ragan about the scope of the inflation problem and the potential policies the Canadian government can implement to cure inflation.
The event was hosted in partnership with the Douglas Caldwell Layton Foundation, and the winners of the Jack Layton Essay Prize for a Better Canada were announced. Master of Public Policy candidates Jimy Beltran and Abigail Jackson were awarded the 2023 prize. Their winning essay, "A tale of two bread lines: Rising inflation in a Canadian context" outlined critical actions Canada could take to fight inflation. The essay is structured around the discrepancies between the low-and middle-income individuals and the excessive spending by others.
