Show Notes
We talk to Dr. Elaine MacDonald about a major update to Canada's most important environmental law and why it’s a big win for generational fairness.
The House of Commons recently passed landmark legislation overhauling the Canadian Environmental Protection Act for the first time in decades and recognizing the right of every individual in Canada to a healthy environment. Not only that, Bill S-5 tasked the federal government with upholding the principle of intergenerational equity in the bill’s implementation.
Dr. MacDonald was one of the bill's champions and is Ecojustice’s Healthy Communities Program Director. She’s an environmental engineer who applies her expertise to work related to air quality, water pollution, and toxic substances.
Highlights
“We need to be protecting the environment for all generations, including future generations. So it really instills a kind of long-term thinking into government decision making,” Dr. MacDonald says. “Even within existing generations…when they're assessing substances for regulation under CEPA, they need to be thinking about all the generations that are currently here, from children to elderly people.”
Learn more
Ecojustice: Working to bring CEPA into the 21st century
From our Substack: A step forward for intergenerational equity
Government of Canada announces passage of Bill S-5: Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act
Dr. David Boyd’s book, The Right to a Healthy Environment: Revitalizing Canada's Constitution
UN passes universal right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
More from Generation Squeeze's Hard Truths
Mark Carney’s economic plan for Building Canada Strong is a medium-term project but Canadians shouldn’t have to wait years for meaningful financial relief. Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw explains how small changes to Canada’s federal budget could easily unlock the funds needed to provide greater and more widespread affordability measures for Canadians who genuinely need help now—and do so far more effectively than simply waiting for long-termeconomic growth to arrive.
“Is Canada Failing the Next Generation?” Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw joins award-winning lead columnist at the National Observer, Max Fawcett on his podcast Power Lines. This is a replay of that episode. Their conversation sheds light on the growing generational divide in Canada and explains how reforming retirement income supports might be Canada's best shot at restoring affordability for all!
Government budgets shape how we live – and how we feel. The consequences of government policy choices can be seen in new research on happiness. While, baby boomers remain relatively happy, the average life satisfaction of Canadians under age 30 is in steep decline. Gen Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw unpacks why young Canadians are increasingly miserable and what we can do about it.
Old Age Security is the largest program expense in the federal budget and is a driving force behind the federal deficit. A new national poll shows 3/4 of Canadians, including seniors, support reform so that benefits are reduced for higher-income households, and the savings are repurposed to eliminate seniors’ poverty and improve affordability for younger generations. Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw explains why OAS reform was once politically untouchable and how things have changed.
Canada’s National Housing Strategy is the federal government’s main plan for tackling housing affordability. The strategy expires in 2027. If it isn’t renewed, federal housing spending will drop by more than half. Gen Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw unpacks what’s at stake and why a housing system that works for the next generation can’t be built on ever-rising home prices for the last.