OTTAWA — The value of retirement assets of those aged 55 to 64 without an employer pension - representing about half in this age cohort in Canada - is wholly inadequate, with a median value of only $250 for those earning between $25,000 and $50,000 and $21,000 for those with incomes in the $50,000 and $100,000 range, a new study has found.

An Analysis of the Economic Circumstances of Canadian Seniors, authored by statistician Richard Shillington of Tristat Resources and released by the Broadbent Institute, also shows the Old Age Security (OAS) and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) guarantee levels are falling behind and trends in income sources for seniors suggest that high poverty rates among seniors will further increase. The poverty rates for single seniors are already high, especially for women with a rate of nearly 30 per cent.

OTTAWA — Most Canadians think the way members of Parliament are elected needs to change and a system of proportional representation is the most preferred alternative, a landmark Canadian survey has found.

The large national survey of 2,986 Canadians conducted November 3 to 6 by Abacus Data for the Broadbent Institute is the first study of its kind and size to measure Canadians’ attitudes about voting system design and preference for electoral reform. The large sample allowed for robust estimates across regional, demographic and political subgroups. The Abacus study also asked those who voted in the 2015 Canadian General Election to rank a ballot that included the main political parties and generated data for 11 regions to estimate, with increased precision, the outcome of the Canadian election had it been run under different electoral systems.

TORONTO—Alberta Premier Rachel Notley will deliver the keynote address at the Broadbent Institute’s annual Progress Gala on Thursday, November 12, 2015.

TORONTO — Canada must ensure there are broader changes to our economy beyond carbon pricing alone if the country is to move toward a low-carbon economy, says a new report released today by the Mowat Centre and the Broadbent Institute.

The two think tanks say that in the lead-up to next month’s UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, Canada’s new federal government must articulate a broad and clear agenda that recognizes climate change is a fundamental global threat demanding Canadian leadership.

OTTAWA — The Broadbent Institute today launched a digital campaign with the release of a new video to seize on the momentum for change as advance polls open.

Can’t Wait, a one-minute video produced in English and French by Pollinator Films, captures the excitement and urgency people are feeling as voting day approaches. In five vignettes, the video uses humour to grab people’s attention.

MONTREAL— Quebecers greatly underestimate the wealth gap in Quebec and would prefer a much more balanced distribution of wealth. These findings are the key takeaways from the first nationwide survey that asked Canadians from all provinces how they think wealth is distributed and what they think would be the ideal distribution.

OTTAWA — The country’s most active right-leaning charities reported zero “political” activity in 2014 while engaging in work that appears to meet the Canada Revenue Agency’s own definition, a new Broadbent Institute survey has found. This raises fresh questions about how conservative-oriented charities are interpreting CRA’s definition of “political” activity and the agency’s political-activity auditing program.

OTTAWA— A five-year $50-billion public infrastructure spending initiative would generate a return on investment to Canadians over the long term as high as $3.83 per dollar spent, trigger significant private sector investment and stimulate wage increases, according to a new study by an independent economic modelling firm.

OTTAWA—The Broadbent Institute’s Stand up for Progress National Tour featuring Harry Leslie Smith wraps up today after the Second World War veteran traveled nearly 17,000 kilometers inspiring the next generation of progressives in the lead-up to the federal election.

Canada’s oldest rebel and author of Harry’s Last Stand: How The World My Generation Built Is Falling Down, And What We Can Do To Save It hit seven Canadian cities across five provinces, from Victoria to Halifax, in the past month. The tour ends in Oshawa today.

Ottawa, ON—Canadian millennials have little confidence in politicians and are even more jaded than their American counterparts are about whether they care about young people’s views or are interested in taking action on youth priorities, according to a new pioneering comparative survey.