20 hard questions for Canadian high school students

 

20 hard questions for Canadian high school students

1. Where does Canada's federal government get its money, and where does every dollar go?

2. How much does Canada spend on housing and homelessness compared with defence, infrastructure, business incentives and other major priorities?

3. If Canada has a housing shortage, why aren't we building enough homes? What are the actual barriers?

4. How much would it cost to provide enough affordable and supportive housing for people currently experiencing homelessness?

5. Who owns Canada's land, and how much publicly owned land could potentially be used for housing?

6. How much does it actually cost to build an average home in Canada—and how much of the final price comes from land, construction, taxes, fees and financing?

7. What happens to the price of housing when supply increases? What happens when demand increases? Can students find Canadian evidence for both?

8. How much of Canada's housing is owned by individuals, corporations, investors and different levels of government?

9. How much does Canada collect from oil, gas, mining, forestry and other natural resources—and who receives those revenues?

10. Should natural-resource wealth be spent today, saved for future generations, or divided between the two? What have different countries actually done?

11. Why does Norway have a sovereign wealth fund, and could Canada create or expand similar mechanisms using Canadian resource revenues?

12. Norway is considered a climate leader while remaining a major oil and gas producer. How can both things be true?

13. Which countries are simultaneously pursuing climate targets while producing and exporting fossil fuels? Why do they do it?

14. Canada is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and data-centre infrastructure. What are the expected economic benefits, costs and environmental impacts?

15. How much electricity and water do large data centres require, and who pays for the infrastructure needed to support them?

16. If governments say there isn't enough money to solve a problem, what does “can't afford it” actually mean? Is the limitation money, resources, labour, political choices, inflation, debt or something else?

17. What are Canada's federal, provincial and municipal governments each responsible for when it comes to housing—and where does responsibility overlap or fall through the cracks?

18. What are Indigenous Nations' rights and roles in decisions involving natural resources, fisheries and development on their territories? How have those rights changed Canadian decision-making?

19. What happened to Canada's wild Pacific salmon over the past several decades, and what evidence exists concerning the causes—including climate change, habitat loss, fishing and salmon farming?

20. If you were given Canada's entire federal budget for one year, what would you change—and what evidence would you use to defend every change?

If Canada is wealthy in resources, human talent and economic capacity, why do some Canadians still struggle to afford the basic necessities of life?

Don't tell us what you think the answer is. Investigate it. Follow the money. Check the evidence. Talk to people affected. Look at what other countries have done. Then tell us what you found.