The National Post, Neo-conservative policies, Statistics Canada

This is an excerpt from an article in the Star by Linda McQuaig. McQuaig once wrote for the National Post! This article shows how the richest have managed to increase their share of income after losing share earlier in the century. It should also be noted that welfare state entitlements have also been erode by neo-conservative policies. The Post is representative of mainstream media that support neo-conservative and neoliberal policies.

Neil Brooks, a tax professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, notes that during this era the share of income received by the richest 1 per cent actually declined – from about 20 per cent in the early part of the century to about 7 or 8 per cent by 1980. The rich didn't like this, and have been waging a kind of class war ever since, convincing governments to impose "neo-conservative" policies like lower minimum wages, tighter monetary policy, less social insurance protection, open markets and shifting the tax burden from capital to labour.
The results have been grim for many Canadians, but spectacular for the rich, particularly the very rich. During the last quarter century, the richest .01 per cent of Canadians saw their real incomes rise on average from $2.9 million to $5.9 million – an increase of $3 million!
Those defending the neo-conservative policy package typically argue it's been necessitated by "globalization" – even though many European countries have avoided this path and are competing nicely in the global economy.
As the class war rages on, embedded journalists over at the Post are busy defending the neo-conservative cause. In his column last week, the Post's Terence Corcoran suggested StatsCan had distorted the picture by using data on individual earnings, rather than on total family incomes, where there have been some modest gains among the non-rich since 1980.
This is curious, coming from the Post. Total family incomes include social transfers – but the Post typically argues for reduced social transfers. The family income data show how important social transfers are.
Furthermore, family incomes have mostly risen because, with far more women working than in 1980, families now typically have two incomes.
So let's get this straight: Even as neo-conservative policies have helped the ultra-rich increase their incomes by an average of $3 million, the Post thinks Canadian families should be content with earning a little more than they did 25 years ago – by working twice as much.
Luckily Canadians have the Post to help them see how really well they're doing in this neo-conservative age.