Thank you for the question.
First a couple of points of context. Income inequality in Canada has increased, as it has for all OECD countries, over the course of the last two decades. That said, Canada is in sort of the middle tier as measured in the degree of income inequality. There are quite substantial differences between income inequality in Canada before tax-and-transfer and income inequality after tax-and-transfer. It reduces it quite a bit. The Gini coefficient is something like 0.32 for the former, 0.26 for the latter.
That said, as you referenced in your question, there are some big forces that are feeding inequality globally. It starts with trade, which brings tremendous opportunity as well but pushes inequality. Technology and the ability to use technology.... What we're seeing across the OECD, and also very much in Canada, is that the returns to education are much higher.
So is this a big issue? Yes, it's an issue, because it's pointing to differential realizations, if you will, of the opportunities that are being created in the global economy. And if I may, that sort of leads to potentially the approach that can be taken and has been taken in the past here, which is to create greater equality of opportunity in this country.