Hmmmm....If I have $2million in the bank am I a 'wealthy' Canadian?....Clearly 'yes' by most standards.  But if I don't have a pension and may have to live for 30 years on that capital, how do I compare with someone who doesn't have $2 million in the bank but perhaps has a pension worth $40 or $50 thousand each and every year for the same 30 years (without risk and possibly adjusted for CPI?)  How much do I have to have in the bank (and these days earning at 1-2%) to replicate a pension?  And why does someone who needs to invest his savings to create that pension have to pay tax every time he buys and sells stock to create his pension whereas the person who contributes to a pension (which buys and sells stocks to grow the pension fund) doesn't?   When the top 10% of taxpaying Canadians contribute over 55% of the tax base, isn't that progressive taxation?