With food prices in B.C. showing no sign of coming down, NDP to make rich grocery CEOs answer to Canadians

OTTAWA - Last week, New Democrats passed a motion to force Canada’s biggest grocery CEOs to come back to Ottawa and testify on sky-high food prices. This comes after the Liberal Industry Minister’s abysmal failure to bring down food prices for Canadians. The Liberals’ out-of-touch approach to politely ask grocery CEOs to ‘stabilize’ prices that are already sky-high isn’t working — and Canadians need real action and accountability.

“For almost two years, people in our riding have watched food prices skyrocket. They’ve had to cut back to keep healthy food on the table and there’s been no sign of prices coming back down,” said NDP MP Rachel Blaney (North Island - Powell River). “But, the Liberal's only plan has been to politely ask CEOs to lower prices and it’s not working. So, New Democrats have gotten to work to get Canadians the accountability and answers they deserve from these CEOs who are driving costs.”

The NDP’s motion calls grocery CEOs, including former Loblaw CEO Galen Weston, to return to Ottawa and answer questions about why food prices continue to be sky-high, and what efforts they’re making to bring costs down.

New Democrats have been demanding action for months. In March 2022, when Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh forced the Liberals and Conservatives to vote on making big grocery companies like Loblaws pay what they owe, they teamed up to stop it. But the NDP didn’t stop there. On October 5, 2022, New Democrats called for a study at the agriculture committee to investigate inflation on the food supply chain and the cost of groceries. Months later, on February 13, New Democrats had the study broadened to summon CEOs from Loblaws, Metro, and Empire Company and on March 8, 2023, they finally appeared. Since then, the Liberals have done very little to help Canadians cope with rising costs.

“The Liberals and the Conservatives have repeatedly shown us that they’re not going to stand up to these rich CEOs who are gouging people, but New Democrats will,” said NDP MP Gord Johns (Courtenay – Alberni). “People shouldn’t have to be cutting down their grocery lists or weighing cost versus their health. That’s why we haven’t stopped fighting to bring down food prices to help you and your family, and we won’t back down until costs become more affordable.”

– 30 –