NDP MPs pushing for desperately needed measures to lower food prices

OTTAWA - On Wednesday, NDP MPs Gord Johns (Courtenay – Alberni) and Rachel Blaney (North Island – Powell River) joined NDP leader Jagmeet Singh in reiterating his call for the Liberal government to adopt New Democrats’ proposal that would bring down food prices, after a new report from Dalhousie University revealed that close to three out of five Canadians are worried about compromising on nutrition due to high food prices at the grocery store.

On Friday, to up the pressure on the Liberals, Singh will bring the fight directly to Justin Trudeau’s home riding.

“Everyday my constituents are making harder and harder decisions about the food choices or going hungry because of the cost. It is not okay,” said Blaney. “The Liberals have tons of tools they can use to bring down costs – but they’re refusing to use them because it would mean putting their foot down against rich grocery CEOs, who are using the inflation crisis as an excuse to line their pockets. Its absurd.”

For 21 months, food prices outpaced inflation, and Trudeau did nothing. And despite all his grandstanding, Pierre Poilievre is not who he says he is. During his nine years in government, food prices increased by 25 per cent. Ground beef by 128 per cent and coffee by 89 per cent. He had his chance to go after corporate greed, but instead, he gave large grocery chains like Loblaw billions in tax giveaways.

Two weeks ago, Singh introduced legislation that gives the Competition Bureau more power to increase competition and lower prices, increase fines for price-fixing and price-gouging and closing loopholes that let big grocery chains price out the competition. Under Trudeau, food prices have increased by 30 per cent. Meanwhile, Canada’s three largest grocers— Loblaws, Sobeys, and Metro — collectively earned more than $3.6 billion in profits in 2022.

“We’ve got Justin Trudeau and the Liberals who refuse to do what it takes to lower food prices because it would ruffle the feathers of their CEO friends, and Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives who are actively looking out for the interests of rich investors and big bosses,” said Johns. “New Democrats don’t think food prices should be left in the hands of CEOs who only care about how many extra millions of dollars they’re making right now. That’s why were fighting for real measure to be put in place to lower costs, and we’re bringing this fight straight to the Prime Minister’s doorstep.”

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