Thanksgiving is this weekend. If you haven’t noticed food prices coming down or even stabilizing, you aren’t alone.
Sure, the Justin Trudeau government summoned the major grocery chains and demanded plans to deal with rising prices by this holiday weekend, but that doesn’t mean you will notice a difference.
Days after that demand and that meeting with the grocers, Statistics Canada released its latest inflation report showing food prices still marching upward. Putting chicken in your grocery cart would have cost you an extra 8.9% in August compared to a year earlier, coffee and tea an extra 9%, cereal products were up 9.8% and beef was up 11.9%.
In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre took Trudeau to task for not dealing with the issue as promised.
“Will he keep his promise, yes or no, to deliver an affordable Thanksgiving dinner to Canadians?” Poilievre asked.
Trudeau’s response was to accuse Poilievre of playing partisan political games, while claiming he is focused on delivering for Canadians. It’s not clear what Trudeau is delivering for Canadians other than higher prices — in part driven by his carbon taxes, but that’s not something he wants to talk about.
Trudeau Liberals promised change in food prices, but it hasn't happened as Canadians get set for turkey
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“Will, by this Monday, Thanksgiving, he reverse the 22% inflation in the price of peas, the 33% inflation in the price of green salads, the 37% price inflation in the cost of frozen turkeys and the 74% price inflation for potatoes. Will he keep his word, will he bring the prices down, yes or no?” Poilievre said.
Trudeau’s reply was to say that the Conservatives are blocking his Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act. That’s not a bill that would bring down prices quickly, if at all, but given Trudeau’s bluster in claiming he would reduce prices he had to reach for something.
The Trudeau Liberals have contributed to inflation and food inflation in particular in multiple ways. The government likes to claim that this is all the result of external international forces like the war in Ukraine, but in reality it is a mixture of international and domestic policies that are driving up prices.
Anyone claiming it is all one or the other is lying to you.
The Trudeau government’s ever-increasing spending, even after COVID programs had long ended, has contributed to inflation. Government spending is always a factor when it comes to inflation and the Trudeau Liberals are no exception to that rule.
Under pressure from high food prices, a new survey shows almost half of Canadians are prioritizing the cost of their groceries instead of nutrition.
Under pressure from high food prices, a new survey shows almost half of Canadians are prioritizing the cost of their groceries instead of nutrition.
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