Mr. Speaker, the grocery task force is currently operational.
The grocery task force’s mandate and responsibilities include engaging governments and consumer advocacy stakeholders to help ensure coordination of activities; engaging external partners, experts and industry representatives in undertaking analysis; working with consumer groups undertaking research and advocacy work to report back findings to Canadians; and promoting grocery-related information to Canadian consumers so they are aware of their rights and are empowered to make informed marketplace choices.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development, along with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Statistics Canada, have partnered to make timely data on food prices available to consumers in one central and easy-to-access location. The new Food Price Data Hub provides Canadians with more detailed information on food prices and helps consumers make informed decisions about their food purchases.
The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. The bureau administers and enforces the Competition Act and three labeling statutes that govern business conduct in all sectors of the economy, including the grocery sector. The Competition Act contains civil and criminal provisions addressing various forms of potentially anti-competitive conduct, such as competitor collaborations and cartels, abuse of a dominant position and merger review, as well as deceptive marketing. The bureau brings civil cases before the specialist Competition Tribunal or courts to seek remedial orders, while criminal matters are prosecuted by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.