Debates of June 4th, 2024

Opposition Motion—Measures to Lower Food Prices

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of the most interesting things that took place yesterday on the Hill is that the NDP leader appeared at committee on Competition Act legislation he has tabled that would create greater accountability against corporate greed. He was attacked by the Conservatives, without asking him good questions, and on top of that, the Liberals seemed indifferent to it.

I would ask the member if he could explain the Liberals' position with regard to increasing accountability on the Competition Act and ensuring that Canadians are not going to be gouged because of systemic problems that have been put in place and have been supported by successive Conservative governments and Liberal governments that have left Canada isolated when it comes to protecting consumers.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it was the Prime Minister and the Liberal government that modernized the Competition Act, which ensured things such as the Competition Bureau would have not only more resources but also better capabilities in ensuring there is a higher sense of accountability and transparency dealing with competition in all areas or industries, including groceries. I would argue it is one of the reasons we are starting to now see more stability in some of the prices on groceries.

I would suggest to the member that there are tangible actions the government has taken to support what we are talking about, and that is recognizing the cost of food. As a governing body, we have to do what we can to support Canadians and to keep grocery prices down. One thing I referred to earlier was the food data bank on pricing, in which we can individualize a province and get a sense of whether the actual costs have changed over the last number of months.

Our policy, whether it is budgetary or legislative, is having a positive impact on prices of food. It does not mean we cannot do more. There is always room for improvement.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, according Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association, Nunavut children suffer the highest rates of poverty, upwards of 35%, compared to Canada's rates. At the same time, the Liberal government is subsidizing corporate greed by giving $64 million of taxpayers' money to The North West Company, which gives its CEO a salary of $3.91 million.

Does the member agree with us that there is an urgency to reform the nutrition north program so that it is actually helping to alleviate poverty rather than supporting corporate greed?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we are very much aware of the important role the nutrition north program plays. Whether it is me, the Minister of Northern Affairs or the Prime Minister, we are exceptionally sympathetic to it. Working with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, we have seen an enhancement of that program in the budget. If we go back to just over a decade ago, the budget for nutrition north was somewhere between $40 million and $50 million. Today, it is just under $150 million.

I would also mention the community food program that has been developed, and it has been well received. It is easy for opposition members to be nothing but critical. However, I would suggest to the member that the government has made significant progress and continues to work with the different stakeholders in the north. We recognize there are always opportunities to improve the program, and that is something the Minister of Northern Affairs has done.

I would suggest that members take a look at the travelling and consultation the minister has done on an ongoing basis. Members might be challenged to find a previous minister who has travelled as much as the current minister has. He has listened to and consulted with the communities. I can assure the member that the whole idea of nutrition north and finding ways that the program can be improved upon is something the government takes very seriously.

If there were more time, I would provide some additional thoughts on the whole idea of corporate support.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, even as food gets more and more expensive, our farmers face stagnant incomes and skyrocketing costs.

I have a simple question. How is the government planning to ensure that our farmers, the people who feed us, can feed themselves as they feed the rest of the population?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this is one of the reasons to have a grocery code of conduct, which would be to ensure that there is more transparency and accountability in all aspects of the food chain.

That is why I made reference, in my concluding remarks, to farmers. I focused on Manitoba, but that same principle can be applied throughout Canada. We have the best producers in the world with the quality of the product and the food. We play a very important role in the world for food. It is important that we not only continue to support our farmers and producers but also look at ways to ensure farmers are getting their fair share of the value of the products they produce.

One of the ways we could do that would be by looking at the grocery code of conduct to ensure that the big five grocers, in particular, and others buy into it. We need to ensure there is more transparency and accountability so the producers are getting a better price for the products they are producing. We have strong advocates out there for that. I cited a few of them. One I recently had the opportunity to tour was Peak of the Market, which emphasizes the importance of vegetables. People do not realize that things like onions and potatoes are grown and supplied year-round.

There are all sorts of mechanisms, whether they be budgetary measures or legislative measures, that the government has been using to support not only our producers but also, most importantly, the consumers of the products. This is because we are very much aware of the cost of food. It is nice that this is going in the right direction, and that has taken a lot of work being done by a wide spectrum of individuals, including governments of all political stripes. I believe there is still more to do, and we are committed to doing just that.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Edmonton Strathcona.

Times are tough. Canadians are struggling and, every time they go to the grocery store, they feel the pinch. They go in to buy items that they have bought before, and they see that prices are up. They go in week after week and see prices continuing to climb. Canadians are feeling it when they cash out at the till, and they know that they are being ripped off. When they go in and pay more than ever for their groceries, Canadians know that, at the other end of that, there is a CEO ripping them off.

Corporate grocery stores are posting record profits while Canadians are struggling to buy groceries. One out of four Canadians is skipping a meal. They specifically cite that they are skipping meals because groceries cost too much. There is record food bank usage. We know that these corporate grocery stores are making huge profits and their CEOs are making huge bonuses and salaries. We are saying, “Enough is enough.”

Without a doubt, people are struggling. Grocery shopping has become harder than ever. The cost of food keeps going up, while the profits of the big grocery chains have reached an all-time high.

The Liberal government keeps letting these big corporations rake in record profits while people are struggling. We are saying that enough is enough.

I look at the Liberals' response to this. While people are hurting, they cannot afford their groceries, food bank usage is at a record high and corporate profits for these large corporate grocery stores are also at a record high, what has been the Liberal government's response? What has been the Prime Minister's response? Well, he literally told Canadians that they need to do a better job of shopping. They need to look at grocery flyers. The Liberals genuinely said that to Canadians. Then, the Prime Minister said, “We are going to ask the CEOs of these large corporations, nicely, to stabilize prices.” The Liberals continue to give big grocers massive tax giveaways, and they are failing to bring down prices.

The Liberals' response to this crisis was insulting. The Prime Minister's response was insulting and has not improved the situation.

What about the Conservatives? Their response is very telling at a time when corporate profits are at a record high and when Canadians are struggling to buy groceries. Canadians know that they are being ripped off by these large corporate grocery stores. What is the Conservatives' response? Their response is anything else. They are attacking anyone and everything but the real driver that is pushing up the cost of living and the real reason that the price of groceries is so high. That is the thing that the Conservatives avoid.

Why is it that the Conservatives are avoiding talking about the reason that people's grocery prices are so high? I have an idea. Could it be that the leader of the Conservative Party has too close ties to these large corporations and is unwilling to talk about their corporate greed? Could it be that his chief strategist is a lobbyist for Loblaw? Could it be that his deputy leader was a former Walmart lobbyist? Maybe it is because his caucus chair is the chairman of a $2-billion business profiteering from food inflation. Maybe it is because the Metro CEO is a max donor to the Conservative Party. The leader of the Conservative Party has strong ties, which we have checked out, with the companies still under investigation for bread price-fixing. Let us remember that that was a scheme that ripped off Canadians to the tune of $5 billion.

With the Conservatives, big grocery stores and big companies pay less, and Canadians end up paying more. That is what they get with Conservatives. With Conservatives, big companies pay less, and Canadians pay more.

Canadians are so tired and so frustrated with the failure of the Liberal government and the Conservatives to act to deal with corporate greed that they have taken it upon themselves. Canadians have banded together to boycott Loblaws. They boycotted a large corporate grocery store, but it should not have to come to that. The role of government is to take on corporate greed to protect consumers from CEOs that want to rip them off. That is supposed to be the role of government, which is why we are calling for concrete measures, real steps, to make food more affordable.

Here is our plan: The government has to force corporate grocery stores to lower the cost of food essentials, and if they do not, then they must impose a price cap. Second, we need to reform nutrition north. We need to overhaul the program to make sure that it actually delivers help to those in the north who need it. It should not be a get-rich-quick scheme for CEOs operating in the north. Finally, we need to stop Liberal and Conservative handouts going to large corporate grocery stores.

We are therefore calling on the government to do as follows. Large corporate grocery stores must immediately lower the price of essential items or face a price cap. Second, the nutrition north Canada subsidy program is not working and needs a complete overhaul. Lastly, we need to put an end to the big handouts that the Liberals and Conservatives have long been giving to large corporate grocery stores.

We have also been saying that the government has significant tools and power to take on this problem. Some of the things that we have called for, in addition to what we are calling for today, is that big grocers that throw away good food at the end of the day just to preserve their profits should not be able to do that. They should be required to ensure that food makes it to food banks and to Canadians who need it. We want to make sure that big grocery store corporate chains that are making record profits pay their fair share, and we should put that money back in the pockets of Canadians. As well, we need to increase the transparency of price setting and the transparency of the profits these corporate grocery stores are making. Finally, we need to support independent grocery stores.

Instead of the Liberal approach, which is to try to recruit another multinational, large corporation to come to Canada that will rip off Canadians more, we need to invest in a long-term strategy to have, across the country, in every community, a strong and robust independent local grocery store where people can go and have choice. They need a local independent store in their communities, which needs to be supported with initiatives and incentives to encourage that type of independence. Canadians should not have to pay six dollars for two apples. Canadians should not have to go into debt to buy pasta and bread. Food is essential, and the government has a fundamental responsibility to ensure that people can afford to buy their groceries.

I know what it is like to worry, and I know that so many Canadians right now are worried about the cost of groceries. I remember what it was like when I took care of my kid brother. I was 20, and he was 15. Things were difficult at home, so he came to live with me. When my mom told me that dad had taken a turn for the worse and was not able to send any support, I was on my own. I remember getting off the phone after that conversation, panicking, and going out to get a bunch of minimum-wage jobs, as a 20-year-old can do.

I was always living with that fear that my kid brother would go hungry. I was trying as hard as I could to stay above water, but I was always feeling like we were about to drown. I remember that fear, which is what drives me to ensure that no Canadian has to worry about affording the food they need for their family, and they should also be able to afford those special treats for their loved ones.

I want to build a country where people have more joy and less worry, where we have less fear and more hope, and where we have less greed and more compassion. That is a country we can build, and to do that, we have to take on corporate greed and bring down the price of groceries.

Tomorrow, the Liberals and Conservatives will have a choice. Will they stand on the side of big grocery and big corporations to protect their CEOs and protect their profits, or will they stand with New Democrats and Canadians in demanding lower prices for their groceries? That is the choice in this chamber. That is a choice, and we will see where the Liberals and Conservatives stand tomorrow.

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I heard the member opposite mention the Liberal lobbyists and the Conservative lobbyists, but I did not hear him mention his brother, the lobbyist for Metro.

Did the member discuss the motion with his brother before he put it forward here in the House?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am not surprised that Conservatives want to distract from corporate greed and going after powerful grocery stores that are ripping off Canadians, but I am somewhat surprised at the Liberals. I should not be, because the Liberals have just the same type of ties; they are just as cozy with these large corporations as the Conservatives are. We can see that from their actions. The Prime Minister, instead of forcing the corporations to lower prices and taking on the corporate greed of the big three grocery stores in Canada of Loblaw, Metro and Sobeys, would rather ask the CEOs nicely to stabilize prices. Our motion demands that the government force these corporate grocery stores to lower their prices and make life more affordable for Canadians, or else prices will be capped. That is what our motion calls for.

I can already tell that the Conservatives and the Liberals do not have the courage to go after their friends. They want to protect their rich CEO buddies and those corporate grocery stores. We are going to take them on.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP criticizes the government, but he keeps supporting the same government's policies. Those policies are hurting Canadians every single day. Why would the leader of the NDP not do the right thing and stop supporting the government so that Canadians can choose another government that would do the right job for them?

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that was another uncreative, lazy argument. The Conservatives continue to make complaints and little noises in the corner while New Democrats are delivering for Canadians. We have forced the government to bring in dental care to help seniors, something that the Conservatives want to take away from seniors, from people's parents and grandparents. We have forced the government to bring in medication coverage for people living with diabetes. The Conservatives think they are not worth it. They have been saying to people, the four million Canadians living with diabetes, that they are not worth it. We say they are worth it. We say seniors who are struggling because they cannot afford to get their teeth looked after are worth it.

We believe our job in this Parliament is to force Ottawa to work for people. While the Conservatives want to complain in a corner, we are delivering real results for Canadians to make their lives better. We are proud of that. There is a lot more that needs to be done, and we will continue fighting for them.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, seniors are still waiting for dental care. It is not a simple matter. They are still waiting but, meanwhile, it is not as though they have extra money in their pockets. The government is still stubbornly refusing to increase the old age security pension.

That said, I get the impression that the Conservatives' populism is rubbing off on the NDP a bit. The NDP thinks that one wave of a magic wand will solve the problem, but it is much deeper than that.

The issue of grocery prices is being discussed on the Chicago exchange, but the price of inputs is caused by the fact that farmers are currently struggling because of climate change.

How does my colleague continue to justify supporting a government that is not doing enough in response to climate change, which is having a very significant impact on food prices?

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There is a lot to say about what we just heard from the leader of the fourth party in this place, but I would call for quorum.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

We will start counting again.

And the count having been taken:

I think we are okay.

The hon. member for Burnaby South.

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that this government has failed to take the measures needed to deal with the climate crisis. We used our leverage over this minority government to force it to take measures that it never would have taken otherwise.

I also want to point out that the main reason why grocery prices are so high is actually price gouging on the part of these grocery giants.

In our motion today, we are proposing a plan to lower prices, because people in Quebec and across Canada are struggling. It is more difficult than ever to buy groceries. That is why we are calling on the government to take measures as urgent as this crisis. We are asking grocery giants directly to lower the prices of essential foods or face a price cap.

I also want to mention that France has a similar plan. It took a similar approach and forced the country's grocery stores to lower the prices of essential foods, and it succeeded.

We want to do the same thing here, because people need urgent measures.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to be able to stand and represent the people of Edmonton Strathcona. Today we are talking about the increasing price of groceries. I want to start by talking a bit about my son.

I have a 16-year-old. He is 6 feet, 3 inches tall. He is involved in rugby, football, hockey and wrestling. I can tell members very clearly that I know how much groceries cost, because that kid eats a lot. However, I also want to talk about some other folks in my riding. My dear friend Luanne came to my office. She is a senior, and, as one of my colleagues from the Bloc has mentioned, the government refuses to raise the OAS payments. Seniors are living right on the edge in my riding. Luanne came and asked about buying a little meat for her elderly mother. Luanne is living on OAS. She is trying to make ends meet, and she just wants a little meat for her mother in Canada, in Edmonton, in Alberta.

I want to talk about people living with disabilities. Bev, one of my fantastic constituents, actually has a guinea pig that she dresses up in Oilers colours; Bev's guinea pig is in my pet calendar that I give out to my constituents. Once again, I want to just take a moment to say congratulations to the Edmonton Oilers. She came in with a meticulously written budget of exactly where every single one of the dollars she gets from AISH goes, and there is no room for error there. There is no going out for dinner. She lives so close to the line. She is so cautious and so careful, and every time grocery prices go up, it is another hit on Bev and another time that she cannot afford groceries.

These are seniors and people living with disabilities in our communities, but I want to say that this is not all. Folks who have jobs and who are working can no longer afford to pay for their groceries; they can no longer afford to eat in this country. This is a huge problem, and the cost of food just keeps going up and up. In the last three years, the price of groceries has gone up by 20%. Food banks have reached a 35-year high, and food banks in and of themselves are not a solution: They are a band-aid.

Edmonton's Food Bank served 42,000 people in April alone, and a new report by Food Banks Canada said that Alberta's food insecurity rate is 27% higher than the national average.

Canadians are skipping meals. This is completely unacceptable, and government is urgently required to step up and help. We cannot continue to wait and to watch the Liberals nicely ask CEOs, who are raking in millions and billions of dollars of profit, to stop. That is not how we fix this problem. If I were to ask nicely for my 16-year-old to clean his room, it might not happen. Sometimes there have to be consequences if he does not do it. I would propose to the government that this may be the same case.

Loblaws doubled its profit margin in five years. Metro has the biggest profit margin of any grocery store. In fact, in 2023, the grocery sector made record profits, raking in $6 billion. When is it enough? We should all be asking that. When is it enough profit for them? Canadians cannot afford their groceries; people cannot afford to eat.

I should not even get started on what is happening in the northern part of this country. The member for Nunavut has been fearless and tireless in raising this issue, day in and day out, in this place. However, we continue to see the nutrition north program contribute to corporate greed. Of the $137 million that went to nutrition north, $64 million went to the North West Company, and the CEO of that company was paid millions.

My colleague from Nunavut has told me that, when she goes to buy eggs in a store not run by the North West Company, they are half the price. The system is broken. Nutrition north is broken. This means that people in the north are not able to access food and that the Liberals' promise to help people be able to afford food in the north is simply contributing to corporate greed.

What fix have we seen? The Liberals have set up a task force. They have done no tasks, nor are they much of a force, to take the words from one of my colleagues from British Columbia. Again, it is a perfect example of Liberal talk with no action behind it. We have seen this time and time again.

Then we look at the Conservatives, and they have lobbyists within the highest level of their party. When the Conservatives were in power, they cut the corporate tax rate from 22% to 15%, which cost $60 billion in corporate handouts, and $2.35 billion of that went to Loblaws and Metro. In the U.S., they have a 21% corporate tax rate, and they are trying to get that up to 28%. These are handouts to corporations that are gouging Canadians.

The Conservatives did this because these are their friends, those whom they represent. This is who is part of their party. These are their donors. Why would we expect that they would do anything else?

Here is what we are asking for, what the NDP needs to see: We want to make sure that things are fair for Canadians. We want it to be fair for people to go out and to buy their groceries. My leader, the leader from Burnaby South, and the rest of the NDP caucus want to force big grocery chains and suppliers to lower the price of essential foods or to face consequences such as a price cap. That is a concrete step we could take now. That is a concrete piece of action that could be taken and that would have immediate effects on Canadians' grocery prices.

We want to stop delaying long-needed reforms on nutrition north programming. This program is not working. It is contributing to corporate greed, and people in the north deserve to be able to afford nutritious, good food. That is not happening right now.

We need to stop the Liberal and Conservative corporate handouts to big grocers. There has been enough of giving money to those who are making the lives of Canadians harder.

The NDP has been leading on this issue for years. I understand that the Liberals and the Conservatives want to jump on this bandwagon. Obviously, the Liberals' plan is to talk about how concerned they are, perhaps get a task force together, consult with somebody and ask nicely. The Conservatives' plan, of course, would be to continue to give out corporate handouts to their friends. Their leader, the Stornoway king, is the guy who lives in the 19-room mansion paid for by taxpayers. He is not going to take away the gravy train that all his funders give him.

Canadians are going to need to depend on the NDP for this. We have been raising it in committee and in the House for years. The NDP has a plan. We have put forward this plan. There are concrete steps that every member in the House could take. Every member could vote for the motion. It would help Canadians. It would help members' constituents. Canadians are running out of time. I hope members support the motion.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, does the member have any concerns at all with regard to the government applying a price cap, as she is suggesting? Is there another country in the G20 doing this? I understand that France might be. I do not quite understand France.

Could the member provide any evidence of any G20 country that actually has some sort of a price cap that has been demonstrated to be effective and has not negatively impacted supply?

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there are lots of examples of how other governments around the world have taken concrete steps to make sure that corporate greed is not affecting the citizens in those countries. We have seen this.

We saw President Biden in the United States put in the excess profit tax. We have been calling for that, but the government has taken no action. We have seen, in France, that there is some work being done on this. There are other countries around the world that are looking at it.

What we need to be thinking about, as Canadians, is a Canadian solution for us. What is the solution where we can work on something that would concretely lower the price of groceries for Canadians?

What we have proposed here is a strong plan that would actually get the prices to come down. It would hold to account those grocers that are gouging Canadians, those big CEOs who are taking the money out of the pockets of Canadians and making record profits. They would be paying their fair share.

That is what all Canadians want. Canadians want something that is fair. They want something where they are treated fairly, where the field is not stacked against them, so that they have a chance to be able to pay for their groceries and feed their families.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. Listening to her and working with her is always interesting.

This motion deals with the highly complex issue of grocery price inflation. As I mentioned earlier, rising prices depend partly on the Chicago Board of Trade and partly on the increased cost of producer inputs, largely due to climate change.

I really want to emphasize that point, because in a rural riding like mine, Shefford, we hear a lot talk about the fact that producers are being forced to raise their prices. That is the starting point, the foundation.

Given all the effects of the climate change happening at this time, Quebec has announced a plan to try to help farmers, even though we know it will not be enough. We also know that the federal government can and must do more for agriculture. Does my colleague believe that that the federal government must do its part to help these farmers make it through the climate crisis, like the Government of Quebec did yesterday, in an announcement that was welcomed by farmers?

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is somebody I have worked with quite closely on a number of different files, and I appreciate her insight and thought process.

I would agree with her that this is a very complex issue. There are some things we can do and other things we can continue to work on. Supporting local producers is vital. Supporting our farmers is a very important role that the government can step into and play. I do not know very well the Quebec program the member is referring to. I am a member of Parliament, of course, from Alberta. I congratulate the Edmonton Oilers.

What we can do to support local farmers is very different from making sure that corporate giants are not taking $6 billion out of the pockets of Canadians and gouging them. Those are two very different things, and we can very much support one without supporting the other.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the bread-pricing scandal was really an eye-opener, when $6 billion were stolen from Canadians. The Competition Bureau and our powerless laws need to be updated.

At committee, we had the CEOs of all the major grocery stores on the very same day as workers received pandemic pay or hero pay. That type of collusion still exists.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is certainly very knowledgeable about what has happened historically in this place. I know he was here for a portion of the Harper decade when the price-fixing scandal cost Canadians hundreds of dollars each. It was scandalous that over a decade, not a single Conservative stood up and said, “Enough. We want to shut this down.” There was not a single one. Many of the same Conservatives who were in government during the Harper decade are still here. In fact, I would point to the leader of the Conservative Party. The way the Conservative Party at that time allowed Canadians to be ripped off for a decade is absolutely shameful.

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne.

It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to rise on behalf of those I represent in Winnipeg South Centre, and it is an honour to have the opportunity to rise today for a couple of reasons. One, of course, is that this is a very important conversation taking place in the country right now, and there have been a number of valid and interesting points raised here during debate that are worth further consideration. In particular, I have an interest in this because, over the course of the last number of months, I had the honour of sitting on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, although I am no longer a permanent member of that committee. I also currently sit on and still remain a permanent member of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

The reason I raised these two committees is that we have had lengthy conversations at both about a variety of the different elements of the conversation taking place right now. In fact, at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, we had a study, and I am not sure if that study has actually been released yet or not, but during my final couple of days as a member of the committee it was on the verge of being released, and there were some fascinating conversations that took place over the course of those meetings, inclusive of conversations we had with the CEOs of the major grocery chains.

It has been mentioned on a number of occasions by colleagues across the way that there are some very complex factors that feed into the supply chain and there are a number of different things that have previously driven and continue to drive the price of food in this country and around the world, whether that is the impacts of climate change, which I will come back to momentarily; whether that is conflict in Europe, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine; or whether that is pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. There are a variety of different factors contributing. Of course, there are also some long-standing concerns that we deal with, particularly in provinces like mine and in the north, which have to do with the disproportionate poverty facing indigenous peoples in this country.

I was very fortunate to be a part of a number of announcements in the not-too-distant past that focused on supporting the agriculture community across Canada, with particular focus on Manitoba. One of those was announcing an $11-million grant that was going to Pulse Canada to look at some of the different ways in which we can utilize these strong agricultural sectors and industries that exist on the Prairies and in my home province of Manitoba in order to make sure that we are not only doing our part to deal with the impacts of climate change, but also working toward improving the cost of food and investing in healthier products as well.

Our government recognizes that food affordability is a critical issue that Canadians are facing. I totally understand, through many of the stories that have been shared by colleagues in this chamber today and previously, that there are constituents of theirs, just like there are of mine, who are finding it more difficult to make ends meet. As I mentioned a moment ago, there are a myriad factors that contribute to that.

We are encouraged when we do see data showing that food inflation has fallen from a peak of 11.4% in January 2023 to 1.9% in March 2024. I certainly understand that this is not the end of the challenges that people face, but it is an encouraging statistic in terms of seeing a trend line moving in the right direction.

We remain focused on ensuring that Canadians are paying fair prices for groceries, and that is why we are continuing to take action to ensure there is a continued stabilization of food prices. Food price stabilization requires the full engagement of the entire supply chain. That is why we have called on the grocery sector and those working throughout it, and that means both grocers and suppliers, to take meaningful actions to stabilize grocery prices.

Consumers play an essential role in Canada's economy. Consumer spending represents roughly 60% of our gross domestic product. When consumers are accountable and informed they can improve economic performance by helping stimulate competition and business innovation.

Our government recognizes that the affordability of food is a critical problem facing every Canadian consumer. That is why we reaffirmed in budget 2024 our commitment to ensure that food prices are kept stable and that the cost of living goes down for all Canadians.

Food price stabilization requires a full commitment by the entire supply chain. That is why we have asked businesses in the food sector, both grocers and suppliers, to take significant measures to stabilize food prices. In addition to working with the five big grocery chains in Canada, we are implementing several other tangible measures to support food price stabilization in Canada.

I know that Canadians are frustrated with their existing grocery options, with one in three Canadians wanting to see increased competition in the grocery sector. Canadians want diversity, and they are ready and willing to seek out new retailers. To that end, it is important to note that more competition would lead to lower prices.

As our Competition Bureau has noted in two separate examples, this is possible. First, Walmart's decision to cut prices by as much as 35% in Canada in 2008 pressured its competition to do the same. Second, when a large foreign grocer known for a no-frills business model entered the Australian market, it significantly influenced the pricing of other Australian grocers, forcing them to react to its entrance by cutting prices. The competition the foreign grocer injected into the Australian market resulted in near-unprecedented levels of price cutting by domestic Australian competition.

One of the interesting things from the committee meetings that we held at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food was around competition and specifically rules preventing new grocers from entering the Canadian market by virtue of the distance that existed between an existing grocer and where the new one could build if entering into the Canadian market. The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry has made some significant changes as per the direction of the Competition Bureau, and those changes have helped to drastically improve the conditions that we can build upon in order to ensure that there is further competition in the grocery sector.

I do want to thank my colleague from the Bloc who, a few moments ago, spoke at length in her questions about climate change. We know that climate change is having a significant impact on the lives of Canadians. It is felt more severely by Canadians living in the north. However, one of the things that I learned during my time as a new member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, and I credit some of my colleagues who sit on that committee with helping me develop and grow in my understanding of the industry, is the creativity, innovation and drive of farmers, and that there is so much work that is being done by farmers, across the Prairies in particular, who are helping to create new environmentally friendly, efficient and productive ways for us to produce our food in this country.

However, there is no doubt, as mentioned throughout my remarks in this debate, that there are challenges that continue to exist. The nature of these challenges and the basis from which they are born are complicated and multi-factor. They do need to be acknowledged, and there are a number of ways the government has acknowledged them and will continue to do so.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, at the end of his speech, my colleague from Winnipeg talked about his experience on the agriculture committee and the work that we have done on a couple of studies on stabilizing food prices and the cost of food production in Canada. It is unanimous from every agriculture stakeholder that they want Bill C-234 to be passed in this House in its original form, unamended. This would save farmers close to $1 billion over the next few years, which would help reduce food costs. We have heard that from every commodity stakeholder in the sector, and yet the member's government, with a clear tool to help reduce food costs, still refuses to support Bill C-234 unamended. Why?

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague across the way. He was quite useful in helping bring a number of important matters to my attention and the attention of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, when I was a member.

As I mentioned in my remarks, there are a variety of things that contribute to the cost of food production in this country. However, I think it is also important to note, and the member has heard this through testimony given by a number of folks we heard from at committee over the course of the past couple months, that climate change is playing a significant role in altering the landscape for farmers in this country.

We have to do our part in order to ensure that we are drastically reducing emissions in this country. If we do not do that, not only is life going to become more difficult for farmers, but by virtue of that, it is going to become more difficult for Canadians across the country.