Mr. Speaker, we have been dealing with rising food costs for years, but this year it is spiralling out of control. Families, seniors and hard-working Canadians are being pushed to the brink and struggling to afford even the basics. I left the grocery store last week after paying $100 for just two bags: the basics, no meat and only enough to feed my family for a couple of days. Beef is up 33%; oranges are up 26%; infant formula is up 9%.
In Oshawa, Simcoe Hall Settlement House, which has been serving our community for 90 years, is being pushed to its limits with a staggering 55% increase in food bank usage, including from dual-income families, but single moms like me are among the hardest hit and now represent the largest group relying on its support.
Canadians are not asking for luxuries; they are asking for groceries. It is time for this Liberal government to get serious, table a budget and tackle the rising cost of food.