SoVote

Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Dec/7/23 1:18:28 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Governor of the Bank of Canada cited that the carbon tax is causing about a 0.15% impact on inflation. This was confirmed by the PBO. That is 15¢ on a bag of groceries that is $100. The Conservatives are getting away with this runaway train of a disinformation campaign that the carbon tax is the major factor when it comes to grocery store prices. We know it is corporate greed, because the big grocery stores are recording record profits. The reason the Conservatives are able to get away with convincing Canadians to buy into this campaign is that the government has failed to go after the CEOs of the big grocery stores. There is no difference, really, when it comes to Liberals and Conservatives being gatekeepers for the rich and well connected. Will the Liberals finally go after the big grocery store chains and take real, meaningful action so that it shows up at the till when people are trying to buy their groceries?

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Richard Lehoux (Beauce, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:12:14 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the number of Canadians who use food banks has reached a record high, but the Bloc-Liberal coalition is doing nothing to lower the price of food. We introduced Bill C‑234, a common-sense bill to reduce production costs directly at the farm. The Prime Minister ordered his Liberal senators to vote against the bill in the Senate. This morning, an annual report confirms that, in 2024, the average family will pay $700 more for groceries. Canadians are lowering their grocery bill and reducing the quantity and quality of the food they buy by replacing it with less nutritious alternatives. Children and seniors, who are the most vulnerable, deserve to eat healthy and nutritious food, but the government is keeping its carbon tax, which is making Canadians poorer. After eight years, the price of food is not the only increase Canadians are dealing with. The cost of housing is skyrocketing. Conservatives will continue to fight against the Bloc-Liberal coalition to lower prices for all Canadians so that they can enjoy the holidays, unlike the coalition, that wants to ruin Christmas for everyone.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Dec/7/23 2:25:00 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, what is true after eight years of this Liberal government is that children are asking for gift cards so they can eat at Christmas. That is unacceptable. After eight years of this Prime Minister, housing prices have doubled and interest rates are through the roof. Grocery prices have risen by 23% and will continue to rise next year. Will the Liberals do the right thing for once and vote to end the carbon tax so grocery prices can come down and people can have enough to eat this Christmas?

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

Dec/7/23 2:28:16 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, seven million Canadians are struggling now because they have to use food banks. The price of food is going to up by $700 next year just to put food on the table. In committee this morning, the Walmart CEO said that he is not supporting a stronger Competition Bureau. Maybe that is why the Leader of the Opposition did everything he could to block the legislation. Galen Weston, as we all know, earns 431 times what his average employee makes and thinks that his $12-million bonus was reasonable. What is the Prime Minister going to do to bring down grocery prices and end the free ride for these CEOs?

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of National Revenue, Lib.)

Dec/7/23 2:30:03 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we are monitoring the measures the grocers are taking to provide relief, including commitments to harmonize prices, freeze them, and give discounts on basic necessities. We are also working on long-term solutions to improve competition in the grocery sector. Bill C‑56 will allow the Competition Bureau to hold grocers responsible and give priority to consumers' interests. We are closely monitoring what the CEOs are doing.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Hon. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC)

Dec/7/23 3:20:01 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the government House leader if she can inform the House as to the business for the rest of this week and into next week. I note that today is the final supply day, which means that we will be dealing with the supply bills this evening. Members may know by now that Conservatives have put on a number of opposed items in an effort to highlight the pain the Liberal carbon tax is imposing on Canadians, who are struggling with food prices at grocery stores. I would like to take this opportunity to let the government House leader know that we can wrap all that up very quickly if she will do everything she can to ensure that the Senate repeals its amendment gutting Bill C-234, which would have the effect of taking the carbon tax off farmers to bring grocery prices down. If she would commit to doing that, we could deal with the supply bill this evening in an orderly and timely manner. If not, in order to ensure Canadians understand the devastating impact the carbon tax will have on them, we will be voting around the clock until the government gets it through its mind that the carbon tax is causing all this misery for Canadians.

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Context: House Hansard - 264 - Dec/7/23

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Dec/7/23 4:03:44 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the member knows that my grandpa's farm was in Asquith, Saskatchewan, and I spent much of my childhood out on that cattle farm, jumping on hay and picking eggs up from the chickens. However, I want to talk about corporate greed in the grocery stores. I worked in the grocery industry for over 20 years; every time a new product comes into a large corporation, the corporation wants hundreds of thousands of dollars from the supplier to get what is called a “listing” in the grocery stores. If it is tofu, cheese or any kind of product that a supplier wants to bring into a grocery store, that supplier is paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to do that. Where does the member think that money is being recovered from?

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