Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once said that Canadians would judge him by the cost of groceries. Well, beef is up 33%, coffee is up 22% and sugar is up by 20%. Food inflation has risen by 40%. Canadians in Vaughan—Woodbridge and across the country feel the pinch every single time they walk into the grocery store.
A new report shows that over 25% of households are struggling to afford food, which is up from 18% in 2023. At Toronto's food bank, it took nearly four decades to reach one million visits, yet in only three years, demand has quadrupled to four million visits. The poverty rate has climbed for the third straight year, and is now sitting at 9.9%, increasing by 38% from just two years ago. That is not just a number. It is a crisis that is unfolding in real time.
Canadians deserve a government that will cut wasteful spending so they can afford to put food on their tables.