Debates of Sept. 25th, 2025

Opposition Motion—Food Taxation

[An hon. member]

That is personal.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member is saying it is personal, but let us look at the attacks the Conservatives make every day. Take a look at the late show last night and the character assassination that was being used on the floor of the House of Commons. That is the reality. I am sharing with the Conservatives the facts. They are proposing, through votes and by the things they say in the chamber, to get rid of a good, solid national policy that is good for children.

Let us look at what our new Prime Minister did just months ago by taking solid policy actions. One of the very first things he did was to get rid of the carbon tax. That in itself has made a difference. One thing that Canadians received exceptionally well was the tax break he gave to Canada's middle class. Twenty-two million Canadians got more money, more disposable income in their pockets because the Prime Minister wanted to provide more money for issues like affordability.

We talk about housing. We hear about it a lot. We all recall that when the current leader of the Conservative Party was the minister responsible for housing, he built an ever-so-impressive six homes across Canada. We have committed to building thousands of homes. I say that because one of our first initiatives was to give a tax break to first-time homebuyers, therefore making housing more affordable. They do not have to pay GST. That has made homes more affordable for a good percentage of our population, while at the same time enhancing the opportunities from the announcements the Prime Minister has made.

The Conservatives say the Prime Minister should be measured by grocery prices. I wonder if they are even aware of what the CPI from Statistics Canada indicated the food inflation rate in the month of July was. Is there a Conservative member who actually knows that number? I will give them the answer, because apparently they do not. It is 0%. Inflation did not go up at all on food in the month of July.

We do not hear the Conservatives talk about baselines. When they report their stats, what do they talk about? Who knows where they go? They cherry-pick. When they talk about affordability, we hear the numbers, and the numbers are meant to scare people. Yes, affordability is a serious issue. Every Liberal member of Parliament is aware of that, and we are working to make things more affordable, but there is also the reality out there.

I had asked for a simple cross-Canada assessment on minimum wage, for example. Here is what I was provided. Back in 2015, minimum wage in B.C. was $10.25, and it went up to $17.85 in 2025. That is a 74% increase. In Manitoba, it was $10.70 in 2015 and is $15.80 in 2025. That is a 47.76% increase. In Nova Scotia, minimum wage was $10.60 in 2015, and in 2025 it is $15.70. That is a 48.11% increase.

Inflation is a real thing. Not only has it occurred in the last decade, but it was there for Stephen Harper and every Conservative prime minister in the past. Inflation is a part of life, just as we see wages increase. At the end of the day, a number of factors have to be looked at, and that does not take away from the need for compassion and for the government, in particular through the Prime Minister's commitment, to deal with what we can to keep inflation down, particularly on groceries.

We saw a good indication from the current Governor of the Bank of Canada. We just had the interest rate once again get reduced, and that is apolitical. It is not a political party driving it. It is an economist who is responsible for setting interest rates for the Bank of Canada. Why was the rate reduce? It is because we are still on target with 2% or less. We do not need to feed fear and try to give a false impression. Yes, the numbers in certain areas are concerning. There is absolutely no doubt about that. However, if the Conservatives genuinely believed in the issue of affordability and supporting Canadians, I would challenge them on some of the things they voted on.

Let us remember pharmacare. I am a very strong advocate for pharmacare. I believe the pharmacare program is the right type of program, and we should be looking at how we can expand it to provide Canadians good-quality health care from coast to coast to coast. It is saving money for Canadians. If they are diabetic and we have negotiated an agreement with their province, they are saving a great deal of money. Let us think of the seniors, people on fixed incomes, who have diabetes. This is a real, tangible thing. The Conservatives voted against it.

What about the dental program? The dental care program provides all forms of cost savings for individuals who need them the most. Every member of Parliament has constituents who have directly benefited from that program, yet as with pharmacare and the school nutrition program, the Conservatives voted against it.

If we take a look at them cumulatively, these programs make a huge difference. This is not even talking about things like the child care program, the Canada child benefit, the increases to the OAS in excess of 10% for those 75 and above or the increases to the GIS to ensure we get more seniors out of poverty.

The difference is that this is a government that truly cares about the issue of affordability, and we are working toward trying our best to build a stronger, healthier economy that will support the social programs we have. This has been highlighted by the Prime Minister and every Liberal member of Parliament in the House of Commons today.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, our hon. colleague never misses an opportunity to stand and debate. Every day, he stands up. There are a lot of newbies on the other side of the bench who are probably waiting to get their—

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, is it appropriate for a member to be talking about how much somebody speaks? Every member has the right to speak in this place as much or as little as the Speaker recognizes. I do not think it is appropriate to be critical of that, given the fact that it is a right of every member in the House.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

That is a point of debate. Members are free to debate that.

The hon. member for Cariboo—Prince George.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I guess I have hurt his feelings.

All I was going to say is that the member espouses, every day, the Liberal talking points. He does a great job for his team. I am just saying that there are a lot of other MPs on the other side who are probably waiting to give their maiden speech.

Food insecurity has gone up 128% since the Liberals took power. One in four Canadians cannot afford basic necessities. There are record numbers accessing food banks. It is being said that the numbers are to the levels of the Great Depression.

All we are saying is that the Prime Minister said he would be judged by the food prices and that he was going to lower the food prices. Prices have risen since he took power.

To our hon. colleague—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I have to interrupt the member to give the parliamentary secretary a chance to respond.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to apologize to the member because, when I speak, he feels uncomfortable with the reality of what has actually taken place and the type of misinformation the Conservatives continue to put on the record to try to misinform people and ratchet up debate, in order to try to justify their fundraising drives. That is what it is all about for the Conservatives. They are more concerned about raising money for their coffers than they are about the interests of Canadians.

To prove that point, the member was there when I said that the inflation rate in the month of July was zero. What does the member say about that? He obviously avoids—

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, while I appreciate the member opposite, he spends a lot of time in the chamber and speaks a lot. He also knows the rules quite well, or should. He is not allowed to point out whether someone is in the House.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order.

When I made reference to the member, I said that he was listening to what it was that I said. That has nothing to do with whether he was sitting inside the chamber or in the MP lobby, listening.

I would suggest that it is definitely not a point of order.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

On this point of order, in case there is anyone else who wishes to participate, we have to be careful when referring to the presence, or lack thereof, of a member in the House. We cannot do that. To say whether the member is listening or whether the member is circulating in the House is permissible.

I will let the parliamentary secretary finish.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the Liberal caucus work day in and day out to ensure we are dealing with the issues that are important to Canadians. Affordability is one of those issues, along with building a stronger and healthier Canada.

[Wade Chang, Liberal, Burnaby Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his hard work.

Can my hon. colleague please share with us how our federal climate programs are helping farmers build resilience to climate change and, in turn, keep food prices more stable for Canadian families?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we have a very progressive Minister of Agriculture who has been out and about, meeting, consulting and working with farmers. It is one of the aspects that I think are really important to recognize in this particular debate. We owe a great deal to our farmers. I am a prairie boy. I have lived in all three prairie provinces. I value the many contributions our farming communities and farmers make to our country. I thank them for that.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the member is really concerned and cares about affordability, as he alluded to in his speech, I would perhaps give him the opportunity to speak about how the government has doubled the national debt, has run up a $40-billion deficit and is spending more on interest than it does on health care.

How much longer will the government continue to provide failures to the Canadian people?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would highlight this: When we look at the most powerful nations, the G7 countries, Canada is one of only two with a AAA credit rating.

Second, I would suggest taking a look at our net debt-to-GDP ratio and again contrast it with other G7 countries, where we find that Canada is doing an exceptionally good job. We might even be leading the pack on that particular issue.

At the end of the day, sometimes we need to spend money on housing and infrastructure, for example, in order to generate the potential wealth we are going to see in the future. It is one of the reasons the Prime Minister has come up with the five major projects. We will receive a new budget on November 4, and another five projects will be announced before the Grey Cup game. We are interested in developing these major national projects, which create jobs and opportunities. The five projects account for $60 billion in investment. This is investing in Canadians, which is something we are committed to doing because we know this is what it takes to build a stronger and healthier nation, which will provide more support for social programs.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today on the Conservative motion to discuss the actions the government is taking to address food affordability.

Affordability continues to be a critical issue, and many Canadians are struggling to get ahead. Food inflation for groceries has fallen from a peak of 11.4% in January 2023 to 3.5% in August 2025. Progress is being made.

Our government has taken, and will continue to take, concrete actions to help ensure that Canadians pay fair prices for groceries. We are deeply committed to improving affordability for Canadians, and that begins with prices at the grocery store.

That is why we introduced, in Parliament, Bill C-4, the making life more affordable for Canadians act. This act would cut taxes, saving more than $800 per year for the average family. Twenty-two million Canadians are set to benefit from that tax cut.

It is also why the government has invested in the national school food program, providing nutritious meals for over 400,000 kids every single year. Even without support from the opposition, this program is saving Canadian families up to $800 a year on groceries, taking pressure off parents across the country. Combined with the Canada child benefit, that is almost 600,000 kids protected from falling into poverty, and that is why child poverty has dropped from 16.3% to 10.7% since the Leader of the Opposition was the minister of employment and social development.

The government is taking concrete steps to bring down the price of groceries but, for many Canadians, especially those in major cities like Toronto, the cost of housing remains a central driver of the affordability issue. In my riding, the beautiful Toronto—St. Paul's, almost two-thirds of households are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. That is why our government is launching “build Canada homes” to build affordable housing at a speed and scale not seen since World War II. With an initial investment of $13 billion, we are going to be building tens of thousands of new homes using cost-efficient Canadian methods of construction. We are going to grow the supply of affordable housing and bring prices down for all Canadians.

We also recognize that addressing the growing cost of essential goods, including groceries, requires a strong consumer advocacy framework as well as timely independent research on consumer issues. That is why the government is providing a voice for consumer advocacy with the Canadian consumer protection initiative. This program supports independent research and strengthens organizations that represent consumer interests. In its latest call for proposals, the CCPI identified topics such as barriers to competition in the grocery sector and protection against junk fees and price gouging as central to reducing costs for Canadian consumers. Reflecting these priorities, we supported a national consumer movement that reached Canadians from coast to coast to coast, offering practical tools to help decode grocery-pricing strategies and empower consumers to make informed choices at the checkout.

The government has continued to reiterate its commitment to providing Canadians with the tools and data they need to make informed choices in the marketplace. We have maintained the food price data hub to give Canadians up-to-date and detailed information on food prices to help them make decisions about their grocery options. Additionally, the government's grocery affordability web page creates greater transparency around pricing to foster competition and help consumers increase their confidence in participating in the marketplace. Increased consumer choice, investments in supply chains and increased competition in the grocery sector are key to improving food affordability in serious, concrete ways.

In recent years, the Government of Canada has modernized the Competition Act, making amendments that affect how the bureau can investigate anti-competitive conduct and deceptive marketing. For example, changes to the act require vendors to be more transparent in their advertising, recognizing that showing prices without all the mandatory fees included is misleading. This practice, known at drip pricing, makes it harder for consumers to make price comparisons to find the best value, and it hurts those vendors who are the most up front about the total cost of their products.

Furthermore, amendments to the Competition Act through Bill C-56, the proposed affordable housing and groceries act, would affect how the Competition Bureau could examine potentially anti-competitive agreements, such as controls on the use of commercial real estate. The widespread use of these property controls can make it more difficult for firms like new grocers to enter new markets or expand, and that reduces the choice that is available to Canadian consumers.

Since the amendments passed, there have been a number of concessions by major grocers, such as willingly removing some of the controls they had in place and helping to open up markets. This is positive news for Canadian consumers and families. However, food price stabilization also requires the complete engagement of the full supply chain.

Our engagement with industry has been focused on ensuring the continuous improvement of food affordability. After many years of collaboration with provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture, and widespread industry engagement, we were pleased to announce that all large grocery retailers committed to the grocery sector code of conduct. The code is a positive step towards uniting supply chain partners under a set of ground rules and bringing more fairness, transparency and predictability to Canada’s grocery supply chain for consumers.

Last, we recognize that global and external pressures like tariffs imposed by the United States are contributing to cost increases that affect consumers, workers, and businesses in Canada. These pressures reinforce the importance of a long-term, coordinated approach to food affordability and economic resilience.

The Government of Canada has worked hard and will continue to do so to address affordability issues and take action to improve affordability for all Canadians. We are going to continue to work to develop a strong consumer advocacy culture and ensure that Canadians are equipped with the tools they need to navigate food prices and make sound purchasing decisions. We will also remain dedicated to investigating harmful practices impacting Canadians, ensuring continued collaboration on areas of joint jurisdiction we have with the provinces and territories on consumer protection, and working to strengthen competition in Canada’s grocery sector.

Ultimately our goal is to make sure that Canadians and Canadian families benefit from food affordability across the board.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest struggles, though, is that the government fails to recognize that when it doubles the deficit, it increases inflation, and that when it increases inflation, it creates issues where families cannot afford to make choices.

The Liberals have created band-aid solutions like the school food program because parents cannot afford to feed their own families. Absolutely, children need to have healthy, nutritious food in order to learn; I do not think anyone in the entire chamber would argue for anything different. However, what the Liberals are doing is impoverishing families and forcing them to rely on big government. They fail to accept that deficits are causing the problem.

Will the Liberals admit that their deficits are the problem and fix it?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I take umbrage with the member opposite's saying that solutions like the school food program are band-aid solutions and that no one would argue against this, when, in fact, it was the member's party that actually voted against the school food program.

The fact remains that we were the last of the countries in the G7 to actually adopt a national school food program and that families across the country are benefiting from it, to the tune of $800 a year. Those are healthy school lunches that Canadian families now have through the program. It is an important program that we maintain. I think that as we are going forward, it is going to help children across the country. The Canadian Teachers' Federation supports it as well.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is not a problem that can be solved with just one solution. There is not just one key that can unlock this door. In my view, the government's efforts to engage the grocery giants have not been successful.

In particular, my colleague talked about a code of conduct that the big grocery chains have pledged to follow. I would like to know what has actually gotten done so far, because we are not seeing any results when we get to the register. I would like to know, specifically and concretely, what is happening with the government's discussions with the big grocery chains regarding rising food prices.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think we have made concrete changes to things like the Competition Act where, for example, reducing the property controls that have previously existed in this sector is a way for us to actually have more grocers enter and provide a more fulsome marketplace for Canadian consumers. More choice equals better prices and more pressure to bring prices down. I think that is definitely one of the concrete measures we are seeing.

However, I would like to remind the member opposite that we are also in a place where food inflation has decreased. Some of the inflation was caused by external factors such as the tariff war with the United States or a global pandemic and the ramifications of that on our supply chains that no one would have seen coming or predicted. Coming out of that time period and making these changes to help bring food prices down is what we are committed to continuing to do.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thought the exchange with the Conservative member was quite telling of the Conservative Party's position when it comes to things like giving kids a shot at proper education by having proper nutrition at school. The Conservatives talk about it as if it were a band-aid solution.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, they are heckling “yes, it is”, and they are talking about how provinces were doing it. I can say that the province of Ontario pretty much had nothing. It was done heavily through volunteers and donations. Now there is an actual school food program in place. By the way, we are the last country in the G7 to adopt one. People like Andy Mills, who has been running the Food Sharing Project in Kingston, have been doing these things since the eighties, yet Conservatives want people to believe it is a new problem.

Can the secretary of state comment on how valuable a program like the school food program is, especially in the context of Canada's being one of the richest countries in the world?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the data shows that providing kids with a healthy lunch or breakfast at school is key to learning. We absolutely need a program, and the fact that the Liberals are implementing a national school food program is something we are proud of and proud to support. Every other G7 country has a program. This is a program that has been a long time coming and that is going to benefit almost half a million children across this country. There is no better investment we can make than supporting kids for healthy learning and a better outcome in the classroom.