As the holidays approach, the NDP is fighting to crack down on corporate greed driving up costs for Canadians « Canada’s NDP
OTTAWA—On Monday, after months of delay from the Liberals to ‘stabilize’ grocery prices, New Democrats are forcing the CEO of Sobeys back before a parliamentary committee later this afternoon. The Sobeys’ CEO appearance comes after Canadians have been struggling with the huge cost of food for almost two years and coincides with a strike at Pete’s Frootique – a Sobeys owned grocery store in Halifax. While these striking workers are fighting for a fair wage, they have been offered a five cent raise per hour while the CEO of Sobeys took a $8 million salary last year and saw an increase in profits this year.
As a result of corporate greed going unchecked by the Liberals and Conservatives for so long, the NDP says big grocery CEOs are not only putting families in an impossible situation when trying to get purchase their holiday groceries, but their own workers aren’t paid enough to shop in the stores where they work.
“Canadians are turning to food banks to feed their kids in record numbers. The holidays are coming, and moms and dads are feeling incredibly stressed about covering their costs. Meanwhile big grocery CEOs are making massive profits,” said NDP Food Price Inflation Critic Alistair MacGregor. “Food is not a luxury, it’s a necessity and unchecked corporate greed is hurting people and workers. The Liberals have made a big show of taking action, but the truth is they’ve been all talk. The only meaningful measures to protect Canadian consumers that will become law came from NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s proposal.”
Besides holding CEOs accountable to Canadians in a public committee, the NDP fought for measures in the fall economic statement to lower food prices and end the CEOs free ride by pushing for changes to the Competition Act. These measures include more power for the Competition Bureau to crack down on price-gouging and price-fixing and gives further powers to the Canada’s Competition Commissioner to keep markets competitive for small-businesses.
“We’re 24 months into food prices being unaffordable and it’s New Democrats who are forcing the government to help Canadian families. These out-of-touch Liberals and corporate-controlled Conservatives want Canadians to keep scrimping and saving while these CEOs continue to rake in billions,” said MacGregor. “Liberals are letting corporate greed go unchecked and Poilievre’s track record shows he’s more interested in handing over tax giveaways to wealthy CEOs and their companies. When he was in government, the Conservatives gave away $55 billion in tax cuts to CEOs.
“New Democrats are focused on real solutions so that you and your family don’t have to worry about getting gouged at the grocery checkout. With the NDP you pay less and get more.”