Give Families a Break
Ottawa, ON – Canadians are grappling with out-of-control food inflation that stretches paycheques to breaking point and makes it harder and harder for parents to feed their children. That’s why Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre introduced a motion today calling on the Liberals to introduce a Food Affordability Plan that would scrap the hidden taxes on food and boost competition in our overly-concentrated grocery sector.
Over two years ago, Carney’s Finance Minister claimed he would “stabilize food prices,” after a “historic day” meeting with grocery CEOs. But since then, the price of peppers has surged 43 per cent while lettuce has spiked almost 40 per cent, fresh or frozen beef jumped over 27 per cent, and infant formula has increased 13.5 per cent. Now, Canadians face the highest food price inflation in the G7 – double what it is in the US – with food inflation doubling since Mark Carney took office.
This surge has driven a record number of Canadians to food banks, with 2.2 million visits in a single month-nearly double what it was in 2019. Prices will keep rising with the 2026 Food Price Report estimating it will cost $17,600 to feed a family of four this year, almost $1,000 more than last year.
The Liberals keep denying that their policies drive up grocery bills, but Canadians know this is a made-in-Canada problem. Every other peer country has lower food price inflation. Hidden Liberal taxes raise the cost at every step of the supply chain, from farm equipment and fertilizer to shipping and selling.
Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, provided to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, shows the Liberal fuel standard tax adds 7 cents per litre this year, and will rise to 17 cents per litre in 2030. The Liberals then pile on their industrial carbon tax, which increases every year until it reaches $170 per tonne by 2030.
Consumers won’t see these taxes itemized on their grocery bills, but they feel them every time they look at their receipts. That’s because those hidden taxes push up the price of gas, electricity, groceries and housing.
Restaurants face even higher costs. The Liberals’ food packaging tax on cutlery, containers, boxes, cups, plates, bowls, and straws adds yet another burden on the food service industry. The Liberals project this tax will cost $1.3 billion, further hurting a sector that saw 7,000 restaurants close in 2025, with another 4,000 projected to close this year.
All these taxes add up to make life less affordable for Canadians. That’s why Conservatives have been putting forward a plan to scrap the taxes on food for months. But every time the Liberals had a chance to make groceries more affordable, they voted against it.
The Official Opposition is working to help pass the government’s proposed GST top-up so that at least some Canadian families get at least some relief. Unfortunately, the Liberals’ stopgap falls well short of a real solution. It doesn’t lower the cost of the actual food by a single cent, and, with just $10 a week for a very small number of people, will not even put a dent in the bills for most families. Still, this small measure is better than nothing.
Conservatives offer real change. Now the Liberals have a chance to show they finally understand how much their policies have made Canadians suffer with higher prices at the till and record line-ups at food banks. It’s time to take the tax off food, boost competition and deliver a real plan that will create good-paying jobs for our workers and restore food affordability for all.