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The Economy

During question period on the economy, the Conservatives raised food costs, saying many Canadians cannot afford groceries and citing food bank use, and criticized spending on the Prime Minister’s travel, including inflight catering costs, while he was abroad. The Liberals pointed to a newly announced national food security strategy with over $3 billion in investments, saying it would build regional supply chain capacity, support farmers and local grocers, increase competition, and help lower grocery prices over time. The exchange remained focused on food security and government spending.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Scot Davidson

Conservative

Linked statement

“The Prime Minister spent nearly $1 million on luxury food on his flights last year while many Canadians cannot afford to eat. I want to know when he will stop wasting public money.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there we go again. While one in five Canadians goes hungry, the Prime Minister is somewhere over the Atlantic tucking into another three‑course meal on the taxpayers’ dime. In the last year, he spent nearly $1 million on luxury inflight catering, and now he is on another trip, leaving behind countless Canadians wondering how they will afford their next meal. When will this high-flying, fine-dining Prime Minister stop wasting taxpayer dollars so Canadians can eat again?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“We just announced a new plan that invests over $3 billion in our food supply. This will support local grocers, increase competition, and help lower grocery prices for Canadians.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 45 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

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  • A repeated line

    “I have good news for the member opposite.”

    Said 4 times by 3 members since May 26.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I have good news for the member opposite. Just yesterday, Canada announced the first‑ever national food security strategy, with over $3 billion in investments, and investments that are strategic. They are smart investments in building regional supply chain capacity, ensuring that we can have shorter and more resilient supply chains in Canada, that we can support independent grocers and that we can have more competition and bring down prices for the average Canadian. That is exactly what Canadians want to see. They want to see progress at the grocery store—

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Scot Davidson

Conservative
“Liberal policies caused a recession and made groceries unaffordable. The Prime Minister should come home from Paris to face the 2.2 million Canadians using food banks.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, is that member picking up what I am laying down? That strategy will not feed a single Canadian who cannot afford groceries today because of Liberal policies that have put us in a recession. Maybe the Prime Minister would know this if he was not so eager to flee the country and the people his policies are hurting the most. Instead of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in Paris, why does the Prime Minister not come home and face the 2.2 million Canadians lined up at the food banks?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“We need a national plan to help farmers grow, process, and ship food year-round. This will help the economy, increase competition, and lower grocery prices over time.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite has the Holland Marsh in his riding, a lot of fruit and vegetable growers who are growing great produce for Canadian and Ontarian families. I know that his riding and people in his riding would support a national food security strategy that invests in seasonal extension and that builds processing and distribution capacity in regions across Ontario and across Canada alike. That will improve our economy. That will improve competition. That will bring down grocery prices in the long term. These are the root causes of insecurity in Canada, and we are dealing with them.

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