Tamara Kronis, Nanaimo—Ladysmith
“Grocery prices are still too high, and more people are using food banks. Sending cheques does not fix the real costs of growing and moving food. The government is spending one billion dollars on a food fund, but it has no clear goals. I want the government to report publicly on whether this fund lowers food shipping costs, and I want to know which federal costs it will cut to make food cheaper.”
“Mr. Speaker, on May 1, I asked how many food bank expansions the Liberal government needed to see before it would bring grocery bills down. The minister responded by citing the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and temporary fuel tax relief. Well, those measures do not seem to have helped. Nearly six months later, families in my community still need an answer about the price of food. Last week, Food Banks Canada released its latest “Hungercount Report”. It recorded more than 2.35 million food bank visits in March of this year, which is more than double the number in 2019 and up 9% since last year across the country. In B.C., visits rose by 14% compared to the previous March. Behind those numbers are people who are struggling to make their paycheques, pensions and disability benefits cover the essentials. The latest Statistics Canada figures show that grocery prices are 33% higher than they were in September 2020. Of course, the wages and benefits have not kept up with that increase. I recognize that the grocery benefit does help eligible households, that fuel tax relief has been extended as Conservatives requested and that people do need that breathing room, but the government has to explain how it will reduce the underlying costs of getting food onto the shelves. The answer cannot be a never-ending stream of cheques and an ever-lengthening lineup at food banks. For Vancouver Island, that means working with us on improving the infrastructure that supports our supply chains and paying attention to freight, cold storage and distribution. It also means making it easy for local farmers and independent grocers to reach customers. It means removing unnecessary federal costs and barriers, while protecting food safety and strengthening competition. The government has now opened applications for its $1 billion food-link fund. It says that this will improve distribution and lower food costs. Given the ineffectiveness of earlier measures, I would feel better if we had clear deadlines and measurable results. Will the parliamentary secretary commit tonight to public reporting on whether the fund meets its approval deadlines when projects begin operating and whether they lower distribution costs for island communities? Beyond that fund, which federal costs will the government remove to make producing and transporting food more affordable? A $1-billion commitment deserves a clear accounting of what it will deliver. Families should be able to judge the results at the grocery store. The government owes all Canadians a plan that reduces the need for that help. Once again, we find that these plans are short on details in many ways. They are short on key performance indicators, and we lack confidence that they will produce measurable results. When will families in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across this country finally see lasting relief in their grocery bills?”
Mr. Speaker, on May 1, I asked how many food bank expansions the Liberal government needed to see before it would bring grocery bills down. The minister responded by citing the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and temporary fuel tax relief. Well, those measures do not seem to have helped. Nearly six months later, families in my community still need an answer about the price of food. Last week, Food Banks Canada released its latest “Hungercount Report”. It recorded more than 2.35 million food bank visits in March of this year, which is more than double the number in 2019 and up 9% since last year across the country. In B.C., visits rose by 14% compared to the previous March. Behind those numbers are people who are struggling to make their paycheques, pensions and disability benefits cover the essentials. The latest Statistics Canada figures show that grocery prices are 33% higher than they were in September 2020. Of course, the wages and benefits have not kept up with that increase. I recognize that the grocery benefit does help eligible households, that fuel tax relief has been extended as Conservatives requested and that people do need that breathing room, but the government has to explain how it will reduce the underlying costs of getting food onto the shelves. The answer cannot be a never-ending stream of cheques and an ever-lengthening lineup at food banks. For Vancouver Island, that means working with us on improving the infrastructure that supports our supply chains and paying attention to freight, cold storage and distribution. It also means making it easy for local farmers and independent grocers to reach customers. It means removing unnecessary federal costs and barriers, while protecting food safety and strengthening competition. The government has now opened applications for its $1 billion food-link fund. It says that this will improve distribution and lower food costs. Given the ineffectiveness of earlier measures, I would feel better if we had clear deadlines and measurable results. Will the parliamentary secretary commit tonight to public reporting on whether the fund meets its approval deadlines when projects begin operating and whether they lower distribution costs for island communities? Beyond that fund, which federal costs will the government remove to make producing and transporting food more affordable? A $1-billion commitment deserves a clear accounting of what it will deliver. Families should be able to judge the results at the grocery store. The government owes all Canadians a plan that reduces the need for that help. Once again, we find that these plans are short on details in many ways. They are short on key performance indicators, and we lack confidence that they will produce measurable results. When will families in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and across this country finally see lasting relief in their grocery bills?
