Liberal leadership candidate Chrystia Freeland has pitched a plan to lower food prices, tackling a key part of the cost-of-living issue that plagued her for much of her time as minister of finance.
Her affordability plan includes a promise to cap profit margins for grocers on essential items, including eggs, milk, vegetables and baby formula.
She鈥檚 also promising to outlaw 鈥渟hrinkflation鈥� 鈥� the practice of making containers slightly smaller so consumers barely notice they鈥檙e paying the same for less 鈥� and to overhaul the Competition Bureau to 鈥渆nd deceptive behaviour and impose zero-tolerance for bad actors.鈥�
鈥淢y government will use tax dollars responsibly. I will pay for these measures by reducing the cost of running government 鈥� without cutting the benefits and services Canadians count on,鈥� Freeland said in an email outlining her plan.
鈥淭his means cutting red tape, streamlining how government does business, and leveraging new digital and AI tools to deliver benefits and services to Canadians, faster and better.鈥�
Freeland is one of five people running to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said last month he will resign as soon as a new leader is elected.
Former central banker Mark Carney, MP Karina Gould and former MPs Frank Baylis and Ruby Dhalla are also in the running for the Liberals鈥� top job. The vote is scheduled for March 9.
Rising food prices have been a major cause of anxiety and hardship for Canadians over the last four years. Annual tracking by four universities published in Canada鈥檚 Food Price Report shows costs rose almost five per cent in 2021, more than 10 per cent on average in 2022, almost six per cent in 2023 and nearly three per cent in 2024.
Statistics Canada has reported a significant increase in the number of Canadians living in what it calls 鈥渇ood insecure鈥� households 鈥� from about 6.1 million people in 2019 to almost 8.7 million people in 2023.
The Liberals have pushed national grocers to sign a code of conduct to help lower prices but have resisted the NDP鈥檚 calls for price caps.
Freeland said more than once in 2023 that Canada鈥檚 grocery industry needs more competition and the Liberal government has been seeking to do that but no new retailers have appeared.
Freeland鈥檚 email said she will improve competition by banning grocers from also owning wholesalers, processors and distributors.
She also promised low-cost financing to attract new independent grocers and to consider allowing foreign grocers into the market 鈥� with the exception of American grocery chains. That鈥檚 a nod to Canada鈥檚 ongoing tariff battle with the United States and President Donald Trump鈥檚 repeated threats to Canada鈥檚 sovereignty.
Freeland is also proposing to build 100,000 more $10-a-day child care spaces by 鈥渞equiring new or renovated federal office buildings鈥� to provide them. She said a government led by her would offer 鈥渘ew or renovated space in federal buildings to non-profit providers free of charge, and (lower) existing rents for non-profit providers to zero dollars within sixty days.鈥�
鈥淚 will cut taxes for the middle class, including for Canadians buying that first home. And I will cut the costs of credit card debt, groceries, and child care for all Canadians,鈥� Freeland said.
The NDP said in a media statement that Freeland鈥檚 current position on affordability departs from her previous actions.
鈥淐hrystia Freeland had her chance to stand up to grocers and put a price cap on groceries 鈥� but she chose not to,鈥� the party said, referring to Freeland voting against an NDP motion to put a price cap on groceries last June.
鈥淒espite promising that her government 鈥榳ould do everything in [their] power to make sure prices stabilize,鈥� Freeland chose not to implement a price cap when she was the Minister of Finance,鈥� the party said in a media statement.
鈥淔reeland is doing what Liberals do best: when they鈥檙e desperate for your vote, they promise to lower prices and get tough on billionaires. But when they get in government, they cave to big business and corporate greed.鈥�
