QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Affordability for Canadians
February 26, 2026
Government leader, we’ve recently seen a report from the G7 that Canada has the highest food inflation in the world by miles. You like to steal our ideas on the eve of an election, like getting rid of the carbon tax and lowering capital gains. We’re begging you to do this before the next election and give some reprieve to Canadians who are suffering at the grocery stores.
Will you please get rid of the industrial carbon tax? That would allow Canadians to get cheaper food. Will you put into place some fiscal guardrails to allow the Canadian dollar to gain some momentum again, as it is costing a fortune for importers to bring in food?
When will your government understand that your policy of creating a weak dollar and your policy of allowing the carbon tax to pummel the agriculture industry are showing up at the grocery stores? As a result, we have the world’s highest food inflation growth amongst the G7 countries. The report came out this morning. I invite you to read it.
I have an occasion to tell you, Senator Housakos, that, for almost two years, inflation has remained within the Bank of Canada’s target. It was 2.3% in January, and now interest rates are stabilizing at 2.25%.
The government is working on inflation. It’s working on creating new jobs for Canadians. It’s working on fiscal responsibility. It’s working on affordability. I provided many measures in response to Senator Martin’s question, and you’re not satisfied. The problem is that I don’t know what would satisfy you. Whenever there’s a measure of affordability in the other place, your colleagues in the national caucus vote against those measures.
Pretty soon, you’re going to be blaming the Diefenbaker government for all of the faults of today.
In reality, interest rates are going down, Senator Moreau, because the economy is contracting. I am not talking about interest rates in a contracting economy. I’m talking about child poverty that has reached historic levels. I’m talking about food banks with people lined up around the corners. I’m talking about poverty levels we have never before seen in a country like Canada.
I’m simply asking, will you get rid of the industrial carbon tax and put into place fiscal guardrails? Those two simple things can easily be done to give reprieve to people going —
Thank you, Senator Housakos.
The only person bringing up the Diefenbaker government is you with every single question you’re asking. There is a new government that was elected about 10 months ago. Come and bring yourself up to par, and we’ll see what the question will be.
For child care, I repeat what I have already said to Senator Martin: We’re working on it. You don’t recognize it —
Thank you, Senator Moreau.
