OP-ED: Why Ottawa keeps treating food inflation like a PR problem
Sylvain Charlebois writes, "If the goal is food affordability, why not tackle food taxes directly?"
Author: Sylvain Charlebois
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government announced this week a new suite of measures aimed at easing the cost of groceries and essentials. At the centre is the rebranded Canada Groceries & Essentials Benefit—formerly the GST credit—boosted by 25% for five years, with a one-time 50% top-up. For a family of four, that could amount to as much as $1,890 this year. Nearly 12 million Canadians will be affected.
On the surface, it is hard to argue against any measure that puts money directly into the hands of families struggling to keep up with food prices. According to projections in Canada’s Food Price Report 2026, this benefit actually exceeds the expected increase in food expenses for a typical family of four this year. In that narrow sense, Ottawa can credibly say it is keeping households whole.
