MPs appear to be finally getting ready to work on issues that have plagued Canadians a long time — inflation and rising house prices..Blacklock’s Reporter says Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Wednesday was summoned by the Commons finance committee for questioning on the cost of living..“Time to get back to work,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.)..“We have an emergency in this country, and it is that our economy has become a gigantic inflated balloon.”.Poilievre sponsored the motion to have a minimum 30 hours worth of hearings on “inflation in the current economy including a) housing inflation; b) food inflation; c) repatriating supply chains for strategic goods and any other issue the committee deems pertinent to the question of inflation.”.The motion was passed unanimously..The committee voted to summon Freeland for questioning as well as Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, Superintendent of Financial Institutions Peter Routledge, Chief Statistician Anil Arora and CEO Romy Bowers of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation..“Home prices are up 58% under this Prime Minister including 20% in the last year alone, all while real wages have been flat,” said Poilievre..“It is a real quandary. When Mr. Trudeau took office you could buy the average house in Canada for $450,000. I think most people are chuckling when they think of that. We now have to pay $720,000.”.New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, Man.) said food prices were worrisome..“We look at some of the other serious cost pressures on Canadian households including the very real cost increases people are seeing at the grocery store,” said Blaikie..Liberal MP Terry Beech (Burnaby North-Seymour, B.C.), parliamentary secretary for finance, said all legislators have heard public protests over rising costs..“Certainly I think in terms of housing affordability, prices at grocery stores, issues with supply chains, these are issues we are all hearing across the country,” said Beech..Macklem forecast inflation will run “close to 5%” this winter..“I want to assure Canadians that we can and we will keep inflation under control,” said Macklem..“We understand what our job is.”
MPs appear to be finally getting ready to work on issues that have plagued Canadians a long time — inflation and rising house prices..Blacklock’s Reporter says Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Wednesday was summoned by the Commons finance committee for questioning on the cost of living..“Time to get back to work,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre (Carleton, Ont.)..“We have an emergency in this country, and it is that our economy has become a gigantic inflated balloon.”.Poilievre sponsored the motion to have a minimum 30 hours worth of hearings on “inflation in the current economy including a) housing inflation; b) food inflation; c) repatriating supply chains for strategic goods and any other issue the committee deems pertinent to the question of inflation.”.The motion was passed unanimously..The committee voted to summon Freeland for questioning as well as Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem, Superintendent of Financial Institutions Peter Routledge, Chief Statistician Anil Arora and CEO Romy Bowers of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation..“Home prices are up 58% under this Prime Minister including 20% in the last year alone, all while real wages have been flat,” said Poilievre..“It is a real quandary. When Mr. Trudeau took office you could buy the average house in Canada for $450,000. I think most people are chuckling when they think of that. We now have to pay $720,000.”.New Democrat MP Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood-Transcona, Man.) said food prices were worrisome..“We look at some of the other serious cost pressures on Canadian households including the very real cost increases people are seeing at the grocery store,” said Blaikie..Liberal MP Terry Beech (Burnaby North-Seymour, B.C.), parliamentary secretary for finance, said all legislators have heard public protests over rising costs..“Certainly I think in terms of housing affordability, prices at grocery stores, issues with supply chains, these are issues we are all hearing across the country,” said Beech..Macklem forecast inflation will run “close to 5%” this winter..“I want to assure Canadians that we can and we will keep inflation under control,” said Macklem..“We understand what our job is.”
