Conservative leader Erin O’Toole says prices for staples in a Canadian breakfast are soaring — but he fails to point out that for three of the goods, costs are controlled by supply management..And supply management is something the Tories did not fight against in the recent election..Supply management is a national agricultural policy framework used in Canada that controls the supply of dairy, poultry and eggs through production and import controls and pricing mechanisms..O’Toole pointed out recent steep increases in butter, eggs and maple syrup, all of which are controlled through supply management..In their election platform, the Tories vowed to “respect and defend supply management for our dairy and poultry farms and ensure that farming families are engaged in any trade negotiations or programs impacting the sector.”.In terms of price-fixing, the Tories said they will work with the provinces to adopt a grocery supply code to deal with retailers’ “abusive pricing and contracting practices against farmers, producers, and processors.”
