Eat healthy, they say. Be sure to follow a balanced diet that includes all food groups..Well, that’s getting harder and for too many Canadians impossible to do, as grocery prices continue an upward spiral. There's now an expectation that families will pay $1,000-plus more for food in 2023, warned December’s Canada Food Price report..And the federal Liberal government acts like a helpless bystander. It professes to very much care about struggling Canadians skipping meals, potentially going hungry, and visiting food banks. It would have us believe that the problem stems solely from events beyond its control..That would be the COVID-19 pandemic. Supply chain interruptions. Labour shortages. The Russia-Ukraine war interrupting food production in both countries. These factors did contribute to food inflation costs. But they can only be blamed for a tomato costing $2.48 (just paid that) for so long..The Liberals are stumped about what to do. So much so, they convinced a parliamentary committee to study how the government might address rising food prices..How about addressing the elephants they herded into the room and won’t let out?.A committee isn’t needed to figure out that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wanton, reckless spending and the carbon tax are behind inflation and food affordability woes that have people frightened — and some going hungry..Food prices greatly surpass inflation that’s been as high as 10% and stands at 6%. For now..It’s not only those living paycheque to paycheque who search grocery store shelves for sales, bypass food items they once could afford, then walk out with fewer bags and a bigger dent in their credit or debit card balances. Everybody's shopping for bargains..And no wonder. The increase in some food items — from January 2020 to January 2023 — is staggering and far exceeds the rate of inflation. And that includes foods considered cheaper options..Statistics Canada’s Monthly Average Retail Prices for Selected Products Monthly Average Retail Prices For Selected Products report detailed food inflation costs compared with pre-pandemic levels based on checkout prices nationwide. Keep in mind, some areas face even higher prices..The price of hamburger rose 11%, chicken drumsticks jumped 14%, and chicken thighs cost 23% more..Maybe the growing kids a single mom is trying to feed won’t notice the Hamburger Helper lacks much hamburger, or that they’re getting one drumstick or chicken thigh instead of two..Well then, feed them pasta, eggs, beans and potatoes. Oh, but spaghetti jumped 54%, eggs 27% a dozen, potatoes 19% and canned beans 32%..And maybe think about rationing those apples that cost 25% more. Cut back on healthy salads because iceberg lettuce is up 35%, and onions 31%. Water down the milk that’s up 25% a litre — if you aren’t already doing that..Salmon, beef, or bacon? Well, those are luxuries that seniors on fixed incomes can’t afford, despite the January $2 monthly hike in Old Age Security benefits. The 2023 Canada Pension Plan increase of 6.5% doesn’t begin to match the 20% increase for salmon filets from $24.10 per kilo to $28.93. Or bacon up 22%, and stewing beef 26%.One grocery chain’s popular monthly 10 for $10 sales now offer five or six items for $10..Canadians are forced to stretch their dollars, and when they can’t, must turn to food banks now feeding 1.5 million more a month. That includes the working poor..Meanwhile, more Canadians are borrowing more..“In the current economic context many Canadians are facing the biggest financial challenges of their lives,” said the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada in a February 13 report..“More are borrowing money to cover their day to day expenses including by using high-cost loans.”.The Consumer Vulnerability: Evidence From The Monthly Covid-19 Financial Well-Being Survey said 38% of Canadians borrowed to cover daily expenses, and 31% were “short of money at the end of the month.”.No worries, say the Liberals. We’ll just cut into their dollars by raising the carbon tax again — with plans to do it again after that..The Liberals could do two things to alleviate financial stress that’s tormenting Canadians, said Franco Terrazzano, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation..“Scrap the carbon tax. Stop the runaway spending,” said Terrazzano..“The problem is this runaway spending is feeding inflation. It’s feeding all different levels of inflation because you have the central bank print $300 billion out of thin air largely by buying government of Canada debt. And the more money the central bank prints, the less all of our dollars can buy.”.“When we’re talking about groceries in particular how do those groceries get to the store? By truck. And you know what’s driving up those costs? Tax hikes like the Trudeau government’s carbon tax.”.Trudeau is going to make an already bad situation worse because the carbon tax will be increased April 1 to 14 cents per litre of gasoline from the current 11 cents..“Then in July, Trudeau is bringing in a second carbon tax through fuel regulations.”.The cost of that increase hasn’t yet been announced..“British Columbia currently has a second carbon tax through fuel regulations. BC’s carbon tax costs about 17 cents per litre of gasoline. We’re not suggesting that’s going to be the cost of the second carbon tax right away. We don’t know because the government hasn’t released the analysis. But what we do know is it’s going to come with massive costs for drivers and consumers.”.So, what does that mean for Canadians, including the single mom trying to feed her kids?.“She’s going to pay more because the grocery costs are going up. And she’s going to have to pay more to drive to the grocery store.”.Hopefully, Trudeau’s committee will figure out the problem — and push him into the obvious solution..Don’t hold your breath as you try not to get too hungry..Trudeau’s special committees have a history of abdicating him of his shortcomings and reaching conclusions he wants to hear..And Canadians, consumers and otherwise, pay the price..Meanwhile, the Liberals have their priorities... hundreds of millions of dollars sent to African countries for example, to fund female sexual and reproductive services (abortion.) I guess to them that seems such a small price to pay for rising food costs in Canada.
