Alistair McGregor is my guest he’s a member of parliament for the NDP Alis good to see you appreciate you taking the time today yes good afternoon from Snowy Ottawa yeah I know I know and a lot of rain in your home province of BC of course that we’re covering uh let me
Ask you if I can about what you want to hear specifically from the head of soes on on these price stabilization plans well to tell you the truth you know I’ve had a chance over the last couple of weeks to review the documents that were sent in by all five companies
Under question and I’m actually not expecting too much but you know the minister of industry made a pretty strong commitment back in September and October about stabilizing food prices I think most Canadians want to see food prices actually go lower but that’s what prompted us to take this investigation
And and especially we’ve had recent comments from Eric lefes from Metro saying that that meeting had zero impact on food prices so I think we owe it as a committee to do a deeper dive into what was actually committed to and do the CEOs actually have a substantive plan
That is going to result in something lower for so many Canadians because they really are struggling every single week that they’re trying to go and feed their families hey alisar how much of this do you think is real and how much of it is sort of lip service you know PR you know
Stuff going on by these the these top CEOs I mean are they is it your opinion they are really committed to trying to do something or do they realize hey you know what the cameras are rolling so we need to be seen as trying to do something well that’s a that’s a great
Question I mean there are several things I know to be true number one uh Mr Medline received a compensation of $8.6 Million last year but he now has employees of sobs who are on strike in Halifax and the latest company offered to them was a 5cent increase over
Minimum wage his own employees are complaining that they can’t afford to buy food at the stores that they work at the other thing that people have to keep in mind is that so’s or Empire the parent company recorded record profits when you look at the quarter that just
Passed compared to the quarter of last year I think it was about a 39% increase and this is all happening at a time when record numbers of Canadians are having to go to the food bank so again I think uh many people can you know make their
Opinions known based on those facts but I think right now like there is just so much corporate greed in so many different sectors that is driving inflation and right now so many Canadians are reaching the breaking point so as parliamentarians I think we owe it to the public that we serve to do
A deep dive into this and start exposing the structural inequalities that are at play especially for something that is so vitally necessary such as food I know that the NDP have really been leading the charge uh Alistar on this to try and say look people need to understand
What’s actually going on here as you point out some of those facts which speak for themselves when we talk about compensation can I ask you what more you think the government could do you know and you listen to the industry Minister froa Philip shampang and he’s you know
He’s very very vocal about holding their feet to the fire demanding accountability demanding answers here again what more do you think they could do to actually bring about some of that to bring prices down to hold the chains accountable well what they have done already is largely the result of NDP
Pressure I mean they they make the they make a lot of conversation about Bill c-56 uh my own leader jugg me Singh had his own bill and so we’ve actually strengthened that so I do think number one a strengthened competition law and a strengthened competition Bureau is
Important but I ultimately want to see deeper structural change that is like challenging the corporate difference that we see in so many parts of how our government operates I mean we exist in a system where over the last 40 years policy makers have largely turned a blind eye to how Corporate profits have
Been increasing and increasing and increasing and yet ordinary Canadian standard of living just is isn’t keeping up so I think we need to take a serious look at how taxation operates in Canada we have one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the oecd uh there have been
Lots of calls about putting in a wealth tax and excess profits tax these are not unfamiliar uh subjects but I think we need to have a serious conversation about how we start tilting the playing field back into ordinary Canadians favor yeah so we’re going to hear from the guy
From soes today who’s next I mean how many times are they going to come to Ottawa you know what’s your kind of read here in the weeks and months ahead aliser I wish I had my crystal bulb but I think uh I’m not going to be satisfied and Canadians won’t be satisfied until
We as opposition members start driving the liberal government to actually bring in some serious change that is actually going to change what so many Canadians are going through right now now and and that’s our ultimate goal we have to start focusing on building a Canada where people can actually afford to feed
Their families I think it’s a shameful record that Canada being such an agricultural Powerhouse and so proud of the amount of food we can produce still has such a record number of people who are struggling with the basic necessities of life and again that speaks to the structural inequality that
Exists in Canadian Society right now and I think they need to see their policy makers taking this seriously but also following up with substantive action Alistair thanks so much for taking the time to come on the program today much appreciated
NDP MP Alistair MacGregor says it’s ‘shameful’ that Canada is an agricultural powerhouse, yet has so many people who can’t afford groceries.
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They should try investigating how our free trade deals with Asia, for example, impact the price of food in Canada.
This series never gets old. the effort they put into these is amazing. Thanks to Logan and the crew 0:03
Bon visionnage à tous ? la vidéo à l’air d’être incrrrr ….. le live était trop bien aussi ? merci au monteur aussi ? 0:04
get rid of CARBON TAX food prices will come down
Trudeau is happily destroying this country. With purpose and intent!!!
I am 63 and i have been hungry most of my life
Leaving it up to ceos rather than getting multinationals out of food is a huge part of the problem
It's called CAPITALISM. Try and keep up.
The government has money for Ukraine, Israel, Palestine and each and every other cause except for yea our food our housing our gas prices our electricity our taxes ??? what a joke really!! Cause we pay for all this double triple. ??
liberal/NDP caused high food price
Maybe the NDP should take a deep dive into why they are propping up the Liberals.
SHAME SHAME SHAME!
Localize It!
Canada was so utterly vulnerable during the pandemic, from food to gas to medications – shameful for a country that is so rich and abundant.
What about around the world?
And yet NDP still supports this crap liberal government.
If the NDP really wanted to help, they would kiss Trudeau's ass goodbye.
It's time to get growing folks.
Liberal ndp are to blame for the price of food ,a 2 year old knows better, carbon tax ,tax is cost wow
Thank the liberals and NDP for their failures
Canada is church ?
Ya think Ottawa cares Haha
Its Gov politions that own the stocks in the grocery chain check it out they all make money off hi prices
Also check when they bought the stocks
So the NDP Liberal coalition says it’s time to do something about food prices. The only thing stopping them, is them. Stop making excuses. If you’re going to do something, then do it, stop talking about it……. The constant talking about it just means, they aren’t going to do anything.
Time for Trudeau and his regime to take The Walk Of Shame
All to deaf ears Allister?
When is the NDP going to stand up to Trudeau and the liberals and call an elections all they do it talk, talk is cheap take action!
Blame those companies who create lots of job is shameful.
Notice they don't want to talk about the carbon tax on fuel that drives up transportation costs and cost of production in the food chain. Hypocrites. Government has to change period!!
AXE THE TAX!!!
Food inflation is the direct result of the carbon tax. Stop supporting the liberals.
remember Canada LIBERAL/NDP did this together!!!
When are Canadians going to grow up and realize paying more tax won't change the weather ? How embarrassing, foolish, and cowardice. Grow up you Canadian cowards