BC Government Policies Drive Highest Food Price Inflation in Canada

KAMLOOPS, BC: Peter Milobar, Conservative MLA for Kamloops Centre and Opposition Critic for Finance, issued the following statement today in response to the latest inflation data from Statistics Canada:

“Once again, British Columbians are paying the price for NDP mismanagement, with BC recording the highest food inflation rate in Canada at 3.9%, significantly higher than the national average of 3.4%. It’s no coincidence the lowest food inflation rate in the country – Saskatchewan’s 2.8% – is found in a province not governed by the NDP.”

Milobar cited analysis from Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, who highlighted the severe challenges faced by BC’s food industry due to skyrocketing input, labour, and transportation costs. “BC government policies are directly responsible for pushing food producers and processors out of the province, forcing products to be shipped out for processing and then shipped back again. This inefficiency drives up prices at the checkout counter,” said Milobar.

“Families in British Columbia shouldn’t have to bear the burden of failed NDP government policies. Failed NDP policies are the reason BC has Canada’s highest food inflation. It’s time for common sense conservative policies that support local food producers to make food here in BC so we don’t have to ship farm products to Alberta and then back to BC. Let’s make and produce more food right here in BC so we can create jobs and cut inflation. That is a common sense approach that will strengthen our supply chains, and bring down the cost of groceries for everyone.”

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Media Contact:
Francesca Guetchev, Communications Officer
Francesca.Guetchev@leg.bc.ca
+1 (672) 922-0948