Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stopped in Winnipeg Friday to reiterate his push for a cap on food prices, as he shops for votes ahead of a byelection in Elmwood-Transcona.
“Let’s force these corporate grocery stores to lower the price of essential items and if they don’t, impose a price cap,” Singh said against the backdrop of the Freshco grocery store at 731 Henderson Hwy.
NDP candidate Leila Dance said she’s heard from neighbours who say they have skipped meals or gone to food banks because of the high cost of food.
She held a watermelon that had been purchased at the grocery store as Singh decried the “astronomical” cost of food products. From a bag, he pulled a package of cherry tomatoes and a bottle of olive oil also purchased at the store — all totalling $35.
Elmwood-Transcona was vacated by Daniel Blaikie in April after nearly a decade in office. The riding has largely belonged to the New Democrats since 1979, save for a term between 2011-15 when Lawrence Toet held it for the Conservatives.
Singh has reinvigorated his push to rein in grocery prices by calling for a price cap. Earlier this week, he spoke outside of a Loblaws grocery store in Coquitlam, B.C., to get his message out.
The messaging comes after an NDP motion to implement cost-cutting measures, including price controls, was voted down by the Liberals and Conservatives last month.
Murray Phillips loaded grocery staples such as bread, vegetables, eggs, cheese and meat totalling around $60 into his vehicle at the Freshco location Friday afternoon.
Food prices are “horrible” said Phillips, who said he believes large food chains are profiting immensely.
He said he would support a cap, but he scoffed at the idea it would ever become a reality.
“Never going to happen,” he remarked. “How are you going to force them?”
A few parking spots over, Micheliana Violi told the Free Press food prices are “the worst they’ve been in a long time.” She resorts to coupon-clipping and comparing prices in flyers to save where she can.
Violi said she would support a cap, but doesn’t think it’s realistic.
“I don’t know how they could implement that,” she said.
Singh, whose party has a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals that has kept the government in power, said the NDP is “forcing the government to act.”
“We’re saying let’s lower the price of essentials immediately, not in the distant future, but to immediately force them to lower prices,” he said, adding “We’re not going to back down, we’re going to keep putting the pressure on them.”
Asked how a cap could affect independent grocers and producers, Singh said the focus would be on corporate, grocery store chains, who he said are “ripping off people” and raking in record profits.
Conservative finance critic Jasraj Singh Hallan told the Free Press the Liberal government’s inflationary policies, supported by the NDP, have caused a spike in food costs.
“If sellout Singh actually cared about making food cheaper and improving the lives of Canadians, he wouldn’t have sold them out by supporting the carbon tax, subsidizing grocery chains, and increasing the cost of food, gas, and home heating for everyone, just to secure his own pension,” Singh Hallan said in a statement.
The idea of a price cap worries Anna Nabrzeska, who is the sole owner of Anna Family Store, a busy 1,100-square-foot grocery store in the Elmwood-Trascona riding.
The store caters to those seeking Polish and German products, and everything on the shelves is imported.
Nabrzeska said she doesn’t have the benefit of buying in bulk or accessing discounted shipping rates like the chain retailers do.
Increased costs on everything from shipping to utility bills over the six years she has been in business are factored into the price paid by shoppers.
Nabrzeska said a cap might help shoppers, but if it bites into her five to 10 per cent profit margins, she would have to close the doors.
jordan.snobelen@freepress.mb.ca