(Ottawa) Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland believes it is possible to adopt a made-in-Canada solution to the inflationary pressures that affect the majority of countries around the world.
According to her, this Canadian solution rests on two pillars: the creation of a national network of child care centers, which will cut child care costs in half in most provinces by the end of 2022, and the construction of affordable housing by focusing on on the Fund to accelerate housing construction.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Minister Freeland said she was fully aware of the rising cost of living that affects all Canadians. “On the weekends, I go to the grocery store to buy the food I need to prepare my family’s meals,” she said in response to the attacks by the Conservative Party, which accuses the Trudeau government of being little concerned about inflation.
According to the minister, who is expected to provide an economic and financial update in early December, Canada cannot escape the inflationary pressures that threaten most countries that depend on a highly disrupted global supply chain due to the pandemic . The rise in oil prices also affects all countries, she added.
But she insisted that the Trudeau government is able to limit the effects of inflation by investing in the creation of a national child care system and by launching various measures to increase access to affordable housing.
In the Commons on Wednesday, the Conservative Party strafed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with questions about rising inflation, which reached an annual rate of 5.3% in October in Quebec, according to the Quebec Price Index. Statistics Canada’s consumption (CPI).
Inflation in Canada is at an all-time high. Sixty percent of Canadian families fear they will not be able to feed their families. Grocery bills have already gone up by hundreds of dollars, but the Speech from the Throne only mentioned inflation once. Once ! Does the Prime Minister know we have an inflation crisis in Canada
Erin O’Toole, Leader of the Conservative Party
“It is certainly interesting to talk about the inflation challenge that many countries face. However, in the throne speech we spent a lot more time talking about our solutions, including $ 10 a day child care across the country and investments in the housing crisis. Moreover, the federal Conservatives are against such investments and initiatives. They promised to tear up the child care agreements that will help families. We are going to put in place measures that will help families to counter the cost of living, ”replied the Prime Minister.
“Justinflation”
Later in question period, Conservative Party finance critic Pierre Poilievre got the hang of it by using the prime minister’s first name to criticize what he describes as the indifference of the Trudeau government. in the face of this phenomenon. “After all, it’s ‘Justinflation’.” He was called to order by the Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota.
Mme Freeland made the remarks after tabling Bill C-2 in the House of Commons to implement certain more targeted assistance measures for businesses and workers who are still affected by the effects of the pandemic. These aid measures, which will end next May and cost the tax authorities $ 7.4 billion, were announced last month by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mr.me Freeland. But a bill is needed to implement them.
The federal government thus confirms that it is extending the Hiring Program for Canada’s Economic Recovery for businesses whose current revenue decline is greater than 10%. In their case, the subsidy rate will be 50%. The extension will help companies continue to rehire workers, increase the number of hours of work they are able to offer their employees.
Ottawa also offers targeted support to businesses that still face significant challenges related to the pandemic such as hotels, tour operators, travel agencies and restaurants. These sectors will benefit from the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program,