It’s a vicious circle when the price of gas rises, so does the cost of food and products along with it.
Since there is less than two weeks left until election day on June 2nd, what have the political parties offered to do for Ontario residents to lower the price of groceries and gas?
Progressive Conservative
- Nothing specifically noted to lower grocery costs in their platform.
- Gas: proposing a six month relief of gas tax at 5.7 cents/L starting July 1st. (they note that there’s already a 4.73 per cent cut that’s already in place after cancelling the former Liberal’s cap & trade program).
- Offering a new credit called Low-income Individuals and Families Tax (LIFT) Credit, that is supposed to help individuals and families to have more cash in their pockets in order to pay for groceries.
Liberals
- Offering to remove the provincial tax (eight per cent) on prepared foods at grocery stores listed for under $20. ex: prepared roast chickens, fruit/veggie trays…etc.
- The HST would be subsidized by a one per cent surtax on Ontario companies that earn more than a billion dollars, as well as introducing a new tax bracket for Ontarians that earn more than $500,000.
- Offering to remove the 5.7 cents/L of the gas tax and 5.3 cents/L on the fuel tax.
NDP
- While there’s no specific plan to cut taxes or add a specific credit, the party does want to create a provincial food strategy that supports local farmers and the agri-food industry via mentorship, financial advice and loan guarantees.
- Wants to regulate the price of gas through the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), which would benefit drivers as well as businesses shipping products
Green Party
- Offering to fund the start ups of “community-owned healthy food markets”.
- Establish purchasing goals for the provincial government for Ontario produced foods.
- Nothing specifically noted to lower grocery costs in their platform.
While this isn’t an exhaustive list of ways that each political party would reduce your price at the pumps or at the grocery store, it is a starting point to aid in your decision making before heading to the polls on Thurs. June 2nd.
Advance polls are also open, view locations, dates and times here.
