With fiscal update, Liberals fail to help Canadians struggling with the rising cost of living

In the face of the pandemic, an affordability crisis, the housing crisis and climate crisis, the Liberals once again protect pandemic profiteers and fail to help families make ends meet

OTTAWA — While most Canadians are worried about how to stretch their paycheques to pay their bills, the ultra-rich and wealthiest corporations are making record profits from the rising cost of living. Instead of introducing concrete measures in today’s fiscal update to make Canadians’ lives more affordable, the Liberals once again chose to protect the profits of ultra-wealthy corporations like big oil companies, giant grocery chains and housing speculators who are driving the cost of housing higher.

“Today’s fiscal update was an opportunity for Justin Trudeau to do the right thing for families having a hard time making ends meet because groceries, gas, and housing are getting more expensive every month. But he didn’t,” said NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. “As the rate of inflation goes up, it’s not the ultra-wealthy who are struggling, it’s everyday Canadians that are struggling to get by. Justin Trudeau talks a good game but when push comes to shove, he prefers to protect the profits of the powerful instead of making life more affordable for your family. New Democrats will always fight for you and your family.”

Under Justin Trudeau, the average cost of a home is 38 per cent higher than it was a year ago and Canada has the worst record on the climate emergency in the G7. In today’s fiscal update, Justin Trudeau decided to keep spending billions on fossil fuel subsidies instead of helping workers and communities’ transition to a renewable future. An NDP government would have made different choices; instead of protecting pandemic profiteers, New Democrats would have taxed them and closed tax loopholes and tax havens in order to better support Canadians with the rising cost of living.

“The Liberals decided to put the ultra-rich and giant corporations ahead of people struggling to get by,” said Singh. “With the OMICRON variant threat on people’s minds and as COVID-19 cases go up, the Liberals maintained their cuts to help for people. Canadians deserve better. They deserve a government who is on their side and will fight for their families. Not a government like this one that forces Canadians into debt to cover their expenses. New Democrats will continue to push the Liberals to make life more affordable for you and your family.”