More than 50 per cent of Canadians are struggling to make ends meet under the Liberal government

OTTAWA — While one per cent of Canadians now own 25 per cent of the country’s wealth, a recent poll reveals that over half of Canadians say they cannot keep up with the rising cost of living. The fact that so many people are falling behind while the ultra-rich are amassing more and more wealth is an indictment of the way Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are running the country.

“People are feeling slammed by the rising price of so many essentials, including housing, gas, and groceries, just to name a few. There are things the Liberals could do to reduce the stress on Canadians’ monthly budget, but they are choosing instead not to act,” said NDP Critic for Finance, Daniel Blaikie. “Capping the price of cellphone and internet bills, delivering on national pharmacare and implementing their own platform commitments for the housing market, like a ban on blind bidding, are all things that New Democrats support, and the Liberals could move on now, in order to relieve pressure on household budgets.”

The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that Canadians are right to be concerned. Between January 2020 and January 2021, the cost of living increased faster than what people earn, making it harder to afford housing and groceries.

“While Canadians are losing all the wiggle room in their budgets, the ultra-wealthy continue to benefit from special tax rules allowing them to legally avoid paying their fair share,” said Blaikie. “It is far past time that the Liberals close the CEO stock option tax loophole, end the use of tax havens and implement a new wealth tax for fortunes over $20 million. This revenue can be invested in services and support that Canadians need to navigate these challenging economic times.”