Singh, Poilievre pitch affordability proposals while Carney meets with volunteers
The NDP and Conservatives kicked off the first full weekend of the election campaign by promising more financial relief for Canadians, particularly around food costs. Meanwhile, the Liberals had a quieter Saturday as leader Mark Carney met with volunteers in Nepean, the riding where he’s a candidate.
Standing inside the Parkdale Food Centre in Ottawa on Saturday morning, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced his party’s plan to implement emergency price caps on essential grocery items to protect against U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. “Folks are putting back items on the shelf because it’s just too expensive,” Singh said. “And it wasn’t that way before.”
In addition to price caps, the NDP is also proposing to enforce a mandatory “grocery code of conduct” to regulate pricing practices, fully empower the Competition Bureau to act as a grocery price watchdog, and tax the windfall profits of major retailers such as Loblaws, Walmart, Costco, and Empire Foods.
Since the beginning of January, the NDP has seen a decline in the polls, with support just under nine per cent. However, Singh remains determined to run for prime minister, emphasizing that Canadians have a real choice in this election. He also made it clear that the NDP would never support Pierre Poilievre as prime minister.
On the other hand, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced in Winnipeg that his party would introduce changes to the Income Tax Act to allow traveling trades workers to write off the full cost of food, transportation, and accommodation. The Conservatives also plan to end tax write-offs for luxury corporate jets, while still allowing individuals to write off the equivalent cost of a commercial flight.
Despite trailing the Liberals by about four points in the polls, the Conservatives are still looking for a way to address Mark Carney’s rising popularity. Some Conservatives have described the campaign as “highly disorganized” and “a mess,” with concerns about how the campaign is handling Trump’s tariff threats.
Meanwhile, Carney spent Saturday meeting with campaign volunteers and supporters in Nepean, where he is a candidate. Although he did not make any campaign promises, Carney engaged with the group in a light-hearted manner, showcasing his familiarity with the area.
Carney has faced questions about his decision to run in Nepean, especially since the Liberal party ousted MP Chandra Arya as its candidate just three days before the election was called. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Arya’s removal, Carney remains confident in his candidacy and his ties to the Ottawa area.
As the campaign progresses, all three parties are focused on addressing key issues such as food costs, tax fairness, and economic stability. With the election day drawing closer, Canadians will ultimately decide the direction of the country based on the various promises and platforms put forth by the political parties.
