Nova Scotia NDP leader Claudia Chender (right) and Christy-Lee-Bojarski (left).
The Nova Scotia NDP is calling on the Houston government to cut grocery taxes to help people cope with the rising cost of food.
At an announcement today in Halifax, Claudia Chender, the party’s leader said that food prices have gotten out of control and thinks it’s time for the government to step in and help. A recent report from Dalhousie University predicts that grocery prices will keep increasing in 023.
“We know that Nova Scotians are feeling the pain of higher grocery costs and we know that families, seniors, and kids are hurting because they can’t afford the food that they need,” said Chender.
Chender also said that the NDP has been calling on the government to address issues related to the rising cost of living for over a year. She said that one of the main focuses of Premier Tim Houston’s campaign was addressing healthcare, and she argued that helping people afford healthy food is a key part of healthcare.
Christy-Lee Bojarski is a Nova Scotian mother to two children. She says she’s had to resort to buying more processed foods for her family simply because it’s become too expensive to buy fresher, whole alternatives.
“We no longer buy anywhere near as much whole produce and whole vegetables as we used to. I remember at one point, just the cost of a head of lettuce was like eight or nine dollars, and it blew my mind,” said Bojarski. “It’s starting to feel like healthy eating is becoming a privilege.”
Right now, in Nova Scotia, some food items are already tax free, such as bulk items, but their smaller, cheaper alternatives are still taxed. Chender says this unfairly dings people who can’t afford the more expensive version of the product.
Bojarski says that getting rid of taxes on groceries may not seem like much, but as she and thousands of other Nova Scotians grapple with inflation, every bit helps.
“At this point, when everybody is literally counting dollars… a handful of dollars at the end of a grocery trip is a big deal to us right now. That’s the desperate times in which we live,” said Bojarski.
As far as how the province would be able to afford eliminating taxes on groceries, Chender was quick to point out that the government had $1.4 billion of unexpected revenue this year and that they should be using that money in every way they can to ease the financial burden on Nova Scotians.
Under the NDP’s proposed idea to cut taxes on groceries, a point -of-sale rebate of the provincial HST would be introduced on all retail food products. In British Columbia all food for human consumption is already tax free, and Ontario has been offering a similar rebate as the one proposed by the NDP since 2010.
“I think the government has an obligation… to help citizens navigate the rapidly changing economy and help us provide our children and ourselves with food that’s nutritious,” said Bojarski.
