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Hansard Files's avatar

I was reading the recent Hansard transcripts on affordability and checked the StatsCan breakdown for that 7.3% food inflation figure. The biggest driver wasn't the grocery aisle. It was a massive 12.3% jump in restaurant prices. Actual grocery store costs only rose 4.8% last month. Monopolies definitely impact supermarket checkout prices. However, seeing restaurants hike prices this aggressively makes me question the broader picture. We clearly have a cost-of-living problem spreading across the entire food service sector. The Competition Bureau (our federal anti-monopoly watchdog) should start looking beyond just the big grocers.

Do Not Pass Go by Peter Nowak's avatar

The 7.3% figure comes from "the Food Professor" Sylvain Charlebois, whose piece on this is linked to above. He goes into greater detail on the issue if you want to check that out.

Mike Wong's avatar

Hi Peter, if you get a chance checkout, "The Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project (Camp).

Kedon Bester is their executive director and a fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation a former special advisor at the Competition Bureau.

The work of considering monopolies and a vibrant market is important to Canada if we want a thriving business scene.

Do Not Pass Go by Peter Nowak's avatar

I know CAMP and Keldon well, we talk frequently.

Mike Wong's avatar

Cool, I am a year on reading some articles.