Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question for the government leader concerns the escalating cost of living for Canadians. Yesterday’s Consumer Price Index numbers clearly show that the price for food has risen at the fastest pace in the last four decades. Conservatives have spent the last 24 months warning the government about inflation and the consequences of out‑of‑control spending. Yet the Prime Minister continues to spend and costs continue to rise. Now Canadians face a 10.8% increase in the cost to feed their families. Leader, when will the government finally realize they were wrong all along and cap government spending?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. The government is very focused on the challenge that the increased cost of living poses to Canadians. Notwithstanding that there have been some modest improvement in the overall inflation numbers, as you properly point out, the cost of food, which is a fundamental human need, continues to rise. The government is proposing and has proposed a number of measures to assist those most seriously affected, some of them are in bills that were just introduced and that we will have an opportunity to study here.

The government does not believe it was wrong to invest as it did in helping Canadians through the pandemic and will continue to invest and target support for those who are most severely affected by the ongoing challenges that the world is facing. Supply chain challenges, challenges based on the increased costs of the materials of production, caused in part by the pandemic, in part by the war in Ukraine and in part by inflation, as you have underlined. The government remains committed to helping Canadians and will continue to do so.

Senator Gold: The answer is most likely no, honourable senator. The government has a different approach to addressing the economic crisis. That approach has proven effective in maintaining Canada’s credit rating abroad, maintaining our economy, which is growing well and recovering — exceptionally well despite the differences. In a democratic society, it’s good and healthy that there is a debate between different approaches to managing the economy and different understandings of the causes of inflation. This government is satisfied that it is on the right track and will continue to so act.