Senator Housakos: Government leader, do you recognize that the average Canadian family in Canada will be spending $1,000 more this year than they did last year for food, for milk, for eggs, for bread — essential elements needed for parents to feed their children? I appreciate that for the Prime Minister and his cabinet and maybe parliamentarians $1,000 isn’t that much, but for your average Canadian family that is a substantial burden to carry.

In this country, we have been facing 30-year high inflation rates. We are currently in a situation where fruits and meats are 10% more costly than they were exactly a year ago. That’s the reality, government leader, and your government has taken actions that are making food more expensive for farmers to produce, including the carbon tax and the tariff on fertilizer imports. At a time of record inflation, when many Canadians are forced to choose between buying food and paying their bills, why are your policies that are making food even more expensive for Canadians something your government is still embracing and holding dear to?

Hon. Leo Housakos: Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. Yesterday, the NDP-Liberal government had an opportunity to make life more affordable for Canadians by supporting a motion from the official opposition in the other place. The motion put forward concrete actions that would help Canadians dealing with record food, fuel and housing inflation immediately — not next year, but right now.

Of course, your government voted against it. Government leader, I’ve raised the cost of living crisis with you many times and I haven’t gotten the sense that your government understands the desperation that many families feel right across Canada.

Leader, does your government still believe that inflation is transitory? Is that why you won’t cut taxes on gas or/and the mandates? Was your refusal to support yesterday’s motion strictly a partisan decision, or was it ideological? What is it with your government?