Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Ed Fast, Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance, Dan Albas, Conservative Associate Shadow Minister of Finance and Housing Inflation, and Gérard Deltell, Conservative Shadow Minister for Innovation, Science and Industry, issued the following statement regarding Conservatives’ priorities going into the upcoming sitting:

“Skyrocketing inflation and the cost of living crisis is devastating families across Canada.

“Inflation is at the highest rate in a generation, costing families an additional 5.7 per cent on everything compared to last year. Housing prices have doubled under Justin Trudeau and are up 29 per cent in the last year. Groceries are costing families an extra $1000 this year. Wages aren’t keeping up, even with modest growth.

“As four-fifths of Canadian families are already cutting back and stretching their budgets thin, the affordability crisis has been exacerbated by the skyrocketing price of gas — making it more difficult for parents to drive to work or take their kids to hockey practice.

“As Parliament returns, Conservatives will be focused on innovative and effective solutions to fight the cost of living crisis. Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to provide immediate relief to families, providing a GST holiday on gasoline and diesel. This would immediately provide relief at the pumps to all Canadians, reducing prices by about 5 per cent, or 8 cents per litre. We will be fighting for families across Canada that have been pushed to the brink because of the cost of living crisis.

“Canadians can’t afford more hollow words and empty promises from Justin Trudeau.

“Conservatives will always be the voice of Canadians looking for relief from the spiralling cost of living. Throughout this session of Parliament, Conservatives will propose common-sense solutions to leave more money where it belongs — in the pockets of hard-working Canadians.”