OTTAWA, 25 October 2023 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) warmly welcomed yesterday’s announcementby François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, to triple funding to the Office of Consumer Affairs’ Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations, from $1.69 million to $5 million for five consecutive years. PIAC and other consumer groups in Canada rely upon this program to fund vital consumer protection research. PIAC and others will immediately propose working on projects to help lower Canadians’ grocery bills.
“We applaud Minister Champagne’s action to fund hardworking consumer advocates who for too long have struggled with their own budgetary constraints in trying to help Canadian consumers with their own challenges,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC. “The Minister heard the voice of consumers facing higher food prices and is showing consumer groups that the government trusts us and the Office of Consumer Affairs to make a real difference for Canadians,” he added, after an hour long meeting with Minister Champagne and other consumer groups, including Consumers’ Council of Canada, Option consommateurs and Union des consommateurs.
PIAC’s recent submission to the Competition Bureau of Canada’s Retail Grocery Market Study highlighted “shrinkflation” and “shelflation” and other dubious tactics of grocery retailers to confuse customers looking to shop smart and save money. PIAC was pleased to see the Competition Bureau’s Retail Grocery Market Study Report’s conclusion that “Canada Needs More Grocery Competition”.
PIAC was then thrilled to see the Government of Canada’s reaction to these competition concerns in the grocery sector and across essential goods and services in the introduction of Bill C-56, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act, which would enact the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act. Bill C-56 seeks to remove the hated “efficiencies defence” (which PIAC has opposed since its creation) that harms consumers from merging companies’ tactics and restricts unfair use of schemes such as restrictive covenants, that limit where competing grocery stores can open. PIAC calls upon all parties and members of the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada to swiftly pass this essential competition law reform.
For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
tel: 1-613-562-4002 ext. 125
cell: 1-613-447-8125
@CanadaPIAC
— 30 —