Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound Conservative MP Alex Ruff says the Federal Liberal Government’s policies are exacerbating a cost of living crisis in Canada.
Ruff issued a statement Tuesday saying, “Many people in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound and across the country are finding it harder and harder to keep up with rising inflation. Unfortunately, the Liberal Government continues to make policy decisions that increase the cost of living, threaten our supply chain, and make it harder for families to make ends meet. So many people are barely getting by, and few are getting ahead,” says Ruff.
He says, “On January 1st, the Government hiked CPP premiums during a cost-of-living crisis with inflation reaching a 30-year high. My Conservative colleagues and I are calling on the Government to immediately reverse the CPP increase. Reversing this increased cost to workers is one small way the government can immediately provide support to Canadian families and businesses struggling with the cost of living, a crisis that is getting worse by the day.”
A Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) note says the yearly maximum pensionable earnings is now $64,900, up from last year’s $61,600. It says the yearly maximum pensionable earnings were intended to increase by $2,100 over last year’s limit but instead have increased by $3,300 – that’s 5.3 per cent more than expected and what the CFIB says is the largest percentage increase since 1992.
Meanwhile, Ruff adds, “The COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged global supply chains, resulting in shipping delays and significant cost increases for businesses and Canadians alike. At the beginning of the pandemic, the Liberal government rightfully deemed the trucking industry an essential service. Still amidst the same pandemic, the government has now targeted the industry and is forcing thousands of truckers off the road.”
Ruff says, “Canadians can no longer afford a home, groceries, or to fill their gas tanks, and the labour shortages the shipping industry is facing will make matters worse. The impacts of this labour shortage are a direct result of poor Liberal decisions, which are leading to empty shelves and higher costs to Canadians. This is simply unacceptable. My Conservative colleagues have written two letters to the Liberal government on January 5th and January 21st highlighting these ongoing issues and raising the devastating impacts their policies are having across the country.
He says, “I will continue to hold the Liberal Government to account for their policies that are directly contributing to Canada’s cost of living crisis, skyrocketing housing prices, and supply chain shortages. I got involved in federal politics to solve problems not to create new ones. My Conservative colleagues and I will continue to advocate for action that helps Canadians not just get by, but get ahead.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called the supply chain shortages a global issue, and not one that is unique to Canada.
Meanwhile, a large convoy of trucks has been making its way across the country this week to protest the federal government’s recent quarantine requirement for unvaccinated truckers. They’re due to hold that protest on Saturday in Ottawa.
When asked about claims the protest associated with the trucker convoy could get out of control, Ruff says he fully supports peaceful protests in Canada regardless of where it is on the political spectrum, adding, “Don’t break the law. If people are starting to break the law, then they should be dealt with. I believe in the rule of law. I believe in our law enforcement and I fully expect that anybody that’s associated with any protest in Canada…if they’re going to start breaking laws then they should be dealt with because that isn’t what our Charter, or what this country is about.”
Parliamentarians aren’t officially sitting while the protest is scheduled to be held on Parliament Hill. They don’t return from their winter constituency break until January 31st.
