Ottawa, ON – During his cabinet swearing-in, Mark Carney said Canadians should judge his government by “their experience at the grocery store.” After a year as Prime Minister, grocery prices have continued to rise, and families have struggled to put food on the table, and it was no better in February.
Food prices continued to increase year-over-year, with the cost of food increasing 5.4 per cent last month. That puts food inflation 3.6 per cent above the overall inflation figure and leaves Canada with the fastest-growing food prices in the G7. The biggest increases are in ground beef, which jumped 22.4 per cent, whole chicken, which is up 12.9 per cent and canned fruit, which has increased 11.1 per cent.
With grocery prices continuing to increase, the Canadian Human Rights Commission now says the “substantial cost-of-living crisis” poses a “human rights crisis.” According to the Commission, “an alarming number of people in Canada face food insecurity, as well as increasing levels of poverty and homelessness,” meaning that “the fundamental human right to an adequate standard of living is at risk.”
It’s not just food that’s taking a bigger bite: 75 per cent of Canadians report their insurance costs increasing over the last two years. In Ontario, where Liberal soft-on-crime policies led to a 127 per cent surge in auto theft since 2015, auto premiums have spiked, with London seeing a 17 per cent increase and Windsor and Ottawa experiencing an 18 per cent jump in 2024.
Higher prices have pushed Canadians to take on more and more debt. Households took on $1.95 billion more in credit card debt in the last month of 2025, and an additional $7.99 billion since Carney took office. It added up to the fifth consecutive quarter of household debt outpacing income, with Canadians now owing $1.77 for every dollar of disposable income. It all adds up to Canada having the most indebted households in the G7, relative to disposable income.
Not only are Canadians putting more on their credit cards, but they’re increasingly unable to pay it off. One-third said they are unable to pay off their bill every month, while 36 per cent reported carrying a balance on their credit card and relying on it when they’re short on cash.
Meanwhile, even middle-class borrowers are seeing rising delinquency on their mortgage payments. From the fourth quarter of 2024 to Q4 2025, homeowners with a mid-tier credit score saw a 31 per cent increase in missed mortgage payments. Equifax called it an “alarming acceleration of financial stress” as borrowers in the five most expensive markets saw delinquencies skyrocket 55.6 per cent.
While the Liberals try to blame everything but their policies for their made-in-Canada cost-of-living crisis, Conservatives have put forward real solutions that would restore affordability for all. It’s time to take the taxes off, unlock our resources and deliver stronger take-home pay and affordable food and homes here at home.