Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s recent testimony before the Senate to support the government’s proposed temporary two-month GST holiday has faced significant backlash.
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Senators criticized the measure as a flawed piece of fiscal policy driven more by political survival than sound economics. The proposal is particularly troubling because it could lead to unintended consequences, including opportunity pricing by grocers that may impact even non-taxable food items.
The concern lies in how grocers might exploit this temporary tax break.
By subtly raising prices on non-taxed goods, retailers could create additional inflationary pressures at the grocery store — a scenario that would further strain Canadian households already grappling with rising costs. Temporary measures like this GST holiday can also disrupt pricing strategies, encouraging grocers to adjust overall margins to compensate for the two-month tax break, leading to higher prices on non-taxable food even after the holiday ends.
Essentially, consumers could end up paying more in the long term for food that is currently not subject to GST. Canadians need to know this.
The Senate, often referred to as the “chamber of sober second thought,” has played an important role in scrutinizing this legislation to ensure it truly benefits Canadians. Observers have noted that with a fractured government prioritizing political survival, many recent proposals emerging from the House of Commons seem rushed and poorly conceived.
The GST holiday debate has also reignited broader discussions about the ethics and practicality of taxing food. The NDP has announced plans to introduce a motion to permanently eliminate the GST on grocery store food.
This measure deserves serious consideration, as Canadians currently pay between $1 billion and $1.5 billion annually in GST on groceries—a figure that continues to grow each year.
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Part of the issue lies with “shrinkflation,” which has led to a growing number of food items becoming taxable. For example, a box of six granola bars is not taxed, but a box of five is.
Similarly, a container of ice cream over 500 ml is non-taxable, while a smaller one is taxed. Food economists estimate that 25 to 100 items each year cross into taxable territory due to such arbitrary thresholds.
This fiscal inconsistency disproportionately affects consumers and adds to the inefficiencies of Canada’s tax regime.
Some proponents of food taxation argue that taxing less nutritious items, such as sugary snacks or beverages, can discourage unhealthy consumption. However, studies highlight that empirical evidence does not support this claim. In Canada, no studies have conclusively shown that food taxes result in meaningful reductions in sales or significant changes in consumption habits.
The soda tax implemented in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2022 provides a clear example.
While the tax generated $6.1 million in its first year, revenue nearly doubled to $12 million in the following fiscal year—indicating that soda consumption increased. Economists attribute this outcome to the supply chain’s ability to absorb the tax and maintain consistent retail prices, effectively neutralizing any deterrent effect.
This policy, instead of promoting healthier choices, became a straightforward revenue-generating mechanism.
Taxing food is both ineffective and regressive. It disproportionately penalizes lower-income households, who often rely on lower-cost, less nutritious options out of necessity or limited awareness. Education and consumer awareness, they argue, are far more effective tools for encouraging healthier eating habits.
The GST holiday debate has exposed how Canadians have become increasingly conditioned to view taxes as a tool for influencing behaviour, despite little evidence to support this belief.
A permanent removal of the GST on grocery store food would represent a meaningful step toward addressing food affordability while respecting consumer choice. Rather than relying on punitive taxes, the focus should shift to education, access to affordable nutritious foods, and policies that support healthier lifestyles without imposing additional financial burdens on consumers.
— Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast.