Is Canada in an ‘affordability crisis’? Conservative motion heads to a vote

A Conservative motion to declare that Canada is an affordability crisis will face a vote in the House of Commons on Tuesday.

The motion, brought by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, will come up for a vote later in the day on the floor of the House of Commons.

The opposition motion calls on the House of Commons to “officially recognize that: (a) the Liberals have been in power for 11 years; and (b) Canada is in an affordability crisis.”

MPs are expected to vote on the motion at roughly 3 pm Eastern, shortly after question period ends.

Canada’s annual inflation rate rose to 3.1 per cent in September as war in the Middle East continued to drive up gasoline prices, but economists say easing core inflation suggests higher energy costs have yet to spread widely throughout the economy.

Statistics Canada released the latest consumer price index report on Monday, which said the acceleration in headline inflation was led by a 27.8 per cent spike in gasoline prices last month compared with a year earlier, despite the switch to the less expensive winter gas blend.

Excluding gasoline, however, consumer prices increased 2.2 per cent year-over-year in September after a 2.4 per cent rise in August.

–With files from Canadian Press