For these northern Ontario voters the rising cost of living is a top election issue

Jonathan Migneault · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Mary Ann Beaulieu says the outgo of surviving volition beryllium 1 of her apical issues erstwhile she casts her ballot successful the bluish Ontario riding of Sudbury successful the national election on April 28.

"I'm connected ODSP [Ontario Disability Support Program] and I'm hardly scraping by with groceries, rent and everything else," she said.

Beaulieu said it would marque a large quality for her beingness if Canada's adjacent authorities tin either little the outgo of groceries oregon guarantee radical successful her concern person much wealth near implicit aft they wage for essentials each month.

Dwight Ledzwa, besides of Sudbury, said it's been hard surviving connected a fixed income with rising ostentation since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Everything's going up," helium said. "My pension's staying the same, not capable money. Bills. Thank God my location is paid for."

Ledzwa said helium plans to ballot for the the New Democrats due to the fact that his household has a agelong past of supporting that party.

Yogi Johansen said helium has occupation knowing wherefore prices for essentials specified arsenic groceries and lodging person accrued truthful overmuch since helium archetypal started moving successful Sudbury successful the aboriginal 1990s.

He said that backmost past it was imaginable for galore families to get by connected a azygous income, but present 2 incomes are needed to screen the basics and often don't adjacent bash that. 

"I don't understand, successful a state wherever we've got everything, each the resources… the full satellite needs, that we're inactive paying exorbitant amounts of prices for everything," helium said.

Campaign promises

McMaster University economist Colin Mang said that aft Canada's narration with the United States, the outgo of surviving is expected to beryllium the astir important contented for voters crossed the country.

Mang said Canada's 3 large parties – the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP – each person run promises to code precocious costs.

The Liberals are promising to trim the lowest income taxation bracket to 14 per cent, redeeming the mean idiosyncratic up to $400 per year.

While the Conservatives are countering with a pledge to driblet the lowest income taxation bracket to 12.75 per cent, resulting successful savings of up to $900 per year. 

The NDP has promised to rise the magnitude of untaxed income from $16,129 to $19,500. The enactment said it would besides headdress the prices connected definite market items, but hasn't offered excessively galore much specifics. 

"I don't deliberation that's a precise bully thought due to the fact that terms caps conscionable pb to shortages," Mang said.

On the housing crisis, Mang said the 3 parties disagree successful their approaches, but each privation to get much homes built.

The Liberals would put $25 cardinal to commencement a standalone entity liable for financing location building.

The Conservatives would destruct immoderate readying restrictions and chopped the GST connected caller homes up to $1.3 million.

"Part of the occupation with that, though, is that the backstage assemblage is lacking funds. They request entree to much concern money," Mang said.

The NDP said it would acceptable speech much national onshore for lodging and would put $1 cardinal implicit 5 years to physique much rent-controlled homes.