Campaign has Trudeau in Halifax, O’Toole in Quebec and Singh in Ontario

OTTAWA — The question of who will make life more or less affordable for Canadians hits the federal campaign trail as new figures show the pace of price increases is at its highest in two decades.

The country's headline inflation figure registered an annual increase of 4.1 per cent in August, fuelled by rising demand as more parts of the economy reopened and eased supply-chain constraints for many goods.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaking this morning in Essex, Ont., says he's concerned about inflation rates and that bringing down housing prices is one way to address it.

In Halifax an hour later, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the economy and jacked up prices, but that his platform zeros in on affordability with hefty housing and child-care measures.

He also used his campaign stop at the Discovery Centre to reiterate his commitment to health care, including better mental health services and assisting with the hiring of more doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.

“As your Premier Houston has said many times here in Nova Scotia, health care is a priority for Atlantic Canadians and we will be there,” Trudeau stated. “We will be there to support health care frontline workers who have been heroes during this pandemic.”

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole is spending his day in Quebec, but released a statement before his first public event saying planned deficits by the Liberals and New Democrats in their platforms wouldn't help ease inflationary pressures.

A poll conducted by Leger in collaboration with The Canadian Press indicated the Liberals and Tories are tied with the support of 32 per cent of decided voters ahead of the election on Monday, with the NDP at 20 per cent.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2021.

The Canadian Press

With files from HalifaxToday.ca