A Grocery Rebate, An Investigation, A Code of Conduct, and Capitalism

My thoughts about the Government of Canada's plans to distribute a grocery rebate amongst struggling Canadians, the possibility of grocery code of conduct, and how they will work under the framework of capitalism.

The words I use in the recording may not match the words in the transcript.

Transcript

'A Grocery Rebate, An Investigation, A Code of Conduct, and Capitalism'

Weeks ago, I learned the Government of Canada is giving eligible Canadians a grocery rebate, which will be included in their GST/HST credit cheques in July. Couples 
with children will receive up to $467, singles without children, up to $234, and seniors, up to $225. According to the Government of Canada's own website, the rebate 
'was designed specifically to make groceries more affordable for these Canadians (11 million who find it extremely difficult to cover their grocery bills),' but, for 
the amounts of money going on individual cheques, the rebate is just a drop in the ocean. Meanwhile, the estimated net worth of now former Loblaws president Galen 
Weston Jr. and his family is up to $8.7 billion--that's billion...with a 'b'--making the Westons Canada's third wealthiest family; the latest total compensation 
reported for Metro president, CEO, and director Eric LaFleche (I couldn't find out his net worth) is $5.4 million, and the net worth of Empire Co. president, CEO, and 
director Michael Medline is roughly $1.5 million dollars.

Canada's Competition Bureau allegedly investigated why food prices are rising in Canada--including questioning Weston, LaFleche, and Medline about conspiring to 
fix the price of groceries among their respective store chains, and at damn near extortionary prices--but a study by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Lab and Caddle 
found in all provinces, except for Saskatchewan and Quebec, grocery chain price gouging was chosen as the main reason food prices have risen; residents of British 
Columbia and Nova Scotia are the most likely to back the rollout of a grocery code of conduct, which is meant to lessen the influence of major grocery chains and help
independent operators. The grocery code of conduct will do more to ease the burden on struggling Canadians than the grocery rebate, which is just a BandAid to placate
the masses and reassure the wealthy that they can keep their wealth. The grocery rebate won't make food insecurity go away--especially if it's a one-shot deal. But 
even a grocery code of conduct can only go so far in a nation whose government and ruling class insist on living under the rules and trappings of capitalism.

Galen Weston Jr., Eric LaFleche, and Michael Medline are only part of the problem--and the beneficiaries of a system that let them get away with it, and lets them and 
other wealthy individuals get away with what they do to get their wealth, and doesn't incentivize any feelings of social responsibility within their ranks or 
respective pysches.