Today in the House of Assembly, NL NDP Leader Jim Dinn (St. John’s Centre) pressed government to take urgent action on food insecurity in the province, pointing to findings from Food Banks Canada’s Poverty Report Card.
Dinn is urging government to explore bold, practical solutions, including a pilot project for provincially owned grocery stores to help ensure residents have consistent access to affordable, fresh food. He noted that other jurisdictions are already advancing similar models and pointed to Newfoundland and Labrador’s own Liquor Corporation as an example of how government can successfully operate retail systems in the public interest.
“Speaker, the Poverty Report Card, published by Food Banks Canada, recommends Newfoundland and Labrador develop a Labrador specific plan to reduce food insecurity by lowering freight costs, strengthening local food systems, and improving access to fresh, affordable food,” Dinn said. “NDP Leader Avi Lewis has promoted the idea of publicly owned grocery stores. Both New York and Toronto are launching government operated grocery stores to fight food insecurity.”
“I ask the Premier, will he commit to establishing a pilot project of provincially owned grocery stores to ensure access to fresh, affordable food?”
“Speaker, the 2026 Poverty Report Card notes that while Newfoundland and Labrador has the highest disability assistance levels countrywide, they are still below the poverty line, that while our province has some of the strongest income-support reforms, their impact on poverty and affordability remains limited,” Dinn said.
“If the Premier will not commit to a publicly owned grocery store project, will he commit to establishing an all-party committee similar to the committee on Basic Income to examine grocery prices and explore ways to keep them affordable?”
The NL NDP will bring a resolution to the floor of the House of Assembly this Fall calling for government to implement a publicly run grocery store pilot program.