Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Candice Bergen, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, released the following statement on a Statistics Canada report warning that inflation reached 5.1 per cent: “For the first time since September 1991, prices are up 5.1 per cent compared to a year ago. Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast are feeling the damage Justin Trudeau has inflicted on our economy, resulting in skyrocketing inflation and the cost of living crisis. “Groceries are costing families $1000 more this year. Rents in many cities are skyrocketing by double digits and homeownership is out of reach for millions of families as prices are up a record 28 per cent in just one year. “More Canadians are struggling to make ends meet, young people are giving up on homeownership, and nearly half of all Canadians are worried about their financial security this year. “The high-tax, high-debt, mandate and lockdown agenda of the Trudeau Liberals set the stage for inflation, and the never-ending lockdowns and mandates are worsening supply chain challenges. “Conservatives will continue to be the voice for Canadians looking for relief from the cost of living crisis. We need to get spending under control, end the lockdowns and mandates, and resolve the supply chain backlogs. While Justin Trudeau continues to offer hollow words and empty promises, Conservatives will continue to fight for resolutions to the challenges Canadians are facing.”