Price gouging reports investigated by police
Hundreds of businesses have also been issued warnings, province says
Premier Doug Ford’s crusade against coronavirus price gouging by retailers has led to about 200 law enforcement investigations across Ontario, newly available data shows.
At the same time, some 500 businesses have received warnings against selling “necessary goods for prices that grossly exceed” the usual cost of such items.
That news comes as MPPs return to Queen’s Park on Tuesday to officially extend Ontario’s state of emergency — in place since March 17 — until June 2. MPPs last sat on April 14.
Ford told reporters on Monday that he does not expect a rancorous partisan debate because “we have bigger fish to fry than (to) argue” in the legislature against the backdrop of a pandemic. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath appeared to agree, emphasizing she would be seeking answers from the Progressive Conservative government on Tuesday in “a thoughtful, respectful way” on the response to COVID-19.
“Hopefully, the premier will respond in the same thoughtful, respectful way and answer those questions. Ontarians deserve no less than that,” said Horwath.
Earlier Monday, the Star disclosed that more than 22,500 price gouging complaints and queries had been lodged with the government since March 28. Of those, 8,500 have so far been reviewed by Consumer Protection Ontario.
“Approximately 200 of the most egregious cases have been referred to law enforcement across the province,” Government and Consumer Services Minister Lisa Thompson’s office said.
That means local police and municipal bylaw enforcement officers are looking into them to determine whether charges will be laid.
“In addition, more than 500 businesses across the province have been sent a notification that they have been reported as selling necessary goods for prices that grossly exceed the price for similar goods available to … consumers and directing them to take appropriate action,” the minister’s office added. “Further action may be taken by the ministry with respect to these businesses as appropriate.”
The government has not publicly identified which companies are being investigated or have received written warnings.
Under Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, it is illegal for businesses and individuals to be “fixing prices (or) charging unconscionable prices for necessary goods, services and resources.”
Such goods include masks and gloves used as personal protective equipment (PPE), nonprescription medications for the treatment of coronavirus symptoms, disinfecting agents intended for cleaning, and personal hygiene products such as soap and toilet paper. Scofflaws face stiff fines that range from $750 to $100,000 plus a year in jail for individuals, $500,000 and incarceration for company directors or officers, and $10 million for corporations.
Although some complainants have cited soaring prices on some food items, those are not classified as “necessary” under the provincial law.
Ontario stepped up its efforts to combat the problem after a “furious” Ford expressed outrage at a posh Toronto supermarket selling Lysol disinfectant wipes for $29.99. They usually retail for a fraction of that.
On Tuesday, meanwhile, only 42 of the124 MPPs will be in the legislative chamber in order to maintain safe physical distancing. Liberals Stephan Blais (Orléans) and Lucille Collard (Ottawa-Vanier) will be there for the first time since winning Feb. 27 byelections.
After the morning question period — limited to opposition queries, as the Conservatives have ceded their daily friendly questions — the house will rise until May 19. It will sit that day and May 20, then again on May 26-27 and June 2-3.
There will be lots to debate: the independent financial accountability office warned Monday that Ontario’s $20.5billion deficit could balloon to $41 billion due to COVID-19.
The fiscal watchdog forecasts a net debt-to-GDP ratio of a record 49.7 per cent — an increase of some 10 percentage points since last year.
Ford pointedly would not rule out having to raise taxes at some point before the 2022 election. “There’s no such thing as absolute when it comes to politics,” the premier said, adding: “I’m going to make sure we take care of the people of Ontario no matter what.”
But the discussions over the deficit may be trumped by more pressing health-care concerns. Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca indicated his party will be urging Ford to give more help to front-line health-care workers and calling on him to “immediately reverse all cuts to Ontario’s regional public health units brought in as a result of the 2019 … budget.”
That spending plan — a cornerstone of which was the new double-blue licence plates the Tories cancelled last week because they are defective — was so poorly received that Ford demoted his treasurer 10 weeks later.