Monday April 13, 2026 | OTTAWA, ON [Posted at 6:10 pm PT in VICTORIA, BC]
Political news analysis | by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Grocery and consumer product price fixing using digital surveillance of people’s shopping habits is an issue being taken on full-force by the federal NDP.
Already many Canadians have become accustomed to receiving digital coupons or discount offers for products they regularly purchase. Various pricing options are available to different customers based on location, shopping habits and income level (if known).
This practice has some Canadians paying more for some products than others, and/or the same customers paying different prices for the same products depending on how and when they shop and whether or not they engage digitally at the checkout.
First Lewis presser:
This issue was launched by NDP Leader Avi Lewis in his first press conference in Ottawa today, since having become the new NDP Leader on March 29. His father Stephan Lewis passed away on March 31 (memorial coming up April 26), and Lewis is now getting back to his new political role.
The NDP’s approach will “speak to everyone who is suffering in this economy,” said Lewis today.
He targeted online shopping as allowing for digital surveillance “to be fuel for price gouging (that) is utterly unacceptable”.
Normalization is the threat:
As people have quickly become accustomed to the digital component of shopping, normalization is the threat, said Lewis today. He says the NDP is acting with urgency to move along the need to “reckon with big data”.
Big data are companies like Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Meta (Facebook & Instagram), and Microsoft.
“Every individual is their own target market,” Lewis points out. Each consumer is “programmed and surveilled.” He used examples like someone doing an online search for a particular product or service and then being provided with a higher price to pay because the provider digitally determines that you are (may be) in a heightened situation of need at that point in time.
And how would a consumer know any different? Without doing price comparisons, that is the price as presented at the moment.
Lewis notes that a ban on surveillance pricing is already in the works in Manitoba but points out that a national handling of the issues would use different mechanisms.
Press gallery fuss:
Criticism by media today of how Lewis handled procedures and rules of the press gallery aside (some of which could probably use some review), the NDP leader worked his way through a 30-minute scrum. No day-one excuses for this parliamentary press gallery.
Lewis led with the price-fixing digital surveillance issue and also answered other questions about the war in Iran, floor-crossing of opposition MPs over to the Liberals, whether he will be running for a seat, whether Quebec MP Alexandre Boulerice will be leaving caucus, and more.
Lewis was joined at the podium by the six elected NDP caucus members. He was flanked by Don Davies (former Interim Leader and now Parliamentary Leader and Whip) and Heather McPherson (House Leader), with the four NDP MPs also on stage: Alexandre Boulerice, Leah Gazan, Gord Johns and Jenny Kwan.
Three of the six MPS are elected from British Columbia: Davies, Johns and Kwan.
Digital Services Tax:
Canada’s federal Digital Serviecs Tax (DST) was dropped by Carney quickly and without fuss early on in the back-and-forth with Trump’s economic invasion of Canada last year.
Today Lewis called the DST a “very modest first step in asserting the government’s intention to regulate big tech” and that it “was abandonned by the Carney government”.
Carney may well have a long-term strategy in mind in working with Trump, but dropping the DST so handily was not a good sign for protecting Canadian consumers and most of the Canadian media (who apply and qualify through the Online News Act) who would in part benefit from the tax as well as taxpayers overall.
Jazzy words:
It’s easy to see how Lewis won the leadership. Despite all the political experience of the other candidates, Lewis comes out with zingers like this one today, that Trump is “setting the world on fire”.
And as to the recent floor-crossing of Conservatives (and one NDP) over to the Liberals: “It just feels wrong.”
He added to that: “The floor crossings have been disturbing to Canadians… people want to elect their representatives (and vote for a party).” He said that the floor-crossings are evidence of “aspirations of power over principle” on the part of the Liberals.
Party rebuilding:
When asked if he would be seeking to run for a seat right away, Lewis said there is no one in the caucus that he would ask to step aside.
He repeated something he said shortly after his leadership win… that the current elected caucus has asked him to “stay out there” (working across the country o getting to know consumer’s concerns as well as fundraising) while they handle business in the House of Commons.
Lewis is okay with that. “There is a lot of party rebuilding to do, building our ground game for the next election whenever it comes,” said Lewis.
===== RELATED:
- April 13: three federal by-elections could produce Liberal majority (April 13, 2026)
- NDP begins rebuilding process: affordability focus, critic roles (April 10, 2026)
- The Gladu surprise: another Conservative MP crosses to the Liberals (April 8, 2026)
- Avi Lewis wins federal NDP leadership (March 29, 2026)
- NEWS SECTIONS: FEDERAL NDP | AFFORDABILITY | FOOD SECURITY | DIGITAL TECH