Are you feeling ripped off?
You should be.
With the dollar at par (or slightly above) the last while, the glaring difference between Canadian and American prices on a great many goods has become readily apparent.
Yet, a Senate committee has found there is no quick fix for the problem.
The much larger U.S. consumer market has in its favour the economies of scale, lower transportation costs and favoured pricing by manufacturers simply because of the number of customers there.
But, in what may just be the first good idea to come out of the Senate in recent memory, the committee said there is at least one factor government can control - tariffs.
It recommended a comprehensive review of Canadian tariff policy to help bridge the yawning price gap on everything from tires to milk to books.
These import surcharges are tacked on to supposedly protect Canadian businesses.
Yet we still have an 18 per cent tariff on hockey pants, even though there are no manufacturers in this country.
Even with a thorough examination of all tariffs, 90 per cent of goods coming into Canada are duty-free, so their prices wouldn't be affected. Still, it's a step in the right direction and a nod to cash-strapped consumers.
- Managing Editor
Jon Manchester