Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a private meeting with Loblaw CEO Per Bank one day after rejecting opposition calls for legislation targeting surveillance pricing in grocery stores, according to government records obtained through freedom of information laws.
The meeting comes amid ongoing concerns over affordability and rising grocery costs in Ontario. Both the Ontario NDP and Liberals had pushed measures at Queen’s Park aimed at restricting surveillance pricing, a practice involving the use of customer data to personalize or adjust prices. Opposition parties argued stronger rules were needed to protect consumers and promote competition.
Ford rejected the proposal on April 16, arguing that competition and the free market, rather than government intervention, should determine grocery prices. He characterized greater government control over pricing as a form of “socialism” and said competition between retailers was the best way to bring costs down.
According to the premier’s calendar, Ford met Bank the following day, April 17, at the premier’s Etobicoke home. The one-on-one meeting lasted approximately 45 minutes and was attended by one staff member.
The calendar does not indicate what was discussed. However, Bank was registered to lobby the Ontario government on several matters, including retail-sector policies and issues involving data and privacy.
Ford’s office did not provide details about whether surveillance pricing or grocery-sector leasing arrangements were discussed or why the meeting was held at the premier’s residence. In a statement, the premier’s office said Ford regularly meets with businesses and stakeholders, including major Canadian employers and retailers.
Loblaw said it does not use surveillance pricing and has publicly supported removing property controls that can restrict competition in the grocery sector. The company said that, as Canada’s largest private-sector employer and a major employer in Ontario, it routinely meets elected officials from across the political spectrum to discuss matters affecting its employees, customers and business operations.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles questioned the timing of the meeting, arguing it raised concerns because it occurred just a day after the government rejected opposition efforts to prohibit surveillance pricing.
Stiles accused Ford of prioritizing the views of corporate executives over those of Ontarians struggling with grocery costs. She noted that the Progressive Conservative government had voted against an NDP motion seeking action against what the party described as predatory surveillance pricing.
The push to regulate the practice has also emerged elsewhere in Canada. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew’s government introduced legislation aimed at preventing companies from misusing consumers’ personal information to increase prices.
In Ontario, the NDP and Liberals made separate attempts in April to introduce measures restricting surveillance pricing. The NDP also called for the removal of property controls that can limit competition among grocery retailers. Neither effort received support from the Ford government.
Around the time of his meeting with Bank, Ford said his government would take action if evidence emerged of grocery companies colluding on prices. However, he continued to reject broader government intervention in retail pricing, arguing that increased competition was the most effective way to lower the cost of groceries and other goods.
The meeting between Ford and Bank was not publicly announced by the premier’s office and did not appear on Ford’s social media accounts.
Stiles said the private meeting reflected broader concerns about transparency surrounding the premier’s interactions with business leaders, arguing Ontarians should know who is advising the government and influencing its decisions.
