Anti-Inflation Act

The Anti-Inflation Act (French: Loi anti-inflation) was an Act of the Parliament of Canada, introduced by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's government and passed in 1975, which aimed to slow down the rapidly increasing price and wage inflation.[1][2]

Anti-Inflation Act
Parliament of Canada
  • An Act to provide for the restraint of profit margins, prices, dividends and compensation in Canada
Considered byHouse of Commons
Passed3 December 1975
Considered bySenate
Passed10 December 1975
Royal assent15 December 1975
Legislative history
First chamber: House of Commons
Bill titleC-73
Introduced byDonald Stovel Macdonald
First reading16 October 1975
Second reading27 October 1975
Third reading3 December 1975
Second chamber: Senate
Bill titleC-73
First reading3 December 1975
Second reading9 December 1975
Third reading10 December 1975
Status: Repealed

Background

Prior to 1975, the Bank of Canada had warned the government about the dangers of the current inflation which was roughly 10% per year. In response, the government introduced Bill C-73, the precursor to the Act, to the Parliament of Canada.

Previously, Pierre Trudeau had mocked the idea in the 1974 Canadian federal election.

The Act

Amongst its many controls, it limited pay increases for federal public employees and those in companies with more than 500 employees to 10 per cent in the first year, 8 per cent the next, and 6 per cent thereafter.[3] Additionally, the Anti-Inflation Board was created to set wages and prices.The price and wage controls were enforced until 1978, and the act was repealed in 1979. A similar program aimed only at the public sector was introduced in 1982.

Reaction

The Act proved highly contentious and there was much debate over whether the Parliament of Canada had overstepped its powers in enacting the law. Consequently, the government put a reference question to the Supreme Court of Canada, and in 1976 the court passed down its opinion in Reference Re Anti-Inflation Act, which declared the law constitutional.[2]

See also

References
  1. Anti-Inflation Act, SC 1975, c. 75.
  2. "Anti-Inflation Act Reference | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
  3. "Wage and Price Controls"
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