(Ottawa) The leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh toughened his tone on Tuesday. His party will not support the Liberals’ bill to implement the GST holiday and the $250 check that part of the population would receive in the spring if seniors, people with disabilities and people with disabilities to work are not included.
Posted at 6:02 p.m.
Updated at 7:10 p.m.
“No, we will not support this measure,” he clarified in a press scrum on Tuesday before imposing his conditions.
“We expect the GST holiday to be separated to give Canadians the help they need right away and then I expect the government to correct its measure on the checks to include people who don’t were not included. »
Mr. Singh initially applauded Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s announcement on Thursday, even going so far as to say that the NDP had “delivered the goods” by putting pressure on the Liberals. Behind the scenes, we explain that we were taken by surprise by the $250 check and the categories of people who would not be entitled to it.
Mr. Trudeau announced two measures last week to help people cope with the rising cost of living. First, he wants to grant a two-month holiday from December 14 from the goods and services tax (GST) on a host of useful products as the holiday season approaches. This includes Christmas trees, beer, wine, chips, prepared foods, restaurant meals, children’s clothing and games, diapers, car seats, books, puzzles and printed newspapers.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS
Justin Trudeau
Then, the government will pay an amount of $250 to people who worked in 2023 and whose net salary is less than $150,000. Around 18.7 million people will be eligible, according to the Ministry of Finance. This latest measure has aroused the anger of retired seniors who will not be able to receive this boost.
This measure alone would cost the public treasury 4.7 billion while the bill for the TPS holiday would amount to 1.7 billion for a total of 6.4 billion.
On Monday, Jagmeet Singh announced his requests without indicating whether they were conditional on his support.
At least one Liberal elected official also intends to vote against his own party’s bill. THE Toronto Star reported Tuesday that Ontario MP Chad Collins is calling for the check to also be paid to seniors and people with disabilities.
Justin Trudeau’s former political lieutenant in Quebec, Pablo Rodriguez, also intends to vote against. He has been sitting as an independent since he launched the race for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Quebec. Mr. Rodriguez denounced the lack of fairness of this measure in an interview with The Press.
The Bloc Québécois, which is campaigning for an increase in the Old Age Security (PSV) pension from the age of 65, also demands that retired seniors be included.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS
Yves-François Blanchet, leader of the Bloc Québécois
“The government gives checks to people who do not need them and does not give them to those who need them the most,” denounced its leader, Yves-François Blanchet, during question period. “Doesn’t he agree that if he lowers the threshold for checks he gives and gives this money to retirees who need it, everyone here is likely to agree with this great improvement? of his project? »
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded that the government was already helping seniors with the dental care program, the 10% increase in the Guaranteed Income Supplement and the increase in the PSV for those aged 75 and over.
We also want to be there for other categories of Canadians, such as those who work hard and who also struggle.
Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
Even if he did not want to indicate whether his MPs would vote for or against these new measures before his caucus was held on Wednesday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre left little room for interpretation.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre
“Our priority is not to save you ten cents on a bag of chips before quadrupling the carbon tax,” he said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
He recalled that the $250 checks risk contributing to inflation instead of reducing it.
The bill has not yet been tabled by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, since the work of the House of Commons has been paralyzed since the end of September. The NDP is proposing to suspend delaying tactics, time to quickly adopt the GST holiday and resolve the issue of the $250 check later.
With Mélanie Marquis, The Press
Read the article “A GST holiday this winter and a check for $250 in the spring”
Read the article “Pablo Rodriguez denounces an “equity problem””
