NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says while he supports the Liberal plan to give Canadians a GST break during the holidays, he won’t back the $250 rebate proposal unless the government expands eligibility to the most vulnerable.
The Liberals announced a plan last week to cut the federal sales tax on a raft of items such as toys and restaurant meals for two months, and to give $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians in the spring.
Speaking after a Canadian Labour Congress event in Ottawa, Singh said he’s open to passing the GST legislation, but the rebate needs to include seniors, students, people who are on disability benefits and those who were not able to work last year.
Singh said he initially supported the idea because he thought the rebate cheques would go to anyone who earned under $150,000 last year.
But the so-called working Canadians rebate will be sent to those who had an income, leaving out people Singh said need the help.
A spokeswoman for Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said it would be “categorically false” to say seniors and people with disabilities are excluded from the rebate.
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“In order to qualify, you just need to have made less than $150,000 in net income in 2023 and meet one of the three following criteria: received EI benefits, paid EI premiums or made CPP contributions,” press secretary Katherine Cuplinskas said in a statement.
“Many, many seniors and Canadians with disabilities work.”
The government intends to include the measures in the fall economic statement, which has not yet been introduced in the House of Commons.
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