Friday, March 27, 2026
ADVT 
National

Trudeau noncommittal on expanding rebate beyond 'working Canadians'

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Nov, 2024 10:50 AM
  • Trudeau noncommittal on expanding rebate beyond 'working Canadians'

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not appear willing to budge on his plan to send a $250 rebate to "hardworking Canadians," despite pressure from the opposition to give the money to seniors and people who are not able to work.

The rebate is one of two affordability measures the Liberals announced this month, along with a plan to temporarily cut the federal sales tax on a list of items that are popular over the holidays. 

The GST holiday bill passed in the House of Commons late Thursday night with the help of the NDP, and needs approval from the Senate before the tax break takes effect in a little over two weeks. 

At an announcement on Prince Edward Island this morning, Trudeau was asked if he would expand the rebate to non-working seniors and people with disabilities, something the NDP and Bloc Québécois are pushing for.

Trudeau says the measure is meant to recognize working Canadians who need extra support, and says the government is looking at other ways to help people who aren't eligible for the money.

The Liberals have not introduced legislation to enact the rebate and it's not clear if they will have opposition support to get it passed.

MORE National ARTICLES

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts
The rate at which Canadian rental prices are increasing should slow in the coming years as the government's plan to cut back immigration numbers takes hold, a new report from Desjardins says. Rents have been rising fast and rent inflation is "much higher" than increases in the price of owned homes, it said. Inflation of rented accommodation was 8.3 per cent in the third quarter of this year, "the fastest pace since the early 1980s."

Rent inflation to slow in the next few years, Desjardins predicts

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil
President-elect Donald Trump's promise to slap an across-the-board tariff of at least 10 per cent on all imports including from Canada is unlikely to apply to Canadian oil, energy experts are predicting. The threat of the tariff is causing a lot of concern north of the border, where the Canadian Chamber of Commerce said such a tariff could take a $30-billion bite out of the Canadian economy.

Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more
With the cost of living playing a central role in provincial elections across Canada and in the U.S. presidential race, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is set to unveil a pre-campaign policy plank for the next federal election to differentiate his party from the governing Liberals.  Singh is expected to announce this morning that an NDP government would remove the GST on what his party deems "essentials." 

NDP expected to unveil campaign pledge to remove GST on internet, heat, diapers, more

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws
British Columbia's Conservation Officer Service says a man from Abbotsford has pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking in black bear paws. A statement from the service says Hong Tao Yang entered his pleas in a Port Coquitlam courtroom on Wednesday, where he was ordered to pay a penalty and victim surcharge worth a total of $8,625.

Abbotsford man pleads guilty to trafficking in black bear paws

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online
Police in Squamish have issued a warning against vigilante action over safety concerns they say are circulating on social media. The statement from Sea to Sky RCMP says police want to "reassure" residents of the community about 60 kilometres north of Vancouver that "there is no current threat to public safety."

RCMP warn against vigilantism in Squamish as concerns circulate online

Housing targets on track for Vancouver

Housing targets on track for Vancouver
The City of Vancouver says it is on track to meet provincial targets in housing development in its latest progress report. Vancouver's first annual report on the targets showed that more than four-thousand units were built in the city from October 2023 to September 2024.

Housing targets on track for Vancouver