Sunday, March 29, 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

Lights back on for almost all BC Hydro customers who lost power in strong winds

Lights back on for almost all BC Hydro customers who lost power in strong winds
British Columbia's Crown utility says crews have restored power to 95 per cent of some 290,000 businesses and homes that were in the dark at some point Monday as strong winds battered coastal areas and parts of the central Interior. BC Hydro says crews have been working around the clock to replace dozens of spans of power lines as well as power poles knocked down by toppled trees.

Lights back on for almost all BC Hydro customers who lost power in strong winds

Rustad seeks review as Elections BC says box of 861 votes went uncounted

Rustad seeks review as Elections BC says box of 861 votes went uncounted
British Columbia's election agency says it has discovered that a ballot box containing 861 votes wasn't counted in the recent provincial election, as well as other mistakes, including 14 votes going unreported in a crucial riding narrowly won by the NDP. The errors prompted B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad to call for an independent review on Monday.

Rustad seeks review as Elections BC says box of 861 votes went uncounted

Series of robberies in Richmond

Series of robberies in Richmond
Police in the Metro Vancouver community of Richmond have issued a public warning after a series of robberies that took place near a school. RCMP say four of the six robberies happened between October 14th and November 1st, and all but one occurred at night.

Series of robberies in Richmond

Key architect of reconciliation: Judge, senator, TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73

Key architect of reconciliation: Judge, senator, TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73
A teepee and a sacred fire were set up in front of the Manitoba legislature on Monday to honour Murray Sinclair, as tributes poured in from across the country for the former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools. People lined up under grey skies, facing a cold wind, to enter the teepee and pay respects. Flags nearby flew at half-mast.

Key architect of reconciliation: Judge, senator, TRC chair Murray Sinclair dies at 73

Hindu temple in Surrey wants police suspended after protest unrest

Hindu temple in Surrey wants police suspended after protest unrest
The arrests outside the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Hindu Temple came as protesters calling for a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan had demonstrated outside the temple on Sunday during a visit by Indian consular officials.

Hindu temple in Surrey wants police suspended after protest unrest

Jump in home sales in Vancouver

Jump in home sales in Vancouver
Home sales in Greater Vancouver jumped nearly 32 per cent last month compared with October 2023 as interest rate reductions boosted demand. A statement from Greater Vancouver Realtors says more than 26-hundred homes changed hands, although that's still about 5.5 per cent below the 10-year average.

Jump in home sales in Vancouver