NDP won’t support Liberal $250 rebate plan unless eligibility expanded: Singh

OTTAWA — 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.

“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.

The proposed GST holiday would begin in mid-December, lasting for two months. It would remove the GST on prepared foods at grocery stores, some alcoholic drinks, children’s clothes and toys, Christmas trees, restaurant meals, books, video games and physical newspapers.

A privilege debate has held up all government business in the House since late September, with the Conservatives pledging to continue a filibuster until the government hands over unredacted documents related to misspending at a green technology fund.

The NDP said last week they had agreed to pause the privilege debate to pass the legislation to usher in the GST holiday.

Singh said Tuesday that unless there are changes to the proposed legislation, he will not support pausing the debate.

The Bloc Québécois is also pushing for the rebates to be sent to seniors and retirees.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 26, 2024.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press