Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will announce Thursday afternoon that Ottawa is eliminating the GST on the construction of new buildings intended for rental.
A senior government source told The Canadian Press that this measure will be unveiled among several others during Mr. Trudeau’s speech to close his caucus retreat in London, Ontario.
This source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about these issues, indicated that the elimination of the GST will come into force as of Thursday, the same day of the announcement.
The measure would reduce material and labor costs for construction companies. The Liberals thus want to bring about a reduction in rent costs.
Mr. Trudeau should be accompanied, for his announcement, by the Minister of Housing, Sean Fraser, that of Innovation, François-Philippe Champagne, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland.
The unveiling of this measure comes in the context where a series of recent polls place the Liberals far behind the Conservatives in voting intentions.
According to a survey by the firm Nanos conducted on behalf of CTV, more Canadians trust the Conservatives (25%) and the New Democrats (22%) than the Liberals (15%) when it comes to housing. A considerable proportion of respondents (22%) believe that no federal party can be trusted in this regard.
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