(Saint-Hyacinthe) Canadians eligible for the goods and services tax (GST) credit should receive a special payment this Wednesday to help them deal with the rising cost of groceries.
The payment was promised in last spring’s federal budget amid food inflation.
Passing through a public market in Saint-Hyacinthe, Montérégie, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau argued that “inflation is going down, but the cost of groceries is still very expensive”.
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says about 11 million Canadians will receive the extra money on top of the regular GST credit payment. Couples with two children can expect to receive up to $467 more, single Canadians without children can expect up to $234 more, while seniors can receive an average of $225 more.
“These are hundreds of dollars that will help families who need it to get through these difficult times because we find that a government must be there to support people to get through difficult times,” argued the prime minister.
Opposing political philosophies
Justin Trudeau said he believed that this decision to help those most in need clearly illustrated the opposition between the political philosophy of the Liberals and that of the Conservative Party of Canada. “I disagree with Conservative politicians who first say everything is broken and then preach austerity. We are in a moment where we have to be there for each other. »
The Government of Canada also provided a similar payment last fall in what it said was an effort to lessen the effect of high inflation on low- and modest-income families.
Canada’s inflation rate slowed to 3.4% in May, but food prices continued to rise rapidly, according to Statistics Canada, rising 9% from a year earlier.