The Trudeau government is securing the support of the NDP for some time to come by creating three temporary programs intended to “fight against inflation”, with checks starting this year, including one for dental care for children.
Parents of children under 12 earning less than $70,000 a year can expect a check for $650 by the end of the year, per child, Justin Trudeau announced less than six of his ministers on Tuesday.
This is one of three programs put in place now, and intended to ensure the support of the New Democratic Party (NDP), in accordance with the agreement between the political parties signed in May. This is only a temporary measure, for two years, pending a real bill which must be the first to be tabled when it returns to the House, possibly as early as next week.
“We heard clearly how people need it,” justified Justin Trudeau in a press conference, who estimates that nearly half of families in the country will be entitled to at least one of these benefits.
Parents will be able to apply for assistance from the new dental program with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), to whom they will later be required to provide proof of payment. Those who earn up to $90,000 annually will also be entitled to lower amounts. It will be possible to get this help this year and next year.
Justin Trudeau blames the inflation seen at home by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He flatly denied that Tuesday’s announcement had anything to do with the election of the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland nodded vigorously as her leader listed other recent federal measures, such as the national child care program.
A rent check
The government will also send a one-time payment of $500 for all poor Canadians who have to spend excessive rent. This measure was also included in the agreement with the NDP. Those whose annual income is less than $35,000 and who spend more than 30% of that amount on rent will be eligible.
Finally, the government will send a final check for a maximum of $467 to double the GST tax credit, in the case of a family with two children. Seniors, for example, will receive an average of $225. This surprise amount was absent from the March agreement with the NDP, but was suggested in May by its leader, Jagmeet Singh, to “return [de l’]money to Canadians to help them cope with the skyrocketing cost of living.
The idea would have pleased the Liberals to the point of deciding in recent weeks to include it in Tuesday’s announcement, according to a source close to the NDP negotiating committee.
This is just one step for the survival of the agreement between the two parties, which aims to keep Justin Trudeau’s Liberals in power in important votes in the House until 2025. It is not of a coalition government, since the NDP has no seat in the Cabinet and allows itself to publicly criticize its partner.
The announcement was originally due to take place last week, but was postponed until Tuesday due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
More details will follow.