NDP ready to open ‘gates’ to pass Liberal GST holiday bill separate from $250 rebate

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party is ready to introduce motions as early as today that would help the Liberals pass legislation to create their promised GST holiday but only if they separate it from their parallel promise to send $250 cheques to working Canadians.

Singh said his party would open the procedural “gates” including motions to extend the sitting hours of the House of Commons to debate and pass the legislation in time for it take effect as promised on Dec. 14.

Last week, the Liberals brought forward a plan to pause the GST on items like premade grocery items, beer and wine, toys and other holiday staples. The pause would last for two months.

Singh says the NDP supports this idea, but oppose the associated $250 working Canadians benefit that is supposed to be mailed in the spring to anyone who earned an income up to $150,000 last year.

Singh wants the benefit expanded to include non-working seniors and people who rely on disability benefits who did not have a working income in 2023.

The Liberals have put the GST and benefit cheque bill on notice in the House of Commons but have been unable to introduce it because of an ongoing filibuster by the Conservatives over an unrelated matter of privilege.

A Conservative motion demanding the government turn over unredacted documents to the RCMP on a green technology fund has been debated since late September, preventing any bills or other motions from being introduced or debated.

The Conservatives insist that debate will continue until the documents are given to the RCMP or the NDP join them and the Bloc Québécois to vote non confidence in the government.

At least two parties would need to support a motion to end or pause that debate.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last week that both the GST holiday and the $250 cheques are aimed at helping people struggling with the cost of living.

The rebate as planned would be issued to an estimated 18 million Canadians in the spring and cost around $4.7 billion.

The government has issued notice of the legislation but hasn’t introduced it in the House yet. It also has put on notice a motion calling for debate on the bill, when it is introduced, to be limited to one 10-minute speech per party, and undergo just one vote for all the required stages of debate.

Some Liberal MPs said Wednesday they think their government should consider expanding the eligibility for the benefit cheques.

After the Liberal caucus meeting Seniors Minister Steven MacKinnon said the government has created a number of benefits to help low-income seniors.

But Milton MP Adam van Koeverden said he wants to see more ambition in helping seniors and Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski said if the government can afford to include seniors in the payments it absolutely should.

The Bloc Québécois is also calling on the government to offer the rebate to seniors who are fully retired.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the measure a “tiny, two month tax trick” and says if Trudeau cared about affordability he’d get rid of the carbon tax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2024.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press