Commentary
On Nov. 27, the federal government tabled legislation that will temporarily suspend the goods and services tax (GST) on select items from Dec. 14 to Feb. 15 at an estimated cost of $1.6 billion, as part of the government’s “more money in your pocket” plan.
The government has delayed a separate proposal—to give Canadians $250 rebate cheques—in light of NDP demands to expand eligibility to include seniors. The original proposal would have sent cheques to an estimated 18.7 million Canadians (who worked in 2023 and earned $150,000 or less) at a cost of $4.7 billion. While aimed at all Canadians, this proposal is eerily similar to the recent move by Ontario’s Ford government, which plans to send $200 cheques to Ontarians. And again, it’s just bad policy….