Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government has announced plans to temporarily lift the federal sales tax on certain items and send checks to millions of Canadians affected by rising costs. The measures come ahead of a potential election, which could occur between this fall and next October.
Under the plan, 18.7 million Canadians who worked in 2023 and earned up to $150,000 will receive a one-time check of $250. The tax break will apply to items such as children’s clothing and shoes, toys, restaurant meals, beer, and wine, among others. The relief will begin on December 14 and end on February 15.
The government aims to provide some temporary relief to Canadians struggling with the cost of living crisis. However, opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized the announcement as a “two-month temporary tax trick” that won’t make up for upcoming carbon tax increases.
Trudeau’s Liberal Party is trailing behind the Conservatives in recent polls, with a 13-point lead. The latest Nanos poll shows the Liberals at 39% and the Conservatives at 26%, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Experts say that the announcement may be too little, too late, and could be seen as a desperate move by an unpopular government. Daniel Béland, a political science professor at McGill University, described it as “bad public policy” from a fiscal standpoint.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/trudeau-canada-tax-break-election-e0f81b12d823a98f225c8b2c6ac28347