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OTTAWA — The federal Liberals are hoping to give Canadians a cheaper Christmas with a GST holiday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that his government will be temporarily cutting the GST on all grocery items, restaurant meals, some alcoholic beverages, childrenâ€s clothing and toys, print newspapers and Christmas trees as of December 14.
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The tax break is projected to last two months, until February 15, 2025.
This move follows a similar promise by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh last week to permanently cut the GST on all essentials including home heating and cell phone bills.
An NDP source pushed back against assertions that Thursdayâ€s announcement was made in agreement with the Liberals. In fact, the source said the NDP was told about the Liberals†announcement the day before but said the NDP still plans to support legislation to enact the tax break.
But that does not mean that the Liberals will be able to completely put an end to the paralysis that has stalled the House of Commons for the past two months.
The NDP said it will not end the current privilege debate in the House but rather “adjourn debate for a single day at a time,†agreeing to an evening sitting if necessary to ensure the passage of the tax holiday in a timely manner.
The Liberals also announced that millions of Canadians will get a $250 cheque next spring.
Liberals plan to implement a new Working Canadians Rebate for each Canadian earning up to $150,000. The rebate is expected to roll out to 18.7 million Canadians before the next election, which is scheduled for October 2025 but could happen earlier than that.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are expected to react to the announcement later today.
More details to follow…
National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com
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