Trudeau says NDP turning its back on workers by stalling $250 rebate cheques

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is turning its back on workers for holding up a promised $250 rebate the Liberals promised to send to millions of Canadians.

Last week, Trudeau announced a multi-billion-dollar affordability package that includes a proposed two-month GST holiday on some goods and services — including children's toys, beer and wine and restaurant meals — and a plan to send $250 cheques to the 18.7 million people in Canada who worked in 2023 and earned $150,000 or less.

The House of Commons passed a bill to enact the tax holiday on Thursday, but the government didn't include the rebate cheque portion after the NDP promised to withhold support if the government didn't split the promises into two pieces of legislation.

"To see the NDP — which was supposedly the party of workers — turn its back on working Canadians and say, 'No, we shouldn't be delivering this cheque unless we expand it massively,' is not recognizing working Canadians for the challenges they're facing," Trudeau said during a news conference on Friday.

Some Canadians — including seniors — have raised concerns about being excluded from the millions who would receive the rebate cheques.

Trudeau said Friday that the rebate cheques are meant to be a targeted measure to help "hard-working Canadians" who might be excluded from other government support programs.

"We're going to continue to work on being there for seniors, as we have, as we will continue to. We're looking at different ways of helping all sorts of different people," he said.

"But seeing hard-working Canadians — who get up, go to work everyday and make our economy and communities successful — and recognizing them specifically … that's what this is all about."

The NDP initially said it would support the measure but is now calling on the government to expand its eligibility to include seniors, people with disabilities and injured workers.