Trudeau Suspends Sales Tax, Offers Canadians Checks

Facts

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a CA$6.3B ($4.5B) economic relief package, including a Goods and Services Tax (GST) break and a CA$250 ($143) rebate check to Canadians making CA$150K ($107K) or less.^[1][2]
• The temporary GST break, which will reportedly cost CA$1.6B ($1.14B) on its own, will be in effect between Dec. 14 and Feb. 14. The one-time check, which will go out to an estimated 18.7M Canadians, will be sent in the spring.^[2][3]
• The tax break will cover meals, salads, snacks, and alcohol (beer, wine, and cider); restaurant meals, including dine-in, takeout, and delivery; children's clothing, footwear, diapers, toys; books, puzzles, print newspapers; and holiday items like Christmas trees.^[4][5]
• The government estimates that for a family spending CA$2K on basic foods, meals, and children's goods, the tax break will save them CA$100 on GST tax over a two-month period.^[4][5]
• This comes as Trudeau's Liberal Party trails the Conservatives by 18% in the latest polling analysis from Canadian polling website ThreeThirtyEight. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre did not say whether his party would vote for the bill, but did claim Trudeau would "ironically" be raising taxes "in just a few months." The election is scheduled for October 2025.^[2][6]

Sources: ^[1]Financial Post, ^[2]National Post, ^[3]BNN Bloomberg, ^[4]Government of Canada, ^[5]BBC News and ^[6]Firstpost.

Narratives

• Right narrative, as provided by YouTube and Toronto Star. After causing the cost of living crisis and destroying Canadians with his COVID policies, Trudeau is conducting a shameful vote-buying scheme. Not only is this $250 offer a slap in the face to working Canadians, but many of the food items included in the tax break were already tax-exempt. This plan will not save the prime minister from his inevitable political demise.
• Left narrative, as provided by CBC. Trudeau’s tax policy reflects an effort to provide immediate, broad relief during a global inflation crisis. While no one, not even the prime minister, would claim this is a complete economic solution, these measures demonstrate empathy and address widespread financial struggles, laying the groundwork for future stability.