The federal government recently announced a number of new measures to help ease the effects of inflation, especially for low-income families facing the brunt of these economic pressures. Among them are the immediate delivery of $650 per uninsured child for dental care, a one-time Canada Housing Benefit, and a 6-month doubling of the GST tax credit to help working-class families make ends meet.
While each of these measures will help Canadians today who are hurting from high inflation, the Liberals should have acted much sooner to build stronger relief programs.
Despite the Liberals and NDP signing a supply and confidence agreement in March, it has taken months for the Liberals to start fulfilling the promises they made. Canadians need relief now, but the federal government was much slower to react to the cost of living crisis than when it took immediate action to introduce relief during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is only through political pressure from Jagmeet Singh and the NDP, committed to the spirit of the supply and confidence agreement, that people will get the help they need. As with the creation of our public health care system, we have the NDP to thank once again for advocating for all of us and tightening the social safety net.
Let us not forget the stability, sustainability, and equity that can come from a social democratic method of government.
