Conservatives won't support 'GST holiday' legislation
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre described the plan as an expensive scheme to 'save Justin Trudeau's political skin'
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OTTAWA — Conservatives will be voting against the government’s so-called “GST Holiday” when the legislation is put before the House of Commons on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in the foyer of the House Thursday morning, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said they’d be voting against the legislation, as the NDP predictably set aside their indignation for the plan and announced they’d be voting in favour of it.
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“He’s desperate,” Poilievre said of Justin Trudeau during the press conference, describing the multi-billion dollar plan as a scheme to score some much-needed points for the embattled prime minister.
“He’s lost control, but he’s trying to hold onto power — so he’s come up with a irresponsible and inflationist $6 billion tax trick that he will take away right before raising the carbon tax.”
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While all new legislation is being held in suspended animation due to a nearly two-month long privilege motion that’s seen support from all opposition parties, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh — despite initially blasting the plan — has agreed to vote in favour of suspending the gridlock in order to pass the bill.
Trudeau announced the two-month long “GST Holiday” last week, promising to lift the tax from a wide variety of goods, starting Dec. 14.
Tabled Wednesday afternoon, Bill C-78 contained no mention of the PM’s plan to send $250 cheques to those who earned less than $150,000 in 2023, possibly a ploy to appeal to Singh and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet, both of whom wanted the program to include seniors.
“Common sense Conservatives will vote against this irresponsible, inflationist temporary two-month tax trick, and instead push our plan to axe the carbon tax, and axe the sales tax on new homes, for everyone, for good,” Poilievre said.
“Now is the worst-possible time to be blowing $6 billion trying to save Justin Trudeau’s political skin, especially with the threats coming from the United States, with our border in chaos, our economy collapsing and everything broken.”
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