Politics

Starting next month, Canadians could get a temporary “tax holiday” on dozens of items as a Liberal bill inches closer to becoming law. Bill C-78, titled the “Tax Break for All Canadians Act,” passed in the House of Commons Thursday night, with the help of support from the New Democratic Party.It will now be considered by the Senate and if passed there, will go on to receive royal assent. 4:20 Holiday GST Break: What’s exempt and what it means for your wallet A two-month break on the goods and services tax or harmonized sales tax will apply on certain groceries, alcoholic beverages and children’s clothing, among other items. Story conti...

The Liberals’ GST holiday bill is one step closer to becoming law after it was passed by a majority of the House of Commons late Thursday night.  The two-month tax break covers dozens of items, including children’s clothes and toys, video games and consoles, Christmas trees, restaurant and catered meals, wine, beer, candy and snacks. It would take effect on Dec. 14 and run until Feb. 15, 2025.The government announced the plan as a way to ease affordability concerns during the holiday period. At the time, they also pledged to send $250 rebates to working Canadians in the spring, but that particular measure was not included in the bill.The legislation to enact the tax break was the first bill passed through the House of Commons since late September, and required some procedural wrangling fro...

By Jack Farrell The Canadian Press Posted November 28, 2024 5:13 pm Updated November 28, 2024 6:35 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size Alberta is taking Ottawa to court, saying the federal government has failed to follow through on necessary changes to a law governing resource development. The federal Impact Assessment Act determines whether major resource projects should be approved based on the environmental, economic or social impact each project might have. ...

Immigration Minister Marc Miller was admonished in the House of Commons during question period Thursday when he told Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to “grow a pair” and get his security clearance. Miller withdrew the comment but has yet to apologize for the language.The minister was responding to a question from Poilievre for the government to detail its plan to address immigration concerns that led U.S. president-elect Donald Trump to threaten a 25-per cent tariff on all Canadian imports when he takes office in January.“According to (Miller’s) department, there are half a million people here illegally, all of whom could be tempted to go south of the border, provoking a massive retaliatory response,” Poilievre said. “So once again, what’s the plan to fix what he broke?”Miller respond...

The Israeli military on Thursday said its warplanes fired on southern Lebanon after detecting Hezbollah activity at a rocket storage facility, the first Israeli airstrike a day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took hold. There was no immediate word on casualties from Israel’s aerial attack, which came hours after the Israeli military said it fired on people trying to return to certain areas in southern Lebanon. Israel said they were violating the ceasefire agreement, without providing details. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said two people were wounded.The back-to-back incidents stirred unease about the agreement, brokered by the United States and France, which includes an initial two-month ceasefire in which Hezbollah militants are to withdraw north of the Litani R...

Legislation to create a two-month-long GST holiday is expected to pass on Thursday. The bill was introduced on behalf of Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland in the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, with the help of the NDP to at least temporarily stop debate on a Conservative filibuster.The NDP only agreed to support the bill after Freeland separated the GST break from a promise to also send $250 to most working Canadians in the spring.The NDP wants that benefit expanded to also go to non-working seniors and people with disabilities who don’t have a working income.Liberal Ryan Turnbull, who is Freeland’s parliamentary secretary, said during the debate on the legislation Wednesday evening that the goal is to help Canadians after multiple budget shocks from high inflation after COVID-1...

By The Staff The Canadian Press Posted November 27, 2024 2:31 pm 1 min read Descrease article font size Increase article font size A Quebec judge is hearing arguments this week in a class-action lawsuit application against Montreal billionaire Robert Miller over allegations he paid minors for sex. The proposed lawsuit includes anyone under the age of 18 who was paid for sex by Miller or who was a victim of sexual exploitation by him or by any other group determined by the court. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts deli...

A gamble by incumbent Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston to discard the first law his government passed and swap a July election for a snap poll at the end of November has paid off. After months of telegraphing his early election plan, Houston made the call on Oct. 27, triggering a short one-month campaign period he said was necessary to get more from the federal government.Advance polling showed a drop in the number of people turning out to vote in the election — something Liberal Party Leader Zach Churchill said was likely due to “election fatigue” after the U.S. presidential election.The Progressive Conservatives’ gamble, however, has rewarded him with a sizeable win across the province.By late Tuesday night, the Progressive Conservatives remained in the 40-seat range, with 10 going to the...

Canada Post says negotiations with its workers’ union have come to a grinding halt on important issues as a nationwide strike drags into Day 13. A special mediator, appointed by the federal government, has been guiding the talks between the two sides since Nov. 18, but the Crown corporation says  “progress has been limited to minor items.”“Canada Post is considering its options to move negotiations forward as talks with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) have ground to a halt on key issues critical to the Corporation’s future,” Lisa Liu, a company spokesperson, said in a statement on Tuesday evening.Liu said  the union has not been responding to the proposals that Canada Post has put forward over the past several days and the mailing service was informed by the special mediator th...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is eyeing a number of steps to challenge the proposed federal greenhouse gas emissions cap. Announcing an upcoming motion under her Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act on Tuesday, Smith said the government plans to challenge the cap in court when or if it becomes law, and that it will take the steps necessary to give the province exclusive authority and ownership of emissions data, ban federal employees from designated oil and gas facilities, and more.“We’ve been very clear that we will use all means at our disposal to fight back against federal policies that hurt Alberta, and that’s exactly what we’re doing,” she said.Under the sovereignty act, the government must first put a motion forward in the legislative assembly identifyi...