$250 federal checks: Seniors await position from Pierre Poilievre

Photo: Justin Tang The Canadian Press Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had some harsh words against the idea of ​​cheques that risked adding fuel to the inflation fire.

The vote of seniors cannot be taken for granted, seniors’ groups said Wednesday, outraged at being excluded from the plan to send $250 cheques.

“[The party that promises] to have the autonomy of seniors at heart, there will be 60,000 [members] behind who will support it, that’s for sure,” said Micheline Germain, president of AREQ, an association that represents retirees of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec.

She was invited by the Bloc Québécois to speak outside the House of Commons on Wednesday, along with representatives from the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitees et préretraitées (AQDR).

These seniors’ groups denounce the “gross injustice” of having been excluded from the Trudeau government’s cheque program in spring 2025, which is currently only intended for those who worked in 2023. This one-time payment is doubled by a federal tax holiday on a bunch of consumer products for the holiday season.

Discreet Conservatives

The Bloc Québécois and the New Democratic Party (NDP) have both indicated that their support for these measures is conditional on also sending aid to seniors. The Conservative Party of Canada was to take a position on this subject Wednesday morning, but no elected official wished to answer questions from journalists after their meeting.

The Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, nevertheless let out a few harsh words the day before against the idea of ​​cheques which risked throwing fuel on the fire of inflation. “Our priority is not to save ten cents on a bag of chips just before quadrupling the carbon tax,” he added on Tuesday.

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Micheline Germain would have preferred to see the leader of the opposition support the cause of seniors more clearly. “[The Conservative Party] often takes a long time before taking a position. So I don't understand right now where he's at. I'm not able to get his position.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has justified the limits of his upcoming distribution of checks at the Hi, helloon TVA earlier this week. He pointed out that his government has “delivered programs that help different people,” including dental care for seniors, to which “people aged 40 who work” are not entitled.

“People who work, people who are struggling, who don’t have children, who don’t receive support from the government, will be able to appreciate a $250 cheque that will help them offset [the increase] in the cost of living,” explained the Liberal leader.

The explanation did not satisfy Pierre Lynch, president of the AQDR, who points out that 40% of people aged 65 and over live on an income of less than $22,000 per year. “Every time, we give out little treats. We want seniors to be able to retire with dignity,” he replied.

Unblocking soon

Some Liberal elected officials also suggested Wednesday morning that the terms of sending cheques could change, particularly based on discussions with the opposition parties. “I have several questions,” simply said Quebec Liberal MP Sophie Chatel, before her caucus meeting. The Prime Minister entered promising “good discussions.”

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh suggested Tuesday that the bill on his measures be split in two, allowing his party to support only the December rebate on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and deal with the cheque issues later. In a minority position and facing a parliament paralyzed for two months by a question of privilege, the government needs the support of the NDP or another opposition party to pass anything.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is expected to table a bill called the “Temporary Relief for the Cost of Living Act” shortly. Its contents were not yet revealed at the time of writing.

Last week, the federal government announced a two-month GST holiday, effective from December 14 to February 15. It would apply to a number of goods and services, including children’s clothing and footwear, toys, baby diapers, restaurant meals and beer. It would also apply to Christmas trees, a variety of snacks and prepared foods, and even video game consoles.

A Canada Workers Rebate was announced at the same time, which would provide tax-free $250 cheques to all Canadians who earned less than $150,000 in annual net income in 2023. Retirees and welfare recipients, as well as anyone who did not have employment income last year, are not eligible.