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Ford government criticizes federal GST holiday, urges carbon tax pause

“These are short-term measures that won’t solve the real cost-of-living pressures Canadians are facing,” Ford’s office said Thursday. “The best thing the Liberal government can do right now is ditch, or at the very least pause, any hike in the carbon tax.”

Barbara Patrocinio
Barbara Patrocinio
Ford government criticizes federal GST holiday, urges carbon tax pause

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford attend an announcement at Seneca College in King City, Ont., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Ford has asked the federal government to put a pin in approving new sites that supply safe opioids. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Premier Doug Ford’s office has dismissed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s temporary GST holiday and $250 relief cheques as ”insufficient,” calling instead for a halt to the federal carbon tax hike scheduled for April 1.

“These are short-term measures that won’t solve the real cost-of-living pressures Canadians are facing,” Ford’s office said Thursday. “The best thing the Liberal government can do right now is ditch, or at the very least pause, any hike in the carbon tax.”

The federal plan, announced Thursday, will lift the GST on a variety of items — including children’s clothing, Christmas trees, prepared meals, and some beverages — from Dec. 14 to Feb. 15.

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