QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Canada Child Benefit
October 31, 2024
Senator Gold, you seem to be getting a lot of doom-and-gloom questions, so let me try something completely different. I want to talk about the Canada Child Benefit.
A few years ago, I asked about the impact in Prince Edward Island. I filed an Access to Information and Privacy, or ATIP, request, and I found out that over $100 million was coming into Prince Edward Island tax free, helping families increase the benefits for their children.
Like in many provinces, in the case of most divorced parents the mothers are raising the children. The Canada Child Benefit has had a tremendous positive impact. Could you tell us what’s happening with that program, and does the government hope to enhance it in the next year or so?
Thank you for your question, and thank you for acknowledging the work that this government is doing to help the citizens of your province, as it is for the citizens of all provinces.
I don’t have specific information about the expansion or details about that, and I’m not going to list all of the measures that the government has introduced recently to help Canadians and their families — such as affordable child care and dental care — but I read in the paper today that a million Canadians have already benefited in the first six months. The list is rather long.
This government believes in investing in its citizens and in its families. It believes in making these investments for our well-being now and for the future, and it will continue to do so within the context of a responsible fiscal framework.
Thank you, Senator Gold.
There is no doubt the Canada Child Benefit, in my opinion, is the best social program in a generation.
Given that the information is available by electoral district, would it be possible for your office to send the information out to every senator about the tremendous benefit this program is providing in their area and in their province?
Thank you for that suggestion. I will certainly raise it internally and perhaps explore ways in which that might be done in the most efficient way.
I have a great team. We’re pretty small, but thank you for that suggestion and for your support.
