Ottawa is increasing the amount of money Canadians will receive through the GST rebate, to help deal with a rise in food prices.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada’s Groceries and Essentials Benefit will put hundreds of dollars back into the hands of 12 million Canadians.
He says the GST rebate will increase by 25% for the next five years, with a one-time 50% increase this year.
The PM says it means a family of four will receive just under $1,900 in 2026, up from the current $1,100 and $1,400 in each of the four years after that.
A single person, who now receives $540, will get $950 this year and about $700 for the four years after that.
“Lowering costs means putting real, practical support into the hands of people here in Nipissing-Timiskaming,” says MP Pauline Rochefort. “From helping families save on groceries and everyday essentials, to strengthening local food producers and supply chains across Northern Ontario, these measures give Canadians more room to breathe and more power to shape their future. Together, we are building a stronger, more resilient, Canada.
She says the federal government is focused on building a stronger economy to create more career opportunities and higher wages, while also bringing down costs to make life more affordable.
The federal Conservatives say they’ll allow the Liberal government’s GST rebate top-up to ‘quickly pass’, but also urge the Prime Minister to take immediate action to address the long-term reality of food inflation they say is ‘crushing’ Canadians.
The Conservatives say the re-announced rebate will barely cover a single trip to the grocery store.
They add they have real solutions that could be adopted too, like repealing the food inflation packaging tax, the industrial carbon tax and more.
The federal government says it’s also tackling food insecurity, supporting producers, and strengthening supply chains.
- $500 million is being set aside to help businesses address the costs of supply chain disruptions without passing those costs on to Canadians at the checkout line.
- The government will create a $150 million Food Security Fund for small and medium enterprises and the organizations that support them.
- To lower the cost of food production, the government is introducing immediate
expensing for greenhouse buildings, allowing producers to fully write off greenhouses
acquired on or after November 4, 2025, and that become available for use before 2030. - $20 million is being provided to the Local Food Infrastructure Fund, to support food banks and other national, regional, and local organizations to deliver more nutritious food to families in need.
- A National Food Security Strategy is being developed to strengthen domestic food production and improves access to affordable, nutritious food. It will also include measures to implement unit price labelling and support the work of the Competition Bureau in monitoring and enforcing competition in the market, including food supply chains.
