Quebec solidaire wants to index government benefits twice a year
Even before the national assembly reconvenes next Tuesday, Québec solidaire (QS) is already proposing measures to help Quebecers who are facing a skyrocketing cost of living.
In a news release issued on Sunday morning, Québec solidaire proposes that the Legault government take advantage of the Dec. 8 economic update "to index Quebec government benefits twice a year so that they better reflect the evolution of inflation."
QS is targeting the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP), the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (RQAP), public sector retirement pensions, CNESST benefits for work-related accidents, student financial assistance (AFE), the solidarity tax credit, social assistance and compensation for victims of crime (IVAC).
For his part, Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard recently opened the door to some form of financial support for businesses to help them cope with inflation.
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government is also moving forward with its election promise to help individuals cope with the rising cost of living. More than 6.5 million taxpayers will receive one-time assistance this month ranging from $400 to $600, depending on their income for the year 2021.
This does not satisfy Montreal MNA Haroun Bouazzi, who is responsible for finance and believes that this form of non-recurring assistance will not achieve the desired objective.
"With his ill-targeted tax cuts and all-out cheques, François Legault is depriving us of precious revenues that should be used to help those who really need it," said Bouazzi.
"Indexing pensions twice a year is a minimum to better protect seniors from inflation. The federal pension is indexed four times a year, and I can't believe that in Quebec, we are not able to do it at least twice a year," said Sherbrooke MNA Christine Labrie, who is responsible for seniors' issues.
During the election campaign that ended on Oct. 3, all parties represented in the national assembly made the fight against inflation one of their top priorities for the next parliamentary session.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 27, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.