Minister Steven Guilbeault highlights budget investments to make life more affordable with new Grocery Rebate

From: Environment and Climate Change Canada

News release

March 30, 2023 – Québec, Quebec

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and ClimateChange, highlighted Budget 2023’s investments in new targeted inflation relief to the Canadians hit hardest by rising food prices.

Canada has made a remarkable recovery from the COVID recession. Canada’s economic growth was the strongest in the G7 over the last year, and today, 830,000 more Canadians are employed than before the pandemic, including 136,900 people here in the province of Quebec. Inflation in Canada has fallen for eight months in a row, our unemployment rate is near its record low, and, supported by our Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care, the labour force participation rate for women aged 25 to 54 reached a record high of 85.7 percent in February.

To make life more affordable, Budget 2023 delivers the new Grocery Rebate, offering targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most, with up to an additional $467 for eligible couples with children; an additional $234 for single Canadians without children; and an additional $225 for seniors, on average.

By targeting the Grocery Rebate to the Canadians who need it most, the government will be able to provide important relief, without making inflation worse.

Overall, the one-time Grocery Rebate will provide $2.5 billion in targeted inflation relief to the Canadians who need it most. The Grocery Rebate will be delivered through a one-time payment from the Canada Revenue Agency as soon as possible, following the passage of legislation.

With a responsible fiscal plan that will see Canada maintain the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, Budget 2023 will help to build a Canada that is more secure, more sustainable, and more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast.

Quotes

“This budget is going to help a lot of Canadians. We’re putting in place measures to help with one of the things where we’ve seen the biggest price increases: groceries. The new Grocery Rebate will provide relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it the most. Budget 2023 is our plan to make life more affordable, strengthen public health care, and build a stronger, more sustainable, and more secure Canadian economy—for everyone.”

– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Quick facts

  • The government is also taking action to crack down on junk fees and predatory lending, lower credit card transaction fees for small businesses, and help Canadians keep more money in their pockets.

  • To strengthen Canada’s universal public health care system, the budget delivers $198.3 billion, including $37.409 billion here, in the province of Quebec, to reduce backlogs, expand access to family health services, and ensure provinces and territories can provide the high quality and timely health care Canadians expect and deserve.

  • Budget 2023 also introduces a new Canadian Dental Care Plan, to help up to nine million Canadians and ensure that no Canadian has to choose between taking care of their health and paying the bills at the end of the month.

  • To build Canada’s clean economy, the budget makes transformative investments to fight climate change and create new opportunities for Canadian businesses and workers. This includes significant measures that will deliver cleaner and more affordable energy, support investment in our communities, and create good-paying jobs.

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Contacts

Kaitlin Power
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-230-1557
Kaitlin.Power@ec.gc.ca

Media Relations
Environment and Climate Change Canada
819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
media@ec.gc.ca

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