Conservative bill would give new parents tax break, says MP Michael Chong
Michael Chong says some Canadians could see $4,000 Employment Insurance break
Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong is supporting a private members bill introduced by his boss that gives a tax break to new parents in the first year of their child's life.
The Supporting New Parents Act, introduced by Andrew Scheer, would provide a non-refundable tax credit for maternity or paternity Employment Insurance benefits in the first year of a child's life.
A Canadian who earns $50,000 a year, who goes on parental EI benefits, would see an increase to their EI benefits by about four thousand dollars a year, once income taxes are filed, Chong explained.
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Chong said the act enhances the current government EI program, but in a different way.
"The government recently announced an enhancement to the EI program," Chong told The Morning Edition's host Craig Norris on Wednesday.
"They allowed people to extend the EI maternal and parental leave to 61 weeks in return for taking a reduced benefit level of 33 percent."
Chong told Norris he is hopeful the private members will be supported by parents and other Members of Parliament, but added if Trudeau's government does not support the bill, he hopes the idea will be incorporated in a future Liberal budget.