Bill C-31 (Historical)

Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2 (Targeted Support for Households)

An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing

This bill is from the 44th Parliament, 1st session, which ended in January 2025.

Sponsor

Jean-Yves Duclos Liberal

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

Part 1 enacts the Dental Benefit Act , which provides for the establishment of an application-based interim dental benefit. The benefit provides interim direct financial support for parents for dental care services received by their children under 12 years of age in the period starting in October 2022 and ending in June 2024.
Part 2 enacts the Rental Housing Benefit Act , which provides for the establishment of a one-time rental housing benefit for eligible persons who have paid rent in 2022 for their principal residence and who apply for the benefit.
Finally, Part 3 makes related amendments to the Income Tax Act , the Excise Tax Act and the Excise Act, 2001 .

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-31s:

C-31 (2021) Reducing Barriers to Reintegration Act

C-31 (2016) Law Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act

C-31 (2014) Law Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1

C-31 (2012) Law Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act

Votes

Oct. 27, 2022 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-31, An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing

Oct. 27, 2022 Passed Concurrence at report stage of Bill C-31, An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing

Oct. 27, 2022 Passed Bill C-31, An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing (report stage amendment)

Oct. 19, 2022 Passed 2nd reading of Bill C-31, An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing

Oct. 19, 2022 Failed 2nd reading of Bill C-31, An Act respecting cost of living relief measures related to dental care and rental housing (reasoned amendment)

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-31, the Cost of Living Relief Act, aims to provide financial support to Canadians struggling with the rising cost of living. It includes a one-time $500 rental housing benefit for low-income renters and a dental care benefit providing up to $650 per year for uninsured children under 12 in eligible families. The bill is intended as an interim measure while a more comprehensive national dental care program is developed.

Liberal

Supports C-31: The Liberal speakers all voiced their strong support for Bill C-31. They argued the bill addresses the rising cost of living by providing targeted relief for housing and dental care, especially for low-income families and children.
Cost of living relief: The Liberals believe the bill will provide important and timely support to Canadians struggling with the increasing cost of living. They emphasized that inflation is a global challenge and that the Canadian government is committed to helping families weather the impact.
Canada dental benefit: A key component of Bill C-31 is the Canada Dental Benefit, which aims to provide financial support for dental care to uninsured children under the age of 12 from low- to middle-income families. This benefit is seen as a first step towards a longer-term goal of dental care for all Canadians.
Rental housing support: The bill also includes a $500 top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit, which will provide additional support to renters struggling with the rising cost of housing. The Liberals highlighted the importance of this support, particularly in areas with high rental costs and low vacancy rates.

Conservative

No dental crisis: Several speakers stated emphatically that there is no dental crisis in Canada. Rather, the speakers suggest the real crisis is in mental health and the current healthcare system. They suggest that Canadians would prefer to see tax dollars spent on mental health and healthcare rather than dental.
Short-term 'band-aid': Speakers characterized the bill as a short-term solution to the affordability crisis, rather than a long-term fix. One member characterized the rental benefit as at best a week's worth of rent. Members suggested that the government should be focusing on long-term solutions such as encouraging more housing construction, reducing red tape and bureaucracy, and focusing on natural resources to build up the economy.
Ottawa knows best: Several members claimed the program is an example of "Ottawa knows best", with the federal government trying to impose a federal program on top of existing provincial dental programs. They suggested it would create unnecessary bureaucracy and overlap. Some members suggested a better solution would be to tweak provinces that are struggling with dental care programs and to help provinces better understand how to make a better program.
Buying NDP support: Some speakers accused the Liberal government of using the bill to buy support from the NDP, rather than addressing real health or economic needs. Several speakers referred to the bill as a "trinket" or "shiny object" meant to distract Canadians from the government's failures. The speakers claimed the NDP's support came cheap.

NDP

Support for dental care: The NDP strongly supports the bill's provision for dental care for children under 12 in low-income families, criticizing Conservative opposition and highlighting the necessity of this support for over 500,000 children who lack access.
Housing benefit supported: The NDP supports the $500 one-time housing benefit for low-income families, viewing it as a crucial measure to alleviate financial strain amid rising inflation and living costs, while criticizing those who say the country can't afford it.
Pushed for amendments: The NDP successfully introduced amendments to extend the application window to 120 days, increase the eligible rent claim for room and board situations to 90%, and ensure that cohabitating families can claim the benefit according to their actual rent contributions.

Bloc

Unfair to Quebec: The Bloc argues that the bill, while having a laudable intention, is poorly executed and unfair to Quebec due to a lack of consultation and failure to account for Quebec's existing social programs. They highlight that Quebec will receive a disproportionately small share of the allocated funds because of existing provincial programs and higher unionization rates.
Provincial jurisdiction: The Bloc emphasizes that health care, including dental care, and housing are provincial jurisdictions, and the federal government's intrusion is unconstitutional. They suggest the federal government should focus on fulfilling its own responsibilities instead of meddling in provincial affairs.
Fiscal imbalance: The Bloc sees the bill as an example of the fiscal imbalance in Canada, where the federal government has surplus funds while the provinces lack sufficient resources for their responsibilities. They advocate for reversing the fiscal imbalance and giving Quebec and the provinces the means to care for their own needs.
Political deal: The Bloc views the bill as a product of a deal between the Liberal government and the NDP, rather than a genuine effort to address the needs of Canadians. They criticize the NDP for supporting a flawed bill in exchange for the implementation of a dental care program.

Was this summary helpful and accurate?