Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Vancouver Kingsway.
On April 28, Canadians came together to give our new Liberal government a strong, historic mandate. We were elected on a commitment to build a strong economy that works for everyone. Over the past few weeks, our government has taken concrete steps to deliver on our plan to make life more affordable for Canadian families.
Bill C‑4 delivers on three of the government's earliest announcements: cutting taxes for the middle class, eliminating the GST on new homes for first-time homebuyers and repealing the pollution pricing act.
I have mentioned the tax cut several times in the House because it is excellent news. This measure will lower the tax rate of the first income tax bracket from 15% to 14%. This change will benefit more than 22 million people across the country. Individuals will be able to save up to $420 per year, and dual-income families will be able to save up to $840 per year. We are taking meaningful action to put money back in the pockets of Canadians.
During the election campaign, when we were knocking on doors or making phone calls, we heard people say that access to home ownership was a challenge, especially for young people. That is why we want to bring in the GST rebate for first-time homebuyers. The goal is both to help individuals entering the housing market for the first time and to encourage developers to increase the housing supply. The rebate will provide GST relief on new homes at or under $1 million. In other words, this means a maximum relief of $50,000 on the purchase of new home by a first-time homebuyer.
We are a government that listens to the people. Many Canadians asked for a climate policy that transcends political divisions, and we listened. From day one, our new government eliminated consumer carbon pricing. We are already seeing the impact. This has resulted in lower fuel prices. This is another meaningful action that helps Canadian families. Bill C-4 repeals the provisions on consumer carbon pricing.
The three measures proposed in Bill C‑4 are part of a broader effort to help families deal with the rising cost of living. That is a very important thing to understand. The best way to make life more affordable for Canadians is to get to work on building a strong economy. It just so happens that our government has a plan to build the strongest economy in the G7 by investing in productivity and innovation, getting more Canadians into the workforce and eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. A strong economy will ensure the sustainability of programs that help make life more affordable for Canadians and save families thousands of dollars a year.
Over the next few minutes, I am going to give a few examples of the measures and programs I am referring to.
Of course, there is the Canada child benefit, which for nearly nine years has been helping low- and middle-income families meet the costs of raising a child. These are monthly tax-free payments made to parents and, since it was rolled out, this benefit has lifted nearly 650,000 children across the country out of poverty. In my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, more than $40 million a year is paid to parents in our community to help them provide for their children.
I would also like to mention our affordable child care program. Since its launch in 2021, this program has become a cornerstone of Canada's social infrastructure. More than 900,000 children are benefiting from quality child care services. Families across the country are saving thousands of dollars a year, paying on average one-third of what they paid in 2021. During the election campaign, we made a commitment to protect and strengthen this important program. We understand that our workforce is stronger because parents, and primarily mothers, no longer have to choose between the cost of child care and their careers. When families are strong, the economy is strong, and we are making Canada stronger.
I am also thinking of the national school food program, a meaningful measure to make life more affordable. This program is a direct investment in the middle class. It makes life easier for hard-working families. It is also a safety net for children who do not always get enough to eat at home. No child should go to school on an empty stomach because it is much harder for kids to focus when they are hungry. We have entered into school food agreements with all the provinces and territories. That means that the national school food program is fully operational. Under the agreement with my province, New Brunswick, the Government of Canada is investing roughly $11.2 million over the next three years to expand and improve access to the national school food program at the schools in the province. That means being able to fund breakfast programs at 160 additional schools across New Brunswick. In all, more than 57,000 children in New Brunswick will benefit from these programs during the current school year.
I would also like to mention the Canadian dental care plan. It is a very important program as we try to help families cope with the cost of living. In May, we expanded eligibility for this program to all age groups. The program is now available to about eight million Canadians and saves them about $800 a year to get the affordable dental care they need. This is an important measure because during the election campaign, when I was knocking on doors and making phone calls, I heard over and over again how important this program is. I am thinking of the example of one constituent who told me that he has had tooth pain for years and that he could not afford dental care. Now, thanks to the expansion of the program we announced in May, that person will be able to access the care he needs. This is extremely important and makes a difference in the lives of the people we represent.
Last month, the people in my riding and elsewhere in the country expressed the desire to see the cost of living go down. We heard them. Thanks to measures set out in Bill C‑4, our government is making changes to cut taxes, decrease costs and put money back in the pockets of Canadians. These changes are in addition to efforts by our government to build a strong economy and ensure the sustainability of programs that already help families save thousands of dollars each year.
I am proud of my government. This government understands the importance of having a strong economy to make life more affordable, and it is guided by the conviction that the economy is only truly strong when it serves everyone. I look forward to voting in favour of Bill C‑4 to make life more affordable for Canadians, including the people in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche.
