Canadians are in for a hard winter. But better days are coming. Our government has a plan to get through this and recover strongly.

Through the bill tabled today by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, our government is introducing new supports for Canadian families and businesses, providing more resources to our health response, and ensuring Canada continues to have the resources it needs to respond to COVID-19.

Our government will do whatever it takes. We will invest in every necessary and helpful public health measure. And we will support Canadian families and businesses, in a deliberate, prudent and effective way.

Here are the following supports that were announced: 

Temporary Increase to the Canada Child Benefit for Children under 6 

• Many families have been struggling with a wide range of expenses during the pandemic, and for those with young children, finding alternatives to child care has meant taking on additional costs.
• In order to provide immediate relief for families with young children, we are proposing to introduce temporary support totaling up to $1,200 for each child under the age of six.
• This support would be provided to low- and middle income families who are entitled to the Canada Child Benefit.
• This represents an almost 20 per cent increase over the maximum annual CCB payment.
• We expect about 1.6 million families, and 2.1 million children will benefit.

Interest on Canada Student Loans

• Young people continue to suffer disproportionate economic impacts due to COVID-19.
• We are committed to ensuring that the pandemic does not derail their futures.
• To ease the financial burden of student debt during the recovery, we are proposing to eliminate interest on repayment of the federal portion of the Canada Student Loans and Canada Apprentice Loans for 2021-22.
• This measure will bring $329.4 million in relief to up to 1.4 million Canadians who are looking for work or otherwise in the early stages of their careers.

Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy - Payable Amounts 

• As committed by the Government, the new, direct to tenant, Rent Subsidy has had rent payable as an eligible expense from day one.
• This legislation will formalize the current administration of the Rent Subsidy, which includes rent payable.

Increase Maximum Borrowing Amount in Borrowing Authority Act 

• Our government has introduced additional accountability and transparency into borrowing limits.
• We instituted that, every 3 years, the federal government would be obligated to publicly and transparently review its borrowing limit.
• Having reached the end of the three-year timeline, we are required by law to revisit the borrowing authority limit right now.
• As such, we are proposing to increase the borrowing limit set out in the Act due to the emergency spending necessary to help Canadians and businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This amendment would include the extraordinary borrowing from the spring to fight the pandemic in order to be as accountable and transparent as possible.
• To be clear, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada was well within the limits of the current borrowing authority.
• This increase will ensure Canadian families and businesses continue to have the support they need, and that we are able to lay the foundation for meaningful and targeted stimulus when we get through this.

Replicating CEBA Loan Limits for Gap-filling Programs & RRRF Gap-filling Capacity 

• Businesses, workers and communities in every corner of Canada have been impacted by COVID-19.
• The Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF), introduced in April, provides significant support through Canada’s Regional Development Agencies to small businesses who are unable to access other pandemic support programs.
• To date, this program has protected over 102,000 jobs and supported over 14,700 businesses.
• Our Government is proposing additional support through the RDAs and the RFFF program to continue supporting the program and ensuring the level of support replicates that the recently expanded Canada Emergency Business Account.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit 

• The Canada Emergency Response Benefit made sure that workers laid off due to COVID-19 did not have to choose between doing the right thing to stop the spread of the virus and making ends meet.
• This significant support was instrumental in helping Canada flatten the curve.
• More than 8.9 million Canadians benefitted from the program, receiving $81.6 billion in support.
• The CERB has since been replaced by a stronger EI, and three new recovery benefits.
• The Government is proposing amendments to ensure that those who were previously eligible, but did not claim their benefits, are still able to receive payments into the New Year.

Mental Health and Substance Use in the Context of COVID-19 

Mental Health

• As we face a second wave of the pandemic, and public health measures remain in place, all Canadians are familiar with the significant emotional and mental health impacts.
• In fact, 50 percent of Canadians report that their mental health has worsened due to COVID-19.
• To help Canadians through this difficult time, we are investing additional resources to bolster distress centers and provide further support for the Wellness Together Canada Portal and the services it offers.

Substance Use

• The opioid crisis has taken far too many lives in Canada and the COVID-19 crisis has coincided with a surge in opioid deaths.
• Tragically, provinces across the country have seen a significant increase in overdoses and opioid related deaths.
• To support Canadians struggling with problematic substance use, and building on our previous investments, we are providing additional resources to support community-based organizations responding to these issues.
• This will also help provide frontline services in a COVID-19 context.

Investments in Long-Term Care 

• The devastating COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care homes have been tragic and unacceptable – highlighting the gaps in standards and care for our most vulnerable.
• Seniors deserve to be safe, respected and live in dignity.
• Building on the significant support provided through the Safe Restart Agreement, and The Red Cross, we are creating a Safe Long-term Care Fund to help provinces and territories protect people in long-term care and support infection prevention and control.
• Provinces and territories will be able to use this funding to undertake a range of activities, including carrying out infection prevention and control readiness assessments, making improvements to ventilation and hiring additional staff or topping up wages.

Supporting Innovative Approaches to COVID-19 Testing 

• We have made substantial investments to ensure Canada is prepared for subsequent waves of COVID-19.
• Testing is one of our most important tools in fighting this pandemic.
• We will continue to support the roll-out of new rapid COVID-19 tests and innovative approaches to testing.

Medical Research, Countermeasures, Vaccine Funding and Development, Border and Travel Measures and Isolation Sites

• Our government has been procuring vaccines and planning for distribution since the spring.
• We have secured ten doses of vaccines per Canadian, representing the most diverse and robust vaccine portfolio in the world.
• We have signed purchasing agreements with all of the leading vaccine candidates: Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Medicago, Novavax, and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
• Our regulators have access to and are reviewing 3 vaccine candidates: Moderna, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate.
• Every Canadian can be confident they will have access to an effective vaccine, for free, once it’s ready.