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November 17th, 2022

NDP: Delivering dental care for your kids and putting money in your pocket

With the dental and rental bill passing the final step in the Senate and set to receive Royal Assent tonight, families are now weeks away from getting the NDP's dental care support and help to pay their rent

OTTAWA – On Thursday, support New Democrats fought for will finally pass the last step in the House of Commons process, getting dental care for kids and help to pay the rent one step closer to Canadian families. Earlier this year, New Democrats used their power to help families and their budgets by giving families with children under 12 $650 a year, per child, to get their teeth fixed and by putting money in people’s pockets with $500 to pay their rent. After months of the NDP pushing the government to follow through, it’s clear that left to their own devices, the Liberals were never going to act. And at every opportunity, despite Canadians paying for Conservative MPs' own dental care, the Conservatives tried to stop dental care for kids from happening.

“Families are having to decide whether to pay for dental care for their kids or pay their bills. No one should have to deal with the pain or lifelong damage of going without dental care. So many Canadians end up in the emergency room because of dental problems that could be easily prevented,” said Canada's NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. “Unfortunately for families, for years the Liberals voted with the Conservatives against dental care. Today, our dental care plan is one step closer to reality and families will very soon be able to apply to get their kids teeth fixed. And this is just the first step, we’re going to keep fighting to make sure all Canadians can access comprehensive dental care as part of our healthcare system.”

For months, New Democrats have been pushing the government to act on inflation and the rising cost of living and for months, the government has said it’s not their fault and have left Canadians to fend for themselves. After voting against dental care twice, New Democrats forced the Liberals to give uninsured families making under $90,000 dental care for their kids under 12. New Democrats also forced the government to deliver funds to help 2 million people pay their rent in the face of this cost-of-living crisis.

Despite having his teeth paid for by Canadian families for 18 years, and despite posturing that he wants to help families with the high cost of living, Pierre Poilievre and his Conservative MPs didn't want kids to have dental care and didn't want families to have $500 to pay their rent.

“Families are playing by the rules, doing everything right, but still can’t get ahead. And the rising costs of housing, groceries, and gas for families – while big companies and the super-rich make billions off them in profits – is stretching family budgets even more,” added Singh. “It’s clear: without New Democrats, the Liberals were never going to put money back in your pockets. And despite talking about rising costs, the Conservatives are not interested in the fights that help you. New Democrats will always fight for you and your family and we're not done. We'll keep fighting – to help your kids with dental care, to help your family budget, and to help you get ahead.”