Dan Kelly

The federal Liberals are rolling out a $37-billion income-support plan for workers whose earnings have crashed during the pandemic, providing a hint of future changes to the social safety net — and igniting a debate about what should stay.

A quiet choice this spring to have the Crown corporation responsible for helping Canadians obtain affordable housing run a commercial rent-relief program during the COVID-19 pandemic has become the latest front in a war between the Liberal government and opposition.

The federal government is for the second time extending its program to subsidize wages in companies hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, this time until at least December.

A federal wage subsidy for employees in businesses hit hard by COVID-19 will last at least through the summer and the federal government is asking companies to rehire laid off staff — many of whom have received aid from an emergency benefit that has gone over budget.

Thousands of businesses have applied for the federal government's $73-billion wage subsidy program, joining a COVID-19 emergency economic plan that industry groups warn is becoming more complicated the longer businesses stay closed and workers off the job.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce today, April 24, 2020, significant rent relief to help businesses that can't afford to pay their landlords at a time when their operations are shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Businesses of any size that have seen sharp and sudden drops in revenues due to COVID-19 will be eligible for a new federal wage subsidy program, the federal government said on Monday, March 30, 2020, just as it signalled more help for some of the country's major employers.

A growing number of business and labour groups are urging the federal Liberals to up their promised wage subsidy to help companies hit hard by COVID-19 keep people on their payrolls.

Canada's small business operators say they are not ready for the carbon tax to kick in next week — particularly since the federal government has still not told them how they will be compensated for the cost.

Canadians could soon be putting $250 a year in federal tax credits toward better skills, while getting federal help to pay the bills.

Senior federal officials were told in the spring that the government could make it mandatory for all workers countrywide to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.