Election 2019: Trudeau seeks to one up Conservatives with plan on maternity, parental benefits

OTTAWA—Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau sought to one-up his Conservative rivals this morning by promising new parents won’t pay any taxes at all on maternity and parental leave benefits.

The Conservatives had announced last week that if they form government, they’d also address the fact that those benefits are taxed, by giving new parents a tax credit for them.

But their promise means the benefits would still be taxed, while Trudeau’s just removes the taxes.

Trudeau made his announcement in St. John’s, N.L., at a parent-and-child centre before heading to Prince Edward Island for a rally.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made a new promise of his own, pledging 500,000 new affordable homes across the country in 10 years, if elected.

Later today, the Greens’ Elizabeth May is to talk about her party’s plans to protect Canadians’ privacy at the high-tech University of Waterloo.