Ontarians to get $200 rebate cheques late January, early February
CBC
The Ontario government says the $200 rebate cheques it promised to deliver to 15 million Ontarians this year are expected to arrive in mailboxes in late January or early February.
Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced the rebates in October ahead of the government's fall economic statement, saying they were necessary with many Ontarians struggling with the high cost of living.
"Our government is putting money back into taxpayers' pockets," Colin Blachar, a spokesperson for the office of the finance minister, said in an email announcing the timeline.
Blachar did not provide a specific date for the delivery of the rebates, saying only that they should start arriving at the end of January or start of February.
The rebates will not be means-tested and every taxpayer will receive a cheque. For families, an additional $200 will be sent for each eligible child.
They will cost the provincial treasury about $3 billion. Ford has said that money will come from increased provincial sales tax revenue due to higher inflation over the last few years, as well as revenue generated by last year's federal changes to the capital gains tax.
The rebates have fuelled speculation that Ford is preparing to call an early election in 2025, something the premier denied in October.
Opposition leaders have called the rebates a distraction from government inaction on issues like health care and housing.
Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie has described them as a "pre-election bribe," while NDP Leader Marit Stiles has said the rebates are not a solution to the province's affordability crisis. Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner has criticized the decision to send cheques to all Ontarians, not just those struggling with the cost of living.
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