Overview
- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, joined by MPs Kyle Seeback and Arpan Khanna, asked Sunday for a temporary exemption on withholding taxes for roughly 1,200 laid-off CAMI workers offered about six months’ severance.
- Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s office declined the request Monday, with spokesperson John Fragos calling the proposal bad policy and “political malpractice.”
- Lump-sum severance is paid with tax withheld at source, with Ontario rates cited at about 10% up to $5,000 and 30% over $15,000, and the final tax reconciled at filing time.
- Conservatives argue laid-off workers need immediate cash for essentials, and MP Arpan Khanna says some pay stubs show $60,000 gross reduced to $24,000 after withholding.
- The government points to alternative supports and a new automotive strategy, with Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu citing faster access to last pay, no EI waiting period, and extra weeks of help for long‑tenured workers.