Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says a one per cent tax increase on some of the country’s wealthiest residents will be enough to start funding a national dental care program
Singh began filling in details on one of his key campaign promises at a morning campaign stop in St. John’s.
Singh says the new dental plan would be funded by a one per cent tax on Canadians with a net wealth of $10 million or more, a frequent theme running throughout the party’s election promises.
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He says such a move would offer financial help to uninsured families who earn less than $90,000 a year and completely cover all dental care requirements for families with less than $60,000 in annual income.
Singh says the NDP would eventually add complete dental care coverage as a benefit under Canada’s health-care program, estimating the new plan would cost around $1.5 billion in its first year before leveling off to $1 billion a year later.
The plan is similar to the one Singh campaigned on in 2019, which also offered help for families earning less than $90,000 a year as well as a sliding copayment for families in the $70,000 to $90,000 annual earning bracket.