The LiberalsB次元官网网址� GST holiday bill is one step closer to becoming law after it was passed by a majority of the House of Commons late Thursday night.

The two-month tax break covers dozens of items, including childrenB次元官网网址檚 clothes and toys, video games and consoles, Christmas trees, restaurant and catered meals, wine, beer, candy and snacks. It would take effect on Dec. 14 and run until Feb. 15, 2025.

The government announced the plan as a way to ease affordability concerns during the holiday period. At the time, they also pledged to send $250 rebates to working Canadians in the spring, but that particular measure was not included in the bill.

The legislation to enact the tax break was the first bill passed through the House of Commons since late September, and required some procedural wrangling from the Liberals and the NDP to curtail the usual debate.

For more than two months, government business in the House has been on pause as the Conservatives filibuster a privilege motion related to misspending at a now-defunct green technology fund.

That debate, which has taken precedence over nearly all other House business, was paused in order to proceed with voting on the GST bill on Thursday.

The Conservatives and Bloc Qu茅b茅cois voted against the legislation.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who is a vocal advocate for cutting taxes, said earlier on Thursday that the GST break B次元官网网址渋snB次元官网网址檛 a tax cut.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his is an inflationary, two-month temporary tax trick that will drive up the cost of living,B次元官网网址� Poilievre said.

He said his own proposals to scrap the federal fuel charge and cut the GST changed on new home builds under $1 million are B次元官网网址渁bout sparking production.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淏y axing the carbon tax, our businesses can hire more workers and produce more goods. By axing the sales tax, weB次元官网网址檙e going to get 30,000 extra homes per year,B次元官网网址� he said.

In a statement on Thursday afternoon, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh accused Poilievre of B次元官网网址渂ootlicking for billionaires.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hen Poilievre was in cabinet, the Conservatives slashed corporate tax for multi-billion-dollar corporations to 15 per cent from 22 per cent,B次元官网网址� Singh said. B次元官网网址淣ow heB次元官网网址檚 whining about middle-class families saving a little money over the holidays.B次元官网网址�

During Thursday nightB次元官网网址檚 debate, Bloc MP Maril猫ne Gill said the list of items exempted from the GST was B次元官网网址渃ompletely arbitraryB次元官网网址� and it must have been drawn up on the fly.

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said the measure is B次元官网网址渢ransparently a vote-buying scheme,B次元官网网址� but said she was struggling with how to vote because so many Canadians need help.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not good policy. Whether itB次元官网网址檚 good politics, weB次元官网网址檒l see,B次元官网网址� she said during the debate.

May, who was the only party leader in the House of Commons during the late-night debate, voted in favour of the bill.

The government said a person who spends $2,000 on eligible items over the two-month period will save between $100 and $260, depending on the province.

The four Atlantic provinces and Ontario have a harmonized sales tax, which means the entirety of that B次元官网网址� 15 per cent in the Atlantic and 13 per cent in Ontario B次元官网网址� will be lifted.

Other provinces will only save the five per cent GST unless those governments choose to lift their provincial sales taxes as well.

Ottawa has not offered compensation to offset provincial revenue losses for governments that choose to match the tax cut.

The temporary tax cut is expected to cost the federal government about $1.6 billion.

Ontario said Wednesday it will cost its treasury about $1 billion to remove the provincial portion of the harmonized sales tax off the same items, though several things covered by the federal GST holiday are already permanently exempted from the provincial portion.

The NDP only agreed to support the bill after the Liberals separated the GST break from a promise to also send $250 to some 18.7 million working Canadians in the spring.

The NDP and the Bloc want that benefit expanded to non-working seniors and people with disabilities who donB次元官网网址檛 have employment income.

It is not clear when that measure will come before the House of Commons for debate.

The bill, known as the B次元官网网址淭ax Break for all Canadians Act,B次元官网网址� will now go to the Senate.

Sarah Ritchie and Nojoud Al Mallees, The Canadian Press