Conservative bill would give new parents tax break, says MP Michael Chong

Wellington-Halton Hills MP Michael Chong is supporting a private members bill introduced by his boss that gives a tax break to new parents in the first year of their child's life.

• Andrew Scheer pitches tax break for new parents

The Supporting New Parents Act, introduced by AndrewScheer, would provide a non-refundable tax credit for maternity or paternity Employment Insurance benefitsin the first year of a child's life.

A Canadian who earns $50,000 a year, who goes on parentalEI benefits, would see an increase to their EI benefits by about four thousand dollars a year, once income taxes are filed,Chongexplained.

• Quebec parents to be given option to spread out parental leave benefits over 2 years
• Parental leave needs revamp as government plans for paternity leave

Chong said the act enhances the current government EIprogram, but in a different way.

"The government recently announced an enhancement to the EI program," Chong told The Morning Edition'shost Craig Norris on Wednesday.

"They allowed people to extend the EI maternal and parental leave to 61 weeks in return for taking a reduced benefit level of 33 percent."

Chong told Norris he is hopeful the private members willbe supported by parents and other Members of Parliament, but addedif Trudeau's government does not support the bill, he hopes the idea willbe incorporated in a future Liberal budget.