Prime Minister Mark Carney at a grocery store in Brampton, Ontario to mark the delivery of the Groceries and Essentials Benefit on June 5 2026. [livestream]
Friday June 5, 2026 | NATIONAL [Posted in VICTORIA, BC – 11:17 am PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The Groceries and Essentials Benefit top-up has been delivered to over 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians today.
Prime Minister Mark Carney marked the day with a visit to a grocery store in Brampton, Ontario.
Prime Minister Mark Carney at a grocery store in Brampton, Ontario to mark the delivery of the Groceries and Essentials Benefit on June 5 2026. [livestream]
“It’s always a good day when you get a lovely card from a lovely young lady, said Carney, holding up a hand-made card given to him by a girl at the grocery store ahead of his remarks to media.
He also remarked on weather that is moving closer to summer.
Liberal plan is working:
Carney outlined what he says are “some signs that our plan is working”, saying that today there are “improved job numbers (88,000 jobs created all full time, all in the private sector, pick up in wages), a drop in the unemployment rate, and a big drop in the youth unemployment rate”.
“We are transforming this economy with a major plan to become stronger, more resilient, more independent more sustainable,” said Carney as a summary of the Canada Strong theme that goes back to the election campaign of spring 2025 and was further articulated in Budget 2025.
“Big transformations, they don’t happen overnight. They take some time,” said Carney.
“And while that’s underway we are laser focussed on affordability for Canadians (and) Canadian families — providing them with a boost today and a bridge to that better tomorrow,” the prime minister said today.
Carney reiterated about having cut income taxes for 22 million Canadians (at the start of his time as prime minister), having cut the consumer carbon tax, and removing for a short time the excise tax on gas and diesel.
Carbon tax impact analysis:
It should be noted that the reason for today’s top-up to low-income families is in part a process of attempting to make whole the shortfall to those recipients of the quarterly GST/HST benefit that had a carbon tax rebate combined with it each quarter.
As soon as Carney’s Liberals cut the consumer carbon tax (to ease up pressure from the Conservatives) in spring 2025, many families across this country had a sudden impact to deal with. The amount families could count on each quarter suddenly was lower by about half. And yes, many families are that close to the line every month.
So the ‘top up’ (increasing by 25% relative to the past going forward) perhaps covers most of the 2025 politically-generated shortfall in terms of dollars. But it doesn’t openly acknowledge the impact that the unexpected drop in funds that low- and modest-income families had to deal with without warning.
But there is definitely attention being paid to affordability by now having increased the quarterly low-income payments by 25%.
Nutrition comment:
Carney today said he hopes that the 12 million recipients of this “first time increase” in the Groceries and Essentials Benefit will use it to “feed their family however they want, but nutritiously”.
Of course, many cash-strapped families might also use the funds to pay a utility bill or make a credit card payment, or buy something urgently needed for their family. That’s why the benefit includes the word Essentials – -a further recognition of what many households are dealing with.
It’s quite possible that these difficult financial times of the past few years will result — in the years ahead — in negative or health-related impacts from the cumulative impact of poorer food choices over many years.
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Distribution:
About 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians are receiving the Groceries and Essentials Benefit one-time top-up today. The full quarterly payment schedule starts in July 2026.
Being in Ontario for today’s media moment (it lasted about seven minutes, both in English and longer in French), Carney highlighted that five million Ontarians will be receiving the benefit.
About 1.56 million people in BC will be receiving the benefit, with about 200,000 of those on Vancouver Island (about 22% of the Vancouver Island population).
The GST/HST credit (or payment) in Canada is non-taxable income.
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