An additional $317 million is set to be allocated to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) as Parliament prepares for an 11th-hour vote on a $21-billion spending bill.
According to The Canadian Press, the vote’s outcome is considered a foregone conclusion after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh indicated his party would support the supplementary estimates. The support is tied to the inclusion of additional funding for the government’s new dental care program.
The new funding will add to the $13 billion already earmarked in Budget 2023 for the CDCP over the next five years, as well as the $4.4 billion in annual funding committed to cover the program’s ongoing costs.
Last month, the Liberals requested parliamentary approval for $21.6 billion in spending. This funding is intended to support various programs, including the First Nations child and family services program and compensation for the Quebec government for services provided to asylum seekers.
Uncertainty had surrounded whether the vote would proceed before today’s deadline. Parliament has been stalled for months as the Conservatives demanded the Liberals release documents related to alleged misspending in a green-tech fund.
(With files from The Canadian Press)
