The Conservative Party is promising to create tax-free savings accounts that provide gig workers with access to the Canada Pension Plan and employment insurance benefits.
While out on the federal election campaign trail on Thursday, Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said the coronavirus pandemic has demonstrated the need for these accounts because gig workers currently can’t pay into the CPP and don’t qualify for EI benefits.
Read: Conservatives, NDP pension promises include super-priority for members
O’Toole says gig economy workers shouldn’t be alone in a crisis. However, he didn’t outline how much the plan would cost or say whether the accounts would create another level of bureaucracy in the already troubled EI system.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is promising to increase the guaranteed income supplement by $500 for single seniors and $750 for senior couples. In a press release on Thursday, it also said it will restore “the retirement age to 65 from 67 after the Conservatives raised it.”