Quebec campaign: Liberals pledge expanded dental coverage, Coalition talks school taxes
MONTREAL — The Quebec Liberals on Sunday dusted off an old promise to expand free dental coverage should they be re-elected come Oct. 1 — this time to include children up to age 16 as well as low-income seniors.
Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard made the pledge while campaigning on Day 4 in the Saguenay—Lac-Saint Jean region, reviving a promise made in part under former leader Jean Charest to beef up coverage for teens.
About 620,000 Quebecers currently qualify for free basic coverage, including children up to age 10 and people on social assistance.
With the proposed changes, nearly 1.2 million more Quebecers would qualify under the plan, Couillard said. That includes seniors 65 and older who meet the financial threshold — single seniors earning less than $18,096 a year or couples getting less than $24,000.