The federal Conservatives are proposing a tax break for parents of newborns.
At a policy announcement Thursday, the Tories said they will introduce the proposed measure as a private members bill in the hope of having it passed into law in the current sitting of Parliament.
But party officials acknowledge the plan is effectively the first major policy announcement for the Conservatives leading into the 2019 election campaign.
WATCH: Liberals slam Conservatives over new family tax credit
The proposal, called the Supporting New Parents Act, would see Canadians on parental leave get a credit on their employment insurance benefits equal to the federal tax on those benefits.
LISTEN: Conservative leader Andrew Scheer joins Kelly Cutrara on 640 Toronto
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said the credit would be worth $4,000 for a parent who earns $50,000 annually.
WATCH: Scheer calls PM’s canceling of tax benefits ‘mean-spirited attack’
He said the government should not be taxing the time parents take to be with their children during their early years.