44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 1, 2022 10:00AM
- Dec/1/22 2:38:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have news for my colleague. Pollution pricing does not apply in Quebec. What is more, Quebeckers wholeheartedly agree that we must tackle climate change.
I would also add that our government has a strong plan to address the economic instability we are all experiencing by ensuring a fiscally responsible approach to the debt and the deficit, which are the lowest in the G7.
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- Dec/1/22 2:39:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague said, the federal pricing on pollution does not apply in Quebec, but it does apply on the Prairies, where I come from. There was good news for Atlantic Canada last week, and good news for the Prairies coming up this spring. As of April 1, a family of four will get up to $1,500 in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and $1,000 in Manitoba. Those cheques are going to be coming every three months. It is going to help with cash flow, and it is going to help with affordability.
The Conservatives have no plan.
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- Dec/1/22 3:01:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Conservatives are spreading misinformation. Emissions are going down. We are on track to meeting our targets. Eight out of 10 families will be better off under our price on pollution.
What is the Conservatives' record? They cut $350 million from the climate change budget. They blew up Kyoto and blew up our emissions targets at the same time. Now they are blaming us for their inaction.
They have no plan for climate change. They have no plan for the economy. They have no plan for affordability.
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- Dec/1/22 3:02:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we must address the current affordability pressures while concurrently continuing to address the threat of climate change and building a prosperous low-carbon future. A price on pollution is an efficient market-based approach to reducing pollution, an approach that squarely addresses affordability. Under our plan, eight out of 10 Canadians receive more than what they pay, and that is the truth.
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- Dec/1/22 6:40:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the member for Bow River that our government is making significant investments in Canada's agriculture sector. Our total budget for 2021-22 was approximately $4 billion, the highest amount in recent years.
These historic investments make it possible to fund innovation, business risk management, market development, and compensation for our supply-managed producers and processors. In July, the federal, provincial and territorial ministers agreed to inject half a billion dollars to fund the new sustainable Canadian agricultural partnership. Of that amount, $250 million was allocated to the resilient agricultural landscape program to support ecological goods and services provided by the agriculture sector.
The new agreement includes stronger targets, such as a three to five megatonne reduction in greenhouse gas emissions; an increase in sector competitiveness, revenue and export; and an increased participation of indigenous peoples, women and youth.
To respond to the member for Bow River regarding carbon pollution pricing, we have recognized the special role our farmers play in Canada. I would remind the hon. member that much of the agricultural sector is already exempt from pollution pricing.
Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock and crop production are not included in carbon pollution pricing systems. We also provided exemptions for gasoline and diesel fuel used by farmers for agricultural activities. There is also a partial rebate for commercial greenhouse operations.
Beginning in the 2021-22 tax year, we are returning a portion of the proceeds from the price on pollution directly to farmers in backstop jurisdictions through the refundable tax credit. Farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario will be eligible for an estimated $100 million in the first year. That is expected to increase year to year.
At the same time, we are standing by our farmers who are on the front lines of climate change. Along with the provinces, we delivered over $1 billion to help farmers get back on their feet after droughts, wildfires and flooding in western Canada and northwestern Ontario last year. We are there for farmers in Atlantic Canada who have suffered damages to their buildings and crops from hurricane Fiona.
I know the member will engage in some discussions after I am done my speech. I do sympathize with farmers who, last year in western Canada, lost 30% of their crops. That means 30% of crops could not make it to market because of the effects of climate change. Failing to act also has a cost to farmers.
We may differ on the ways to get there, but I believe that pricing pollution is the most cost-effective way to get to decarbonizing the processes in our agricultural sector. Otherwise, we would be stuck and bowed down with regulations that would cost farmers even more.
I welcome the hon. member's debate.
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