44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 1, 2022 10:00AM
- Dec/1/22 10:08:20 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition on behalf of constituents from my riding of Courtenay—Alberni. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to enact just transition legislation that reduces emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by 2030, to make significant contributions to emissions reductions in countries in the global south, and to create new public economic institutions that expand public ownership of services and utilities across the economy to implement this transition; that create good, green jobs, driving inclusive workforce development led by and including affected workers in communities and ensuring decent low-carbon work for all workers; that protect and strengthen human rights and workers' rights; that respect indigenous rights, sovereignty and knowledge by including them in the creation and implemention of this legislation; and that pay for the transition by increasing taxes on the wealthiest corporations and financing through a public national bank.
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- Dec/1/22 2:03:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last month, my fellow MPs and I successfully visited Taiwan as a Canada-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group delegation. The focus of this trip was, as it always has been for the friendship group travels, trade opportunities and cultural exchange.
Taiwan is an important stakeholder and a valuable partner for Canada and the international community. I was delighted to learn that there are more than 30 Canadian companies operating in Taiwan and about 60,000 Canadians residing there.
Our friendship group delegation was impressed with the offshore wind project by Northland Power. It is a major Canadian investor that is contributing a great deal to Taiwan’s 2050 net-zero emissions strategy.
In 2021, Taiwan was Canada’s 11th-largest trading partner, and there are opportunities now to advance this partnership even more. There is a lot of potential in the green economy, agricultural markets, the semiconductor industry, education, science and beyond.
Canada and Taiwan have a long and rich history of cultural exchanges, and I hope our friendship will grow even stronger with the world recovering from the pandemic.
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- Dec/1/22 2:48:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know two things. We know that energy profits are at record levels and we know that emissions have to come down.
We are investing $9.1 billion in an emissions reduction plan. We have put our money on the table. Oil and gas companies have to come to the plate. They have to put their shoulder to the wheel. They have to work with us to get those emissions down and to realize the ambitious targets we have set through our emissions reduction 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 6:36:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak in the House tonight and share the time and discussion on this topic with my colleague from Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, who I know works hard on his file and is committed to agriculture, as many people are in this House. I appreciate that he is here this evening for this discussion.
One of the things I have talked about in the House a number of times is the carbon tax and the challenge it presents for a particular part of the ag industry, which has a lot to do with ag production in Canada, but also specifically in the Bow River riding. My question is to do with the topics of exemption, rebate and inflation.
Canadian farmers, as my colleague would know, are among the most efficient, if not the most efficient, in the world. Ag emissions from Canadian ag producers are 70% lower than the average. At times the public does not understand or realize how efficient the ag sector is, but another important aspect is that Canada is the fifth-largest exporter of ag food in the world. Often ag producers feel like they are vilified. They should be applauded, but they feel vilified in our country.
In the Bow River riding, where the majority of irrigation is in Alberta and 4% of the land produces almost 20% of the Alberta ag GDP, the title of our ag minister is Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation. That is how important irrigation is in Alberta and in the Bow River riding, where the majority of irrigation is.
I am going back to the topic of exemption. To run irrigation, we use electricity. Ag producers use electricity. That powers irrigation. Electricity is not one of the exemptions under this government. The government often refers to the exemptions for fuels like natural gas, but electricity is not an exemption. It is very expensive.
The government will also talk about rebates. The rebate is about 1%, or a penny on the dollar, and these days pennies are not even legal tender. That is not much, so I have seen bills from my ag and irrigation producers of $7,000 per month for the carbon tax. I have seen irrigation carbon tax electric bills of $40,000. Those are huge, and although the government says the rebate is 80%, or eight dollars on $10, it is 1% for our ag producers. That is why they feel vilified.
Inflation has seen a 110% increase. The cost of farm fuel has doubled. Combines can cost $1 million. If we add all the carbon tax on ag producers, they are feeling like they are vilified in their own industry and that the government is leaving them behind. The ag producers will be an industry that cannot produce food security within our own country. Ag producers are price-takers. They have nowhere else to put these costs, and when we talk about taxation, it is brutal.
Electricity is not exempt.
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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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