SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 160

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 14, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Mr. Greg McLean (Calgary Centre, CPC)
  • Feb/14/23 6:23:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on November 25, I asked a question of the government in the House about the repeal of the carbon tax. It was based on what was happening around the world, as the world's economies became more stressed due to the economic insecurity brought about by higher energy prices around the world. I got a response from the associate minister of finance. I do not know why he has that title, but he is the member for Edmonton Centre. His song and dance in the House of Commons was a little bit of an embarrassment, which I have been told many times by Canadians who have watched the actual exchange. I apologize to them, but that is what question period has become at this point in time, where people do not actually get answers to real questions that are asked. However, let us be serious. I am going to ask the parliamentary secretary to respond to my question tonight. The world is facing an energy problem based on CO2. Countries are withdrawing their CO2 taxes and actually giving money to their citizens and industries to deal with the energy insecurity that is happening around the world, because they are short of energy, and this started for a number of reasons. However, the costs have gone up, and total subsidization in Europe at this point in time, over the last year, has amounted to over 800 billion euros. This is not what was collected from carbon taxes; this is subsidizing citizens for their energy expenses at this point in time, because the energy costs have gone so high. So, Europe is withdrawing taxes and actually subsidizing its citizens. Canada is on a different course, where we are actually going to increase energy taxes on Canadians. This is exemplified probably the most by Germany. It had a policy called Energiewende, which was a dramatic failure. It was a dramatic failure because the whole thing about renewable energy is that, at times, it was producing only about 2% of the electricity required in Germany, and the rest was coming from fossil fuels, primarily coal, a tiny bit of nuclear and a lot of gas. It was doubling down on gas, and 80% of it was going to come from the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia. Of course, when the war happened, that supply disappeared. So, cap in hand, Germany comes to Canada this past summer and asks Canada to fill its needs. What did our Prime Minister say? He said there was no business case for natural gas delivery from Canada. Well, he was immediately contradicted by every business leader in Canada. The end result, of course, is that Germany goes and buys its long-term natural gas from Qatar, which is one of the world leaders in this and one of the countries that have actually outpaced Canada in developing this energy source greener than coal. I will note that many countries are going back to coal now, which is much more punishing to the environment than natural gas. Japan arrived here, just last month, and said, “Can you please get us some more natural gas, because we need it in our energy mix? We're trying to decarbonize with more natural gas.” It was the same answer from this country's Prime Minister: “We cannot help you.” Well, that is an embarrassment. Our allies are asking for our help to deal with their energy insecurity, and we Canadians are ignoring them because the government will not accept the reality. It interrupts the government's domestic agenda to shed energy-intensive jobs, not just oil and gas, but fertilizer, agriculture, steel, cement, mining and materials, and manufacturing. These are all being done offshore now. We are pushing them offshore because of bad economic policies in this country. We are failing Canadians. The end result is clear: We are going to fail them further. Will somebody on the government side of the House, and I do not know who it is at this point in time, stand up and address what the real answer is, and please be transparent with Canadians about the cost that is being thrust upon them as they lose their jobs?
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Context: House Hansard - 160 - Feb/14/23
Mr. Greg McLean
  • Feb/14/23 6:31:45 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the narrative, although I do not think there was a response at all to my question. In fact, with respect to the narrative about the Parliamentary Budget Office and how much Canadians are paying, I think he should read that report, because it shows that in my province alone the net fiscal economic effects are over $2,000 on average per family. I encourage him to read it, and to actually read it on the floor of the House of Commons, but I know he will not do that. I know the narrative here. It is that we are doing better, that we are charging Canadians more, that they are paying more for everything, but that we should not worry about it because it is not the government's fault, but the fault lies somewhere else in the world. We are moving jobs offshore consistently in this country. The reality that the current government seems to try to skid over here is that carbon taxes, if applied on their own, are designed to be inflationary. They make everything cost more. That is their effect. If the member would like to address how this is the reality versus what the intended outcome is, I would be happy to hear it, but right now the end is meeting exactly what it is supposed to be doing.
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