44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 6, 2023 10:00AM
- Jun/6/23 2:54:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the carbon tax is fuelling food inflation as grocery prices are up another 10%, costing Canadian families another $1,000 a year just to put food on the table. Canada's Food Price Report predicts that food prices will go up a stunning 34% over the next two years.
That is not even the bad news. That does not include the implications of the Liberals' second carbon tax, a carbon tax that would add 61¢ a litre to the price of gas, which will increase the cost of food production and transportation.
How much more will Canadians have to pay to feed their families when the Liberals implement a second carbon tax?
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:54:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has risen in the House on a number of occasions to speak on behalf of farmers. In front of me, I have a press release from the Canola Council of Canada congratulating our government on the clean fuel regulations. It states, “We’re pleased to see the CFR provides options that would minimize regulatory burden and allow canola to be used to reduce GHG emissions through biofuel production.” It talks about the $2 billion of expanded canola processing capacity that our clean fuel regulations will provide to Canadian canola grocers.
The member and that party are saying no to all of these investments.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:55:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, here is the reality of the carbon tax on Canadian farmers. An average 5,000-acre farm would pay $150,000 a year in carbon taxes. Alberta ranchers who use gas co-ops are paying 60% more in federal carbon taxes than they are for the actual natural gas. Forty-four per cent of fruit and vegetable producers are selling at a loss. Food bank use is up a stunning 60%, with more than eight million Canadians using them every single month. This is before the knock-out blow of a second carbon tax.
Again, how much more will Canadians have to pay to feed their families when the Liberals implement a second carbon tax?
117 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:56:20 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what my colleague calls a typical farm is actually the 3% biggest farms in Canada. The projection he is talking about is based on a scenario where farmers would take absolutely no action, would adopt no good practices and would not use any new technologies to improve the agriculture to make it more resilient. This is what my colleague is referring to.
I know that farmers are very committed to reducing emissions to have more sustainable agriculture and to be more resilient in the case of all these extreme weather events.
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:57:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the government is so out of touch. Many Canadian families are struggling to put food on the table. One in five Canadians are skipping meals, and the use of food banks in my riding has gone up by 30%.
The carbon tax is driving up the costs of farm production and groceries. Canadians cannot afford to pay the extra $1,065 being imposed by the government.
When will the government do away with the carbon tax so that families can once again become food self-sufficient?
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:57:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke about the agricultural industry and the measures that we are putting in place to help that industry, like all industries, reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
I am looking at a news release from the Canadian Canola Growers Association commending the government for its clean-fuel regulation that will make it possible to invest $2 billion in Canada's canola farmers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural and transportation industries.
What the Conservatives are doing is saying no to those investments and yes to more climate change.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:58:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am surprised that my colleague opposite is not telling me that Quebec is not affected by the carbon tax, as he tends to do. I would still reply that, yes, Quebec is affected by the carbon tax.
The first carbon tax affects us directly when fruit and vegetables are imported from Ontario, for example. Transportation costs and other inputs play a big part in setting prices.
The second carbon tax also affects us directly, at a cost of $436 per family, as noted by the Parliamentary Budget Officer.
Once again, when is the government going to scrap the carbon tax?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:58:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we see a lot of our Conservative colleagues from Quebec being forced to defend the Leader of the Opposition's cruel macro-economic theories.
How does the Leader of the Opposition explain the cruelty of his comments when he says that global inflation was caused by low-income Canadians needing help from the Canadian government? How does he explain the cruelty of his advice to invest in Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as a hedge against inflation, which would have led to people losing half of their savings? Finally, how does he explain to the member for Beauce the 600 households that he claims are not entitled to dental care assistance from the Canadian government?
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 2:59:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, oil giant BP has complained that it is being accused of oil exploration in the middle of a marine refuge in Newfoundland. It is a little frustrating for BP because, while the company does unfortunately have the right to look for oil, it does not have the right to exploit it.
According to CBC, however, the Minister of Natural Resources has told BP that if it discovers enough oil, the boundaries of the marine refuge could be redrawn.
Will the minister retract that comment immediately and confirm that the boundaries of a marine refuge will never be modified to drill for oil?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:00:14 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when we first took office, only 1% of our waters and lands were protected. Now our goal is to protect 30% by 2030, and we are already at 14%. We are doing some good work.
We could also talk about what we did last week with the Atlantic accords. We presented a framework for wind power projects in Newfoundland. This is going to be very important for the economy and for the environment.
75 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:00:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we would not believe it if it were not coming from a government beholden to the oil companies. When BP Oil complains about not being able to drill for oil in a marine refuge, the government's response should be that they look elsewhere.
However, the Minister of Natural Resources said the opposite to BP. He said that if they found oil in a marine refuge, then, poof, it is no longer a marine refuge and the problem is solved.
When will this government stop fuelling climate change?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:01:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, first I will say that these are exploration permits and not production permits. That is important. In the case of a production permit, there is an environmental assessment process that oil companies must go through.
Second, we continue to protect our waters and our land. When we formed government, 1% were protected; we are now at 14% and we are aiming for 30% by 2030.
67 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:02:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what should we call a Liberal finance minister with an NDP credit card? We should call them inflationary. However, it is no joke. The Liberal spending spree is fuelling inflation and putting pressure on households right across the country. With all of their deficit spending, they are even making former Liberal finance ministers, such as John Manley and Bill Morneau, blush fire-engine red.
Speaking of fire, do the Liberals and their speNDP backers understand that their reckless spending is torching the economy, or do they simply want to burn it all down?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:02:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, right now, the forests of our country are burning. This is a desperately serious moment when we have had forest fires burning in Alberta, in Quebec and across Atlantic Canada. We breathe the smoke when we walk outside this very building. This is a moment for utter seriousness and for climate action.
However, in blocking our BIA, the Conservatives are blocking our clean energy plan, which will help create jobs and—
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:03:24 p.m.
- Watch
The hon. member for York—Simcoe.
7 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:03:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are on the ropes, trying to pay this Liberal carbon tax. It raises gas prices by 41¢ a litre every single time they fill up. However, like a one-two punch, the Prime Minister is now forcing a second carbon tax on Canadians, adding another 17¢ to the cost of fuel. Canadians are already down for the count, having to take on extra jobs and turn to food banks just to get by.
Instead of sucker-punching Canadians, will the Liberals axe the carbon tax?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:04:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, with your permission, I would like to read a weather alert on Environment Canada's website. A “special air quality statement” says that “smoke plumes from forest fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario have resulted in deteriorated air quality.” Moreover, “High levels of air pollution [have developed] due to smog from forest fires”.
The air quality in our nation's capital is worse than it is in Mexico City, in Jakarta and in Kolkata. We have all this because of the forest fires. What is the response from the Conservative Party? Let us make pollution free again. It will not happen from this side of the House.
115 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:04:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this government has been in office for eight years now and the only thing that it has done for the environment is impose a carbon tax. Clearly the plan is working. Just look at the wildfires burning outside.
To make matters worse, the Liberals want to add a second tax through the GST. They promised to plant two billion trees, but they are taking the quicker route by imposing a second tax with no results.
When will this government wake up, stop taking money out of Canadians' pockets, give them some breathing room and cancel this tax?
99 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/6/23 3:05:25 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am always astonished when the Conservatives try to convince us that they are the party of common sense.
Let me refresh their memories. They deny climate change, revoke women's rights, take help away from families, give ridiculous advice on Bitcoin and dine with extreme right-wing politicians. I could go on like this all afternoon.
Is that really how the Conservatives show common sense? It is high time they started using their judgment because Canadians do not want that kind of common sense.
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect the House to be a place of debate and for political parties to disagree on issues. What they do not expect is for party leaders to delay and avoid these debates with parliamentary tricks and obstructionist tactics. That is why Canadians were appalled when the leader of the Conservatives bragged that he is intentionally delaying the budget implementation act—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
69 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
