44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 6, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/6/23 10:16:14 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I respect the hon. member and very much appreciate her question, because I think it is important.
I sometimes experience some frustration when I hear members of this House speak publicly to school children and say that carbon pollution is just food for plants. When I hear them dismiss once-in-a-century severe weather events, which now seem to happen on an annual basis, as things that have always happened, I find it deeply concerning.
Thankfully, I believe Canadians are smart and they understand that climate change is real. They will compare the plans of the various parties to address the crisis of climate change, and they will vote accordingly, as they have since 2015.
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 11:00:14 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since our hon. colleague from Winnipeg North is into reading into the record quotes from members of Parliament, I would like to read into the record a quote from a Liberal MP. After eight years of the Prime Minister, a Liberal MP is finally admitting the harm that has been caused by his Prime Minister's punishing policies. He said this just last night:
I think [the carbon tax is] hurting them [our constituents] a fair bit. Everywhere I go people come up to me and say, “You know, we are losing faith in the Liberal Party”. I've had people tell me they can't afford to buy groceries. They can't afford to heat their homes and that's hard to hear.
I appreciate my hon. colleague's comments about the telcoms, but the carbon tax is making life more unaffordable for Canadians. What does he have to say about that and his party's—
162 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 11:11:30 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the government still has no solution for inflation. Worse yet, it wants to saddle Canadians with a second carbon tax.
The government keeps saying that the carbon tax will not affect Quebec, but that is not true. The first carbon tax affects Quebeckers indirectly and the second tax affects them directly.
Quebec is not self-sufficient. We rely on a wide range of goods from across the country. When the carbon tax is applied to those provinces, the cost of the goods goes up. If the government taxes farmers, processors and transporters, then obviously the goods become more expensive.
Food banks in my riding are struggling to meet demand. The kicker is that the Bloc Québécois is supporting these measures that are making matters worse.
It is costly to vote for the Bloc Québécois. It has proven that by voting in favour of the carbon tax twice now, once on June 5 and again on Wednesday. Even more alarming, the Bloc wants to radically increase the tax, leaving Canadians even worse off.
Enough is enough. It is time for the common-sense Conservatives to fix what the Bloc-Liberal coalition has broken.
205 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, this week, I introduced my first bill, Bill C-358, here in the House of Commons. This bill would remove the GST from the Liberal carbon tax. Simply put, it would remove the tax from the tax.
After eight years of the Liberal government, more and more Canadians are struggling to survive due to the rising costs of everyday goods. The Liberal carbon tax has yet to achieve a single emissions target. It is clear that the Liberal carbon tax is a tax plan, not a environmental plan. This tax on fuel, groceries and home heating is bad enough, but for GST to be charged afterward adds insult to injury.
The positive impact of this legislation would be felt across the country, especially in rural regions like Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, where cars, trucks and tractors are a necessity and not a choice. I encourage colleagues from all parties to side with my common-sense bill and provide all Canadians with some relief by removing this tax on a tax.
This Liberal carbon tax is simply not worth the cost. Axe the tax.
187 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 11:40:02 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' inflationary taxes, supported by the Bloc Québécois, are having a very serious impact.
According to a recent poll, 46% of consumers are buying lower quality food because it costs less, and 63% are concerned that those choices are having a negative impact on their health.
Contrary to what the Bloc Québécois would have people believe, the second carbon tax does apply in Quebec and it will drive up the price of all consumer products.
The question is very simple. Will this government show some empathy and cancel the two carbon taxes?
103 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:02:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when we say that the cost of living is going up, we are not making it up. This week, Le Journal de Québec said, “‘It is a real disaster!’ Requests for food assistance are being denied for the first time in 37 years”.
That is a sign that our society has a serious problem. Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois wants to radically increase the second carbon tax. Should this government not show a little more compassion and help our food banks? That is just common sense.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:16:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a document. It is a transcript that concerns a matter before the House.
“I think [the carbon tax is] hurting them a fair bit,” a member said—
37 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:47:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that is a little ironic coming from that member, who has voted 24 times to increase the cost of everything for all of his constituents.
On the issue of storms, we have had multiple storms every decade since the 1700s. He should look up the history. Yes, I had fires, man-made fires, that were started in my riding that were not started by climate change. They were started by individuals.
Perhaps he would like to explain to me why he disagrees with his colleague from Avalon and with the commitment from the minister of fisheries through the member that said she should correct the problem to make sure it is right. Will he stand up and agree with the Minister of Finance and the member for Avalon that the carbon tax needs to be fixed as it is hurting people in Atlantic Canada?
146 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:49:30 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we believe pollution should be fought. We believe that that should be through technology, not through taxes that do not work.
The carbon tax has had zero impact in this country on the rate of carbon emissions. In fact, every year under the government, except for when it shut the entire economy down during COVID, carbon emissions have gone up. There is such a lack of knowledge about what is going on in the world. If we were at net-zero today, China would make that up in 56 days with its plan on expansion of coal plants, yet the government opposes us getting liquified natural gas to China so that the real emissions, a third of the world's emissions, could be reduced.
I would like to ask the members opposite why they hate reducing the coal production of China so much?
145 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:54:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets is a very kind person. As the member for Sydney—Victoria stands in the House and lectures Conservatives on our record, I would not even dignify it with an answer or acknowledge him until he stands in the House to apologize for his past comments toward indigenous women, which I find offensive, and I think many Canadians find them offensive. I would still like to hear an apology in the House from the member for Sydney—Victoria.
I would like to ask my colleague from South Shore—St. Margarets a question. In British Columbia we have had a carbon tax for over a decade, yet we have seen increasing wildfires, incredible drought situations and increased emissions. Greenhouse gases have not gone down.
How high does the carbon tax have to be before we see the end to the climate events we are seeing and stop punishing Canadians?
161 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 12:56:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member for Sydney—Victoria, with his past comments, speaks for himself and his attitude toward women. That it is tolerated and has been rewarded with a parliamentary secretary spot is just a mystery to me.
That aside, on how high the carbon tax can go, I do not think there is any limit to how high the Liberals can put a tax, especially when it is ineffective. Their plan is to go to at least $270 a tonne. That means, in the short term, at least 61¢ a litre on gasoline, and in my riding, and in the hon. member's riding, there is no public transit.
My constituents do not have public transit. They have to drive everywhere. They have to drive to grocery stores. They have to drive their kids to school. They have to drive to hockey games. They have to drive to see their family and parents. That is becoming increasingly unaffordable, and it is caused by a tax that has no impact on the actual reduction of climate emissions.
179 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 1:10:47 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, to my hon. colleagues, Conservatives believe in climate change. We just do not believe that this carbon tax is doing anything to fight the climate crisis we are facing. It is punishing Canadians.
If the Liberals do not want to believe me, perhaps they will believe a Liberal MP from Newfoundland, the member for Avalon, who stood up, finally, and said:
I think [the carbon tax is] hurting them a fair bit. Everywhere I go people come up to me and say, “We're losing faith in the Liberal Party.”
...They can’t afford to heat their homes and that’s hard to hear from especially seniors who live alone and tell me that they go around their house in the spring and winter time with a blanket wrapped around them....
Would our hon. colleague please comment on that? A Liberal MP is finally standing up and saying the carbon tax is punishing Canadians.
160 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 1:11:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are back to debating the carbon tax. I would just like to remind everyone that it does not apply in Quebec.
In fact, the member for Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis was a minister in Jean Charest's Quebec government when the carbon exchange was created. She knows full well that it does not apply in Quebec.
I guess the member does not have enough influence in her caucus.
75 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, I would simply offer that, if we are going to have these inflammatory questions, we should be able to address them. That is what I am doing. I am saying that climate change is real. It is happening, and there is a cost to the inaction of not dealing with it.
Bill C-49 clearly addresses that. British Columbians have had a price on carbon in my province since 2008, and it is one of the mechanisms to help reduce the impacts of consumer behaviours. The point is simply that we need to take action. Clean energy is important, and Bill C-49 will get us there.
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-49 is a clear demonstration of our government's commitment to that transition to clean energy. We will have, for the short term, continued extraction of carbon-based fuels in our country. Bill C-49 would be a very important way of enabling the offshore energy boards to bring in clean energy, such as wind. I talked in my speech about how important this is for sustainable jobs and the economy, and to help us tap into what is needed in the world right now to decarbonize our economy.
I do not necessarily agree with my colleague's premise, but I think this is an important step in making sure that clean energy is available in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia for clean energy projects.
130 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Oct/6/23 1:26:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, since 2019, we have seen net profits of the oil and gas sector go up by over 1,000% and the refining sector by 40%, and we know the product they make is directly contributing to climate change, causing billions of dollars in damage and great harm to our agricultural sector. The Conservatives want us to believe a magical fairytale that it is somehow the carbon tax's fault.
Would my hon. friend agree that this is a fundamentally unserious party when it comes to dealing with the causes of climate change and inflation? It is about time they got off their unicorn and started being level with Canadians.
111 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
