44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 28, 2023 10:00AM
- Nov/28/23 3:11:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to protecting local jobs, we will not take any lessons from the Conservatives. When they were in power, we saw the rapid decline of our automotive industry and the loss of over 300,000 manufacturing jobs.
Let us review some of the most recent actions of Conservatives compromising local jobs. They are filibustering the sustainable jobs act at the natural resources committee, which is a bill that would give workers a seat at the table in the clean economy. They are opposing landmark legislation that our government tabled on the ban of replacement workers. They have opposed the Atlantic accord, which is supporting an offshore wind industry in Atlantic Canada. Those are just a few examples of the hypocrisy.
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- Nov/28/23 3:12:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us just review what Lana Payne, the national president of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, has said, “In an ironic twist, we’ve learned the program...exists only because of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement, an agreement negotiated and signed by”—guess who—“the Conservatives themselves back in 2014.” Ms. Payne also said, “Either way they are officially talking out of both sides of their mouths. It's embarrassing....”
That is the largest private sector union in the country.
While the Conservatives put their ignorance and recklessness on full display to Canadians, we will stay focused on building a powerhouse auto industry.
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- Nov/28/23 3:40:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am thankful to the member for Kingston and the Islands for sharing his time with me, which is very generous of him, and for the opportunity to talk about our commitment to strong, profitable and sustainable farm businesses across this great country.
With respect to carbon pollution pricing, we recognize the special role our farmers play in Canada. I would remind members opposite that much of the agriculture sector is already exempt from pollution pricing. In fact, 97% of emissions are already exempt. We also provide exemptions for gasoline and diesel fuels used by farmers for agricultural activities. There is a partial rebate for commercial greenhouse operations. We will also be returning a portion of the proceeds from the price on pollution directly to farmers in backstop jurisdictions through a refundable tax credit. This would apply to farmers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
We are standing by our farmers, who are on the front lines of climate change. No one can deny that their crops, businesses and properties are dramatically impacted by the extreme weather events we are seeing at unprecedented levels and more frequently than ever before. Extreme weather events are adding more stress and unpredictability to farm businesses. We have all seen how recent climate disasters across our country have taken a heavy toll on Canadian farmers over the past couple of years.
In the summer of 2021, the worst drought in 60 years on the Prairies slashed Canadian grain production by 30% and forced many livestock producers to sell off their cattle. In November 2021, mudslides caused by historic flooding in British Columbia took out key rail and road arteries used to transport food and other critical supplies. Hurricane Fiona destroyed crops, buildings and livestock across Atlantic Canada. Just this past year, Canadian farmers have had to cope with extreme weather, from droughts, wildfires and flooding to extreme cold. While helping these farmers get back on their feet again, we are also helping them to be more resilient to future extreme weather. The point is that our farmers are doing their part, but if they are going to increase their resilience in the years to come, they cannot do it alone.
Doing the right thing for the environment takes investment and time. That is why, over the coming decade, the government is making historic investments of $1.5 billion to help Canadian farmers boost their climate resiliency through sustainable practices and technologies. For example, the $670-million on-farm climate action fund helps farmers adopt practices that will store more carbon and reduce greenhouse gases. The first phase of the program focuses on three priority areas: nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing practices for livestock. These practices also substantially improve soil health and strengthen the farmer's bottom line. The fund is designed to take down the barriers and support wider and faster adoption of these beneficial management practices.
From British Columbia to Atlantic Canada, 12 different agricultural organizations are distributing funding to help farmers take immediate action on their farms in the three target areas. Since it was launched last year, the OFCAF has made available almost $100 million in direct support to help more than 4,300 farmers across Canada take real action on their farms to reduce their carbon footprint. Another 14,000 farmers have participated in knowledge transfer and peer-to-peer learning activities aimed to scale on-farm implementation of beneficial management practices.
My message is that farm families across our country can rest assured that we will stand shoulder to shoulder with them to support their growth, their resiliency and the sustainability of their agricultural businesses. The OFCAF is also helping producers with the agricultural clean technology program, which is backed by a federal investment of almost $500 million.
The goal is to help farmers and agribusinesses continue to move toward a low-carbon economy by focusing on three priority areas: green energy and energy efficiency, precision agriculture and the bioeconomy. Hundreds of farmers across the country have already used the program for clean technologies, for example, more efficient grain dryers, solar panels and precision agricultural tools.
Under the fall economic statement, we will extend the clean technology investment tax credit to include electricity and heat from waste biomass. That includes agricultural by-products, such as corn stubble and manure. Our investments in climate resilience also include research and innovation. Science is a powerful tool for building climate resilience, helping farmers make incredible strides in productivity over the past few decades. Scientists at our 20 agriculture and food research centres across Canada are working hard to help farmers strengthen their resilience to climate.
My message today is that Canadian farmers are and will continue to be part of the climate change solution. As responsible stewards of the land, Canadian producers can lead the way in our transition to a low-carbon economy while supporting food security and environmental sustainability. Just as important, they can also benefit from the economic impacts of adopting those practices on their farms. It is a win for farmers, and it is a win for the environment.
We will continue to support the sector to maximize and accelerate the efforts of our farmers, our scientists and the industry. Our programs will help farmers care for their land and strengthen their businesses. These efforts will bring enormous value to our Canadian brand, which is already renowned in global markets for quality and for respect for the environment.
Today, climate resilience is perhaps the biggest challenge of our sector for our government and for the world. Agriculture has a vital role to play, and we know that farmers are strong partners. After all, they have the greatest stake in the fight against climate change.
Once again, I thank the hon. members for this opportunity. I look forward to answering any questions that members have.
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- Nov/28/23 3:48:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite's good-faith question, which I always appreciate in the House. I also appreciate the member's support and work, broadly speaking, for climate action. I have found him to be an hon. member with whom one can have constructive debates and conversations.
In terms of the member's question, a lot of the arguments around this debate centre around people claiming that there are no commercially viable alternatives for grain drying. I would contest that. We have examples in Canada that we heard about at the agriculture and agrifood standing committee. We also have examples in other countries of grain-drying technology that works. Most of them work on biomass, which is one of the reasons that, in my speech, I pointed to the new investment tax credit.
I believe that we should not mess with the price signal that the price on pollution establishes to change behaviour. What we should do is support farmers in transitioning to the alternatives and scaling up those solutions. We have funds that are dedicated to that purpose, and our government is investing over $1.5 billion to help farmers make those changes.
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- Nov/28/23 3:50:10 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I did not actually say what the member just claimed I said. I actually said that 97% of emissions on farms are already exempt from the price on pollution. It is not quite what the member opposite said.
The point is that farmers are at the forefront of fighting climate change. They are greatly impacted by the extreme weather that we all know is a primary concern for them. We want to support farmers in making the changes to more resilient and more sustainable practices. Farmers are on board with that. We have the tools to incentivize that and help finance that transition, and that is where I think we should be placing our time, our attention and our resources.
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- Nov/28/23 3:51:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I assume the member opposite is referring to oil and gas subsidies. Our government has created a plan, ahead of schedule, for ending all oil and gas subsidies in Canada. That is progress, and I support our government's move to do that ahead of schedule.
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