44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 14, 2023 10:00AM
- Dec/14/23 1:28:35 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have not seen any news that says that there is a strike at that mushroom farm, so I am not sure what the member is talking about. We are dealing with anti-scab legislation and not mushroom farms.
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Mr. Speaker, sadly, the Prime Minister wants to punish farmers for being incredible optimists and doing the fantastic work they do every day on our behalf. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, farm input costs are ballooning out of control. Bill C-234, a common-sense Conservative bill, would reduce the cost of food for Canadians by removing the carbon tax on farmers. I spoke to farmers in my backyard, who said that any of those major inputs have just been skyrocketing in price, with almost double the fuel bills, as well as fertilizer that has doubled, if not tripled, in price.
On annual expenses of $2 million, almost 20% or $400,000 is due to the punishing carbon tax. That will mean $1.6 million when the Prime Minister quadruples the tax. The other concern is that the tax is so hidden that this estimate is probably low.
Does the Prime Minister think that farmers need to raise prices on Canadians, or should Alex cut back production so that Canadians are forced to import food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 2:35:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Quattro Farms near Bow Island grows spearmint, peppermint and dill, then distills those crops into essential oils. The 10-week harvest and distillation process, this fall alone, cost them $107,000 in carbon taxes. That carbon tax will rise to well over $400,000 when this government quadruples it.
How does the Prime Minister suggest Quattro Farms pay this $400,000?
Will it be by raising prices on Canadians or should Quattro Farms cut back on its production so that Canadians are forced to import their food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 2:36:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the reason we voted against them is that we voted non-confidence in this government.
Medicine Hat and the area is home to numerous greenhouse operations like Big Marble Farms, which grows fresh vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. This year alone, Big Marble Farms will pay over $500,000 in carbon taxes. That will rise to over $2 million when this government quadruples it.
How does the Prime Minister suggest Big Marble pay this extra $2 million?
Will they raise the prices on Canadians or should Big Marble cut back on their production so that Canadians are forced to import their food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 2:38:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, unlike that minister, I actually spoke to farmers from Dufferin today. One farmer, from Burnett Farms, is going to pay $40,000 in carbon taxes this year alone. After this incompetent Liberal-NDP government quadruples the tax, it will be $160,000.
They do not need another government program. They need the carbon tax cut.
How is this farmer supposed to pay for it? Should farmers cut production or will they have to import food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 2:39:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with that statement, this radical carbon tax-loving environment minister has basically proven the point. His carbon tax has not stopped any of the effects on farms. Instead, farmers are left paying this punishing carbon tax.
A chicken farm pays $15,000 for one barn this year in carbon tax. After this ideologically obsessed minister quadruples the carbon tax, it will be $60,000 for one chicken barn.
What is this farmer supposed to do to pay it, raise prices or force Canadians to import their food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 2:40:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is ironic, coming from the party that voted against supporting chicken farms just last week.
Is it radical to be in favour of fighting for the future of our kids and grandkids? I do not think so.
Is it radical to ensure that we invest in jobs of the 21st century and our communities across the country? I do not think so.
What is radical is to ignore one of the world's most defining issues of our time and have nothing to say about climate change. This is unacceptable. This is immoral.
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- Dec/14/23 2:52:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Haass Acres has been operating as a family farm since 1930. The family farms about 2,000 acres, and this year they will pay $10,000 in carbon tax, which will quadruple to $40,000. That may not seem like a lot to the Prime Minister and his trust fund, but it is a lot to the Haass family.
Will the Prime Minister call Brian Haass? Will he explain to him how he expects him to pay this extra $40,000? Should he raise prices on Canadians, or should he cut production so that Canadians are forced to import food from foreign polluting farms?
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- Dec/14/23 3:02:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, the cost of food production is at an all-time high. The truckers who transport our grain, deliver the fertilizer and the fuel farmers need, and haul our groceries to the stores for Canadians to buy, pay the carbon tax, but pass it along to the farmer and the consumer.
A trucking company in Swift Current pays $20,000 per truck, per year, in carbon tax. Once the Prime Minister quadruples its cost to $80,000, how does he expect it to pay for this? Will it be through raising prices on Canadians, or should our farmers cut back on production so we are forced to import food from polluting foreign farms?
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- Dec/14/23 6:39:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments made by colleague for Red Deer—Lacombe and his hard work on this file in representing large agricultural areas, as I do. Both of us are farm kids and have first-hand experience.
We witnessed here all fall the Liberals refusing to give a carbon tax carve-out for our farmers. The Liberals are creating food inflation and they are creating food insecurity. As they bring in more and more of their environmental restrictions—and now we are looking at methane and looking at reductions in fertilizer applications across this country—these restrictions will drive down production significantly, will drive down profitability of our farms and will increase the price of food to consumers. These Liberals would rather import food from other countries that do not have the same regulatory standards and environmental standards that we have here in Canada, plus pay the cost of transporting all of that food to feed Canadians, probably at even a higher cost. That, to me, is ridiculous.
Now these guys like to talk about making sure that we are protecting Ukraine. That is something that is very near and dear to my heart as a Ukrainian-Canadian, but these individuals, instead of helping Ukraine by sending it more weapons, are actually allowing detonators to go in land mines that wreak havoc in those fields and are actually killing Ukrainian farmers.
My question to the hon. colleague for Red Deer—Lacombe is this: Does he believe these Liberals are undermining food security in Canada and around the world?
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