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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 287

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 28, 2024 02:00PM
  • Feb/28/24 2:13:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, crime or corruption. On April 1, and this is not an April Fool's Day joke, we can get ready for another 23% carbon tax increase from the NDP-Liberal government, which will rob money from hard-working Canadians, increase food prices and not lower emissions. People such as Ann, Neil and Scott have called me in desperation, and they have shared with me the costs of their skyrocketing energy bills. Some are paying nearly double in carbon tax than the energy they use, but it does not seem to matter to these NDP-Liberals. If the radical environment minister had his way, all Alberta families would be forced to freeze inside or walk to work in -40°C on roads and bridges that would no longer exist. Common-sense Conservatives would axe the tax for everyone, everywhere, so Canadians could afford to heat their homes, drive their kids to school, get to work and get the government to butt out of their lives for good.
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  • Feb/28/24 2:36:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do believe this might be one of the first times the Leader of the Opposition has ever recognized that there is a Canada carbon rebate that he would cancel: cheques that he would prevent being delivered to Canadians right across the country. Eight out of 10 Canadian households get more money than they pay in carbon pricing in the provinces in which it applies. In Alberta it is $1,800 a year to a family of four. It is $1,200 a year in Manitoba, and even in Ontario it is $1,120 to a family of four. That is money in their pockets that he wants to take—
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  • Feb/28/24 2:36:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad he mentioned his phony rebates, because $1,800 in Alberta is the rebate. That is what he said; we heard him. Here is the gross cost: $2,943. Therefore he is going to take away $2,943 but give back $1,800 and then ask them to be thankful for it. Is that not just proof that the carbon tax is just like him: not worth the cost?
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  • Feb/28/24 2:38:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report is in my hands. The information is on page 3 of “A Distributional Analysis of the Federal Fuel Charge under the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan”. Google it. Look it up. It is on the Parliamentary Budget Officer's website. Members do not have to believe me, and they certainly do not want to believe him; they can go look for themselves. The average Ontario family will pay $1,674 in carbon taxes next year. That is $630 more than they get back in the rebate. Why does the Prime Minister not google it, look up the report, check the facts and axe the tax?
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  • Feb/28/24 2:38:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the first conclusion of the Parliamentary Budget Officer is, in the math, on the face of it, that eight out of 10 families get more back on the price on pollution through the Canada carbon rebate. The reality is that if one wants to talk about longer-term and broader economic consequences of a price on pollution, they have to talk about the cost of inaction and about the benefits of investing and innovating in carbon reduction technologies. That is the full picture that the Leader of the Opposition does not want to look at because he does not think one can build a strong economy and fight climate change at the same time.
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  • Feb/28/24 2:39:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is doing neither at the same time. I should catch what he said: “on the face of it”, the carbon tax is terrific. While the Parliamentary Budget Officer actually did the calculation of the full fiscal and economic cost for the average family, he found that every family in the middle class is worse off under the carbon tax. For example, in Ontario, the net cost for the average family, above and beyond rebates, is $627 this year. How are they going to pay for that—
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  • Feb/28/24 2:40:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, families in Ontario are going to be getting a Canada carbon rebate worth $1,120 this year for a family of four. A family in Nova Scotia will get $824, and a family in Saskatchewan will get $1,500 this coming year. That is more, for eight out of 10 families, than the price on pollution actually is. We are fighting climate change. We are innovating and creating the jobs of tomorrow. We are putting more money in the pockets of Canadians through cheques that the Leader of the Opposition would take away.
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  • Feb/28/24 2:41:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is a very simple way to measure it up, from the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report: The total gross cost of the carbon tax in Ontario is $1,674 for the coming year. How much is the rebate?
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  • Feb/28/24 2:42:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister does not need to get angry about it. I am just asking for some numbers here. He was very anxious to talk about these wonderful rebates up until a moment ago, and now he does not want to say a thing about them. He even gave them a fancy new name. I am going to say it again: In Ontario, the gross cost of the carbon tax is $1,674 for the average family. How much is the rebate?
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  • Feb/28/24 2:46:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost of food, as we were reminded by a tragic report by Second Harvest that came out this week showing that there will be another million extra visits to food banks above last year's record-breaking numbers. This is because of the collusion of the NDP and the Liberals on price fixing that is the carbon tax. Will the Prime Minister cancel his April 1, 23% carbon tax hike on food?
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  • Feb/28/24 2:50:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to Second Harvest, food banks can expect a million more visits this year because of the food inflation caused by this Prime Minister. Professor Sylvain Charlebois, an agri-food expert, says the Prime Minister should at least freeze the carbon tax. The Bloc Québécois voted to drastically increase taxes on the farmers who produce our food. Will he ignore the Bloc Québécois for once, cancel the costly coalition and stop raising the taxes on our food?
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