Senator Coyle: Senator Gold, we know that a level of certainty — in fact, a high level of certainty — in carbon pricing is needed to ensure critical future investments in clean technology.

It was announced in the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan released last week that in order to enhance long-term certainty for investors, the government will be exploring measures that will help provide clarity on the future of carbon pricing. When will the government release more information on these new measures to provide certainty? And could you elaborate on the consultation process that will be undertaken if any such process is planned? Thank you.

Senator Plett: The Parliamentary Budget Officer predicts that most households in Canada — not some people, but most — will, under the backstop, see a net loss resulting from federal carbon pricing under the government’s plan in 2030-31.

Leader, will your government finally admit that Canadians are not actually better off under your carbon pricing scheme? Also, as the carbon tax went up again last Friday on April 1, which wasn’t an April Fool’s joke, what will your government do to provide Canadians some relief in these dire economic times of near runaway inflation?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, the NDP-Liberal government claims that even with the steady increase in the carbon tax from $50 a tonne now to $170 a tonne in 2030, Canadian households will be better off because of the rebates they will receive.

However, according to a recent report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, Manitobans — even with the rebate — will be $299 in the red this fiscal year, $402 in the red the year after that, and by 2030-31 they will suffer an annual net loss of $1,145. The results are similar in other provinces, and worse in Alberta.

Leader, who got it right, the NDP-Liberal government or the independent, non-partisan Parliamentary Budget Officer?