SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Martin Shields

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • Conservative
  • Bow River
  • Alberta
  • Voting Attendance: 65%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $127,198.82

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 305 - Apr/30/24
Mr. Martin Shields
  • Apr/30/24 7:23:51 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I always appreciate the information my colleague shares. There are programs as a result of federal and provincial governments working together. We look at different things that happen in our climate and in our economy, but the challenge is in irrigation. We have talked about this a number of times. It is the electricity that is used, not the diesel and not the natural gas. Irrigation has a huge use of electricity. One farmer who has an operation showed me the bills, and he is up to $100,000 in carbon tax. There is a small rink in a rural area that supports kids' programs that people are keeping alive. It is costing them $700 a month in carbon tax. They are fundraising with bake sales and hamburger sales to try to keep that rural rink alive, but the $700 a month is killing them. Rinks are important in rural communities.
153 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 239 - Oct/25/23
Mr. Martin Shields
  • Oct/25/23 7:23:49 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, to my colleague, I know he is from Winnipeg, which used to be the grain exchange centre of the world. It is part of the heritage of the Prairies. I am very pragmatic about this. In my riding, which has 70% irrigation, the costs are huge, as is the money paid on the carbon tax, and there is not the recognition of the value irrigation brings to the amount of crops we can produce in this country and the variety. We grow more potatoes than P.E.I. these days in my riding and we have the only sugar plant left, and we grow sugar beets because of irrigation. Farmers tell me on a regular basis the carbon tax is so hard on them, so we lose from our communities hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars, up to millions and millions. This hurts our communities because those farmers are not able to buy what they could if they did not lose it on the carbon tax. They cannot support our rural communities. They cannot volunteer to donate things they would have donated before. It is a piece pragmatic for me that those who produce the best and highest quality and variety of foods because of irrigation are paying the highest price for carbon tax. That exemption needs to be understood, and I think it has been recognized there should be more conversations about agriculture.
237 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border