We’re doing a lot to support our farmers, because, quite frankly, Jeff Harrison also went on to say, “It’s part of the added stress”—“it” being the carbon tax—“on farmers that they are expected to do the unachievable.”

But really and truly, farmers are part of the solution, Speaker. Through their crop rotations, cover crops and the embracing of best practices, grain farmers of Ontario are actually shipping almost 30% of all grains grown right here in Ontario around the world to 50 different countries. That matters. Then, there’s another significant percentage of their production that goes into baked goods right here in Ontario, which adds to jobs and again goes around the world in terms of satisfying demand for good produced food right here from Ontario.

But you know what, Speaker? The carbon tax alone is going to cause grain farmers of Ontario to pay—get this—almost $200 million in carbon tax alone this year. That’s why we’re introducing programs that understand the issue and—

I want to rise in this House and acknowledge that, yes, the Ontario Greenhouse Alliance was here last week. I hope the members opposite heard loud and clear how the carbon tax is punishing the people who produce good-quality food close to home here in Ontario.

The carbon tax is now 30% of everyone’s energy bills, whether you are a chicken farmer or a greenhouse operator. Any relief that greenhouse farmers actually had was completely wiped out on April 1 with the 23% increase in the carbon tax.

Do you know what the irony is in this? HST gets charged on top of the carbon tax. So we have a tax on a tax.

Moreover, people need to understand that farmers need carbon. They’re part of the solution. In greenhouses, that carbon is needed to grow our food.

Why do the federal Liberals continue to punish—why does Bonnie Crombie stand with those federal Liberals and enable them to continue to punish Ontario—

It’s unfortunate, because right in the member from Chatham-Kent–Leamington’s area, there are four greenhouses that are looking to grow—but unfortunately, because of this Liberal ideology that is costing them to see an increase in the cost of production of food, they’re going to look to expand south of the border.

We’re going to see the tail lights of farmers leaving Ontario because of this punishing carbon tax.

People need to wake up and understand that Ontario farmers can be part of the solution. Scrap the tax.

I appreciate the question from the member from Hastings–Lennox and Addington because he does really get it, because he’s working and listening with farmers every day, which I wish the federal Liberals and provincial Liberals would do as well. If they did, they would actually be hearing first-hand how the carbon tax is causing everything to go up with regard to production.

Just on Thursday, I was at the Christian Farmers annual AGM and the chair actually asked me to thank the Premier for listening. To give you an example, grain farmers have estimated that by the year 2030, the grain farmers across the province of Ontario will be paying $2.7 billion in carbon—

Just on Saturday, I was at the Grey County Federation of Agriculture meeting. The apple farmers from the Georgian Bay fruit growers specifically asked that the federal government pass C-234 immediately, because it too is raising the cost of cooling their buildings so that they can keep apples year-round for Ontario consumption.

Moreover, though, Speaker, you need to know the greenhouse growers have been charged an additional $16 million in 2023, but by 2030, when the carbon tax triples, they’re going to be paying almost $90,000 an acre.

Again, do the honourable thing once and for all and tell those—

I do appreciate the question because it allows us to shine a spotlight on the fact that the regressive, horrible carbon tax is pressing the farmers to no end.

Ladies and gentlemen, the grain corns coming off the fields—in our farm, we harvested last weekend and our corn ran at 23% moisture. We were happy about that because it meant we would have to use less propane to dry down the corn so it wouldn’t spoil in storage. Why does that matter? It matters because we want a good-quality product that is food grade so we can be producing food close to home.

The member is absolutely right when he says the carbon tax is driving up the cost of doing business on farm, because it’s driving up the cost of drying our crops and it’s driving up the cost of heating our farms.

The Grain Farmers of Ontario have said by the time the carbon tax triples in 2030, it’s going to cost farmers 2.7 billion extra dollars. And who is ultimately going to pay that? Consumers.

I had the honour of opening the Ontario pavilion at the largest food show in North America on Monday in Chicago, the Private Label show. I was so proud of our Ontario businesses—from Georgetown to Newmarket and all places in between. When I spoke to them, they were doing their best, but they’re concerned about their competitiveness because the cost of their products coming from the millers in terms of baked goods is going through the roof. Why? Because that carbon tax is making its way through every step of the value chain.

I would respectfully submit to the independent Liberals that they need to jump in their minivan, drive to Ottawa, and tell those senators to stop playing games and vote and support C-234.

I agree with the member opposite. Our farmers throughout Ontario are being punished by a ridiculous Liberal ideology that is driving this carbon tax to increase the cost of production and ultimately the cost of everything, and it is unsustainable.

Do you know what’s really worrisome for me? That ideology is being sustained, because just last week, Liberal-leaning senators absolutely gutted C-234. That was a bill that would have seen farmers exempted for heating barns and drying grains and oil seeds. That would have saved hundreds of millions of dollars across this province and Canada. Quite frankly, with that gutting of C-234, cost of production is going to continue to rise.

Ladies and gentlemen, do the honourable thing. Join our government and stand up against bad Liberal ideology that’s doing nothing but driving up the cost of living in—

Interjections.

Please join us for a picture on the stairs right after this.

In Ontario, our farmers are the very best, and year after year, their yield is increasing. We have an ample supply of amazing, quality food.

But we need to accept facts for what they are—and that fact is, the main contributor of rising food costs in the province of Ontario and across Canada is the carbon tax.

Here are some examples.

I have an energy bill from a chicken farmer from east of Toronto. From March 2 to April 1, his federal carbon charge was 26% of his entire energy bill. This is unacceptable.

It’s that ripple effect across the food value chain that’s driving up the food price in Ontario—

Interjections.