Finance committee  In particular, I'm also very concerned about what's known as “carbon leakage”, where you actually push out certain economic activities to jurisdictions that do not have a carbon tax or cap-and-trade system, which then makes you less competitive. I think it's important for us to know what the costs are. As many people know, the competitiveness of the Canadian economy is being called into question, particularly by our neighbours down south, who do not have a carbon tax.

Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1  Going through the budget bill itself, there are quite a lot of measures. I mentioned earlier that the budget has a nationally imposed carbon tax. Some 200 pages of the 534-page document are dedicated to a nationally imposed carbon tax. British Columbia already has a carbon tax. British Columbians have been paying a carbon tax for quite some time.

Questions Passed as Orders for Returns  With regard to the effect of the carbon tax on low-income Canadians: (a) has the government conducted any studies regarding the impact of a $50 per tonne carbon tax on low income Canadians and specifically on the impact of increased food prices resulting from higher transportation costs; and (b) if the answer to (a) is affirmative, what are the details of all such studies, including (i) individuals who or entities which conducted the study, (ii) description of parameters and methodology, (iii) findings, (iv) start and end dates of study, (v) website location where findings were published?

Finance committee  If...industry loses market share to more polluting competitors, known as carbon leakage, it affects our economy and does not reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. This, of course, is in B.C. with a carbon tax already. I should say that my end quote here is on gas emissions, so this is coming from British Columbia, with a carbon tax already. We've already seen a lower price that was first installed by former premier Campbell and his government, where the cement industry was hard hit and has continued to receive subsidies and has struggled to maintain its market share.

Finance committee  Chair, you might remember I asked specifically.... In British Columbia there has been a carbon tax. One of the things the government of the day, Premier Campbell's, did was to enshrine in it reporting every year by law, and to have it verified by the Auditor General of British Columbia.

Finance committee  I imagine that the first thing we would do if we got in government is to cut the carbon tax. Again, until the Canadian people weigh in, I would just ask you to think of the long term here.

Finance committee  This committee actually had the premiers of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut come and explain how difficult the carbon tax is. Many indigenous people derive a fair bit of their income in Nunavut from fishing operations. As we know, the cost of living and the cost of doing business in places like Nunavut are extremely high.

Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1  I would appreciate if the member could extrapolate more on how carbon taxes actually end up pushing people's behaviour in odd ways.

Finance committee  Some on this committee may remember that we actually had all three premiers of the territories, either in person or through teleconference, comment on the carbon tax. I specifically remember the testimony of the Premier of Nunavut, who stated that 80% of the costs of diesel are subsidized by the government. I asked him how a carbon tax would work under that kind of system, because most of the money was being recycled from the government's own revenue.

Business of Supply  I get phone calls from those people, asking questions about how they will be able to keep up with the costs that continue to rise or how they will get to the Penticton Regional Hospital for the services they need when it has become more and more expensive to either pay their bill or to pay for the carbon tax. That man may know his own story, but he should really try to relate to the stories of thousands of people in my riding who have a much different experience with the carbon tax.

Finance committee  On aviation, for example, British Columbia doesn't have a carbon tax on jet fuel, because it is worried that it would distort and move business to other parts of the country or internationally. I'll just lump these next questions together out of expediency, because I don't want to take too much time.

Finance committee  Cross, in your submission you talked directly about the increasing uncertainty in economic relations between Canada and the United States, and the rolling back of certain corporate...whether it be regulatory measures or tax relief, or tax cuts in the reform bill. In your expert opinion, what impact do you foresee a national carbon tax having on the competitiveness of Canadian industries vis-à-vis the United States and other non-carbon tax jurisdictions?

Budget Implementation Act, 2018, No. 1  Does the member have any evidence that he can table, or will his government be tabling such an opinion, so that members can know this has been thought through? He said in his speech “a legal framework” for the imposition of this national carbon tax? Is it legal?

Business of Supply  We actually can tell what the average cost is of a tax, whether it be an income tax on an average family, whether it be a carbon tax. That information is available to the Department of Finance and to the Minister of Finance. We actually have a redacted report showing that after the election the Liberals received that exact briefing, yet the information has been blacked out, making it difficult for members of Parliament like myself to be able to look constituents in the eye and tell them that we know what the implications of this tax are.

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, obviously, this national carbon tax is going to be imposed on places like Saskatchewan and Nunavut. In Nunavut, 80% of the diesel that is used to generate heat for housing is paid for by the government. The Premier of Nunavut has said that this plan will not work.