Finance committee  We heard in committee that there are employment challenges that come up from the institution of the carbon tax. We also know that individual provinces are being given different tools to be able to do this, so I do think we need to not only equate whether or not greenhouse gas emissions are going down or up in a particular jurisdiction, but also whether or not the impact of the use of said tool harms individual families by what percentage of their income, particularly low- and middle-income families.

Finance committee  Again, the government is allowing two different options to individual provinces and territories, either a cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax method. By the way, it's not allowing innovations like the carbon capture and storage in Saskatchewan, which is also proven technology and very innovative. We're not going to know that because it's not required.

Finance committee  Having been given very little information by the government, we are forced to rely on other mechanisms to ensure that parliamentarians of the future will be given more accurate information when it comes to what many are calling the carbon tax cover-up. Allowing for a continued discussion on these points, I do hope members, rather than allowing this particular amendment, would allow for sooner reporting rather than later.

Finance committee  This is the response, then, I would imagine, to New Brunswick, because New Brunswick has said it's simply renaming its gas tax into what is called now a carbon tax. This now allows the Governor in Council to look at the stringency of the system being used by New Brunswick. Is that correct?

Finance committee  Moffet, I'm asking about the equivalency because the former premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark, challenged the federal government in Vancouver on the equivalency between a cap-and-trade system and a simple carbon tax, as is used in British Columbia. I know we're talking about something different. Usually under parliamentary practice, when something is not defined, you take its common usage as in the Oxford dictionary or whatnot.

Finance committee  I appreciate the opportunity to elaborate here. First of all, as I have said previously, I do not support the imposition of a national carbon tax from an Ottawa perspective because this country is too great and diverse to simply put into one regime. That being said, I did support Mr. Dusseault's earlier iteration of the same proposal, and it's because, again, I believe that wherever a burden is put on small businesses, particularly those of fishers or farmers or whatnot, there should be equitable treatment.

Housing  The Liberals' mortgage changes have made it harder for first-time homebuyers to buy a house, and that is before they hike up payroll and carbon taxes. This is making life less affordable for those who cannot even afford their rent. Why is the government dead set on making the market simply out of reach for first-time homebuyers?

Business of Supply  Jean Tirole, a Nobel Prize economist, has said that carbon leakage exists and it can have the worst of both worlds, where we have high carbon tax in one jurisdiction that forces a lower price of gas that gets consumed in the other. That is a real possibility for North America, and that member is out of touch if he thinks this will not be a part of it.

Business of Supply  On April 1, we saw gas prices go up in B.C. specifically because the B.C. NDP raised the carbon tax from $30 a tonne of greenhouse gas emissions to $35 a tonne. Under the Liberal-imposed regime, it will go up to $50 a tonne by 2022. Gas prices went up in April. It was specifically because of this.

Finance committee  It's dependent on whether or not future legislation is changed, or if those territories come up with their own version of a cap and trade or a carbon tax.

Finance committee  In British Columbia, due to some skepticism from some quarters—I won't say where it's from, Mr. Chair—the premier of the day, when they installed the carbon tax in British Columbia, said that they were going to have the Auditor General review every year and confirm—I believe it's done through the budget document every year—that 100% of the revenues got recycled.

Finance committee  For example, the former premier, Christy Clark, had mentioned the issue of equivalency and that the carbon tax in British Columbia was much different from the cap-and-trade system was rolled out by both Ontario and Quebec, where some emitters could be exempted completely. That's not how it works.

Finance committee  Moffet, you mentioned to this committee that part of the government's plan includes, obviously, a carbon tax or, as you like to refer to it, a price on carbon. You also mentioned that there would be further need for regulations for certain elements and for environmental policy. However, you also said there would be a need for innovation.

Finance committee  Would you say that there is more than just the harm to families in terms of the money that they pay out for carbon tax, but this could also cause unemployment and particularly—

The Environment  Of course, the Prime Minister and his cabinet will not feel the effects that everyday families are feeling, because everything is paid for. When will the Liberals come clean and tell Canadians what their carbon tax will cost them?