Bill C-234

An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act

This enactment amends the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act to expand the definition of eligible farming machinery and extend the exemption for qualifying farming fuel to marketable natural gas and propane.

Carbon Pricing

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure we all look forward to see what those high-carbon hypocrites come up with.

After eight years, it is clear that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. The Hunger Report has said that food bank usage has gone up for seven years in a row.

The NDP and Liberals' carbon tax has hiked food prices and forced Canadians to skip meals or cut the basics. Common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax for all, for good. However, a quick fix is Conservative Bill C-234, which would cut it from farm fuels.

Will the Prime Minister stop interfering with the senators and let them pass it so farmers can afford to feed Canadians and so Canadians can afford to eat?

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we know why the Prime Minister is blocking the carbon tax carve-out for Canadian farmers. It is because his environment minister has threatened to quit if Bill C-234 passes.

The environment minister does not care about Canadian farmers. He is jetting off to Dubai for two weeks. It is the middle of the day in Ottawa, but it is the middle of the night in Dubai.

Will the Prime Minister at least allow senators to pass a carbon tax carve-out while his minister is asleep in Dubai?

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal government is just not worth the cost.

Greenfield Global operates in Chatham, buying corn and converting it to a variety of alcohols, from pharmaceuticals to biofuels. It buys corn from Canadian farmers and from nearby American farmers, who do not pay the carbon tax on fertilizer, the delivery of seed, and the delivery and drying of their corn.

Could the Prime Minister explain what happens to Canadian farmers' bottom lines when they pay the carbon tax and have to compete with American farmers, who do not, in their own backyard? Why is he interfering with the so-called independent senators blocking Bill C-234?

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that the Constitution is clear. Section 53 of the Constitution Act, 1867 provides that any bill “for appropriating any Part of the Public Revenue, or for imposing any Tax or Impost, shall originate in the House of Commons”. House of Commons Standing Order 80 is clear: A financial measure is not alterable by the Senate. The Liberals' attempt to block Bill C‑234 and bully senators is unconstitutional. It violates the Standing Orders of the House and is anti-democratic.

Will the Liberals stop their unconstitutional obstruction of Bill C‑234 and end the inflationary carbon taxes imposed on farmers so that people can eat this Christmas?

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal senators are the ones preventing this bill from passing. After eight years, it is clear that this Prime Minister is in panic mode. He is downright desperate. Bill C‑234, which aims to exempt farmers from the carbon tax, is stalled in the Senate. The Prime Minister wants senators to overstep their role as unelected parliamentarians by literally asking them to kill this bill, which was properly passed by elected members of the House of Commons.

Why does he want to push unelected senators to disrespect both the Constitution and hungry Canadian families?

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it does not matter what the government thinks about Bill C-234. It does not matter what the Senate thinks about the bill, because taxation and spending are the exclusive right of this House, not the Senate. In our system, there is no taxation without representation. Section 53 of the Constitution says that all financial legislation must originate in this House. Standing Order 80 says that this House “alone grants aids and supplies”.

When will the Prime Minister direct his representative in the Senate to respect this democratic institution, the only democratic institution in this country, and pass the tax bill?

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is not worth the cost. It is costing all Canadians more and more. The Liberal carbon tax on farmers has a direct impact on food prices. I would like to remind members that people are struggling to put food on the table right now.

We, the Conservatives, have made a common-sense proposal to eliminate the Liberal carbon tax on food production. I am talking about Bill C-234, which is currently before the Senate. It does not happen every day, but the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and even the Green Party agree with us on this. Only the sore losers disagree.

Why is the government now giving unelected senators the power to overturn the will of the House of Commons?

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, farmers from across Canada are calling on Liberal-appointed senators to support a common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234, which would lower costs on farming and make food more affordable, but the Liberals' environment minister has threatened to resign if there are any carbon tax carve-outs. This is amazing when we have a record-shattering two million Canadians relying on food banks.

The environment minister's dedication to making life unaffordable is unwavering. Will the Prime Minister ask his environment minister to stop threatening so-called independent senators and allow the passage of Bill C-234, so Canadians can afford to feed themselves?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we are against the carbon tax deal that the Liberals put before the House, and we are against quadrupling the carbon tax on Canadian farmers. The Prime Minister cannot defend his position, nor does he have the courage to just admit, as he did on home heating oil, that he was wrong. He plans to quadruple the tax on our farmers, who feed our people; this will send millions more people to the food bank.

Will the Prime Minister rise today and show the courage to admit he was wrong and back Conservative Bill C-234 to take the tax off our farmers, so our people can afford to eat? He should get up and answer.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to dodge the question about the tax he plans to quadruple on Canadian farmers. One farm alone in my riding is spending $150,000 a year on carbon taxes, and the Prime Minister wants to quadruple that number, for up to $600,000. That might put the farm out of business, which would mean we would have to buy more foreign, expensive food from more polluting countries.

The Prime Minister is blocking a common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234, in the Senate that would take the tax off our farmers. Will he commit here and now to another carbon tax flip-flop and carve it out for our farmers, so our people can afford to eat?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has forced seven million Canadians to cut back on their diets, to a point where they are no longer healthy. The Prime Minister has forced Canadians to cut their budgets for food. Therefore. a record-smashing two million people are lined up at a food bank every month, around corners in ways that we have not seen since the Great Depression. That is the austerity he has imposed on Canadians. Now he wants to quadruple the carbon tax on the farmers who bring us our food.

We have a common-sense Conservative bill, Bill C-234. Will the Prime Minister stop blocking this bill in the Senate and let it pass so that our farmers can produce food and our people can afford to eat it?

Carbon Tax

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has seen the highest use of food banks ever in history. In Ontario alone, food banks had six million visits in one year. Why? Because people cannot afford the cost of food. Why is food so expensive? Because the Prime Minister is taxing farmers into bankruptcy. The Liberals are planning to quadruple the carbon tax.

One farmer in Alberta pays $180,000 a year in carbon tax and that does not include the GST on top of that. This is not sustainable. Food is not a luxury.

This can be fixed. Conservative Bill C-234 is a carbon tax exemption for farmers. It passed in the House, but the Liberal-controlled Senate is blocking the passing of this bill. Why? Because the radical environment minister has threatened to resign if any more carbon tax carve-outs are permitted.

Let us end this nonsense and implement common sense. Pass Bill C-234 and support the people who feed us, farmers.

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians are struggling to afford food.

The Prime Minister's mini-budget shows no relief, and instead, the NDP-Liberal government is committed to quadrupling the carbon tax on gas, groceries and heating. As Canadians battle the rising cost of living, food banks face record demands. In Ontario alone, over 800,000 people accessed food banks, a 38% increase from the year before and the largest increase ever recorded by Ontario's food bank network.

Conservative Bill C-234 proposes a carbon tax carve-out for farmers. This measure would directly reduce food prices. The environment minister threatened to resign if Bill C-234 passes.

The Prime Minister should instruct his senators to pass this bill. It is a win-win: Canadians would get financial relief, and a minister who is in a different reality from struggling Canadians would step down. The government needs to finally help Canadians instead of its tax agenda.

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years under this Prime Minister, it remains clear that there is no respect for decisions made in the House of Commons.

The common-sense bill, Bill C-234, creates a carbon tax exemption for Canadian farmers so they can continue to feed us. It was passed by a majority of elected members and is now in the Senate. However, Bill C‑234 is currently at an impasse.

The Prime Minister once again has the gall to force his senators to vote against the bill in the Senate. He needs to stop obstructing and interfering in the business of the Senate and let Bill C‑234 pass.

Conservatives have always stood up for Canadian farmers and will continue to be the voice of reason with common-sense bills like Bill C‑234.

It is time to pass this bill in the Senate so that farmers can continue to feed our families and agriculture can once again become the economic engine we need.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in last week's mini-budget, the Prime Minister doubled down on his plan to quadruple the carbon tax on gas, groceries and home heating. Does he understand that Canadians cannot afford his excessive tax grabs? Feed Ontario's “Hunger Report 2023” shows that over the past year, the number of people who have accessed food banks has increased by 38%, while visits have increased by 36%. These are the largest single-year increases ever recorded by Ontario's food bank network.

However, the Conservatives' Bill C-234 would create a carbon tax carve-out for hard-working Canadian farmers and would make food prices more affordable for Canadians. The Prime Minister's activist environment minister has promised to resign if this bill passes, which would be a welcome early Christmas gift for Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister tell his appointed senators to put Canadians before his environment minister and pass Bill C-234 so that Canadian families can afford to feed themselves?