Thank you for that question.
It would be tremendously important to have the exemption that was originally in place be reinstated before the modifications to the bill are made. A full exemption on inputs like natural gas for heating purposes would be the equivalent of tens of millions in financial relief. It would be tremendously impactful. It is urgently needed.
I just want to reiterate the point that from a consumer's perspective, ideally, the greenhouse operations would take on that cost themselves, but can we really expect growers to volunteer to take on that cost? Some of that cost is going to be passed on, so if we're talking about tens of millions in the financial equivalent of that carbon tax on greenhouse operations, tens of millions will make their way into the food price that Canadians are paying.
It's impactful not just to our members but ultimately to consumers as well. If the carbon tax could be removed from the operation costs for greenhouses, growers and consumers would benefit significantly.