COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 16th, 2020

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Madam Chair, I'm glad my fellow member recognizes the fundamental role the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces have played and continue to play in residential and long-term care centres and many other areas in support of our seniors.

We are in talks with the Quebec government. The discussions around providing continued assistance to Quebec are quite positive and productive. That assistance can take many forms, including the Red Cross. We will be there for our seniors, Madam Chair.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

We are short 12,000 people, so if the Red Cross wants to help us, all the better. We'll take all the help we can get.

Barely 800 members of the military are still in Quebec. I repeat my question: What does the army have to do 10 days from now that is more important if it's not to help caregivers save lives?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Madam Chair, all the members of the military are still in Quebec. They have done absolutely incredible work and are continuing to do so.

The people at the Canadian Red Cross are well-trained paid workers who can perform the same work in partnership with the members of the armed forces, who can stay in Quebec as well.

Right now, we are working with the Quebec government and discussing how we can keep the measure in place until September 15.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Madam Chair, our nurses and orderlies are exhausted. They're at the end of their ropes. Now is the time to thank them, not the time to turn our backs on them. It's not the time for dilly-dallying or discussions. It's the time to tell them that we will be there to help them until the end.

I will repeat my question. What does the army have to do that is more important than helping caregivers save the lives of those who built Quebec?

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons is asked to keep his answer brief.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Madam Chair, the Government of Canada is there and will continue to be there to help the people who built Quebec. The Government of Canada will work with the Quebec government to make that happen.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

We will go to the honourable member for Red Deer—Mountain View, Mr. Dreeshen.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you so much.

Madam Chair, on May 14 I asked the Minister of Agriculture when the Liberal government would put aside its usual campaign rhetoric and recognize the very detrimental impact the carbon tax is having on farmers across this country. Minister Bibeau proudly noted that according to their data, the average cost of the carbon tax per farm across Canada is $210 to $819.

We know that these numbers are completely unfounded and are not based on any factual evidence. The fact is that the Liberal government's own Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that at $25 per tonne, the cost for an 855-acre crop farm in Alberta is well over $6,000. The office came up with that using the government's statistics from the 2016 agricultural census.

Madam Chair, the evidence is right in front of the minister. When will this Liberal government come clean with Canadians and recognize the disastrous impact the carbon tax is having on Canada's critical agriculture and agri-food sector?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Madam Chair, our pollution pricing policy is designed to grow a clean economy. To support this sector, we have put in place the following measures. Emissions from livestock and crop production are not priced. Farm fuels and fuels from cardlock facilities are exempt, and there is a partial rebate for propane and natural gas used in commercial greenhouses.

Our government has been very open and transparent about our pollution pricing plan. We will do a review of our pollution pricing system in 2020, focused on competitiveness issues in trade-exposed industries such as agriculture. It is also important to remember that this is about tackling climate change and that 100% of the revenues stay in the province.

We will continue to support our farmers and food processors as they provide an essential service across Canada.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Madam Chair, Minister Bibeau keeps talking about wanting to protect Canadians' environment. Well, the truth is that Canada's farmers, ranchers and processors have for years demonstrated their ability to deliver meaningful reductions in emissions and to safeguard the environment through the adoption of new technologies, education and innovative management practices, but the government ignores these efforts.

Will the minister at the very least admit to Canadians that Canadian farmers are unable to pass on the cost of the carbon tax to consumers and instead have to absorb those extra costs out of their own pockets?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madam Chair, allow me to explain again our government's position on pollution pricing. The price and method were developed so we could build an increasingly clean economy.

We put a number of measures in place to help the agriculture sector. Emissions from animal and plant production aren't taxed. Farm fuels and fuels delivered to off-farm points-of-sale are also—

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I do have another question.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am watching the time, Mr. Dreeshan. You have a couple more seconds.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you.

Madam Chair, Minister Bibeau has repeatedly asked stakeholders to send her data about the impacts of the carbon tax on farmers, so this is exactly what they have been doing.

The Atlantic Grains Council, the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Producteurs de grains du Québec and the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association issued a joint statement at the beginning of this year in which they estimated that the cumulative indirect inflation of carbon tax on farm costs will be $14.50 an acre this year, with that cost escalating by more than double by 2022 to almost $30 an acre.

These are huge numbers. Why does the Liberal government continue to ignore the facts presented to it and continue to misrepresent the truth to Canadians?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Madame Chair, I can assure you that we have paid close attention to all the information that has been provided to us and that our calculation was also based on this information provided by provinces and different stakeholders.

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you—

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Our government has been very open and transparent about our pollution pricing plan. The department used data from stakeholders and provinces—

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair—

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

—as well as the 2019 agricultural tax data to estimate the average cost of pollution pricing associated with grain drying at up to 0.4% of overall operating costs.

It is important to remember that we have put in place many special provisions—

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Madam Chair—

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

—like exempting farm fuel and providing other financial supports for farmers.

[The Acting Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Mr. Dreeshen, I am watching the time, and the minister is allowed to answer for the same amount of time that you used to ask the question. Therefore, I would hope that we would allow her to finish.

She has finished, and unfortunately the time is up.

The committee now stands adjourned until tomorrow at noon.