Evidence of meeting #81 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was back.
A recording is available from Parliament.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
Can we dispense with the reading of the motion? Do we have to...? It's been distributed, right?
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
It would require unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the motion.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
Mr. Chair, this is an important issue to the Standing Committee on Environment because over the last eight years, the Prime Minister, multiple environment ministers and the entire Liberal government told Canadians that their punishing carbon tax was affordable. They claimed that increasing gas prices by 61¢ a litre was needed to meet their environmental targets. They claimed that increasing the cost of home heating was needed to meet their environmental targets. They claimed that increasing the cost of food production was needed to meet their environmental targets, and the most misleading statement on the carbon tax was that they claimed Canadians would get more money back than they would pay.
None of these statements is true, and even the Prime Minister has started to admit that his carbon tax isn't an environmental plan; it's a tax plan. The Prime Minister finally admitted that his carbon tax was unaffordable. Last week, after noticing that their popularity was sinking, the Liberals announced that they were implementing a temporary pause on their punishing carbon tax, but not for all Canadians. Only some Canadians would qualify for a tax break and 97% of Canadians would not.
When asked why the carbon tax wasn't being removed on all sources of home heating in every province, the Liberal Minister of Rural Economic Development basically told Canadians living in the Prairies that they were being punished because they didn't vote Liberal. That statement was one of the most divisive things I've heard since being elected.
Mr. Chair, as members of the environment committee, we should be alarmed because, for many years, this committee has been misled by the government. The environment minister testified at this committee on March 27 this year that Canadians “get more money back from the federal government than”—
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Leah Taylor Roy Liberal Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON
I'm sorry. Wasn't it just five minutes that they had?
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
—the five minutes doesn't count. This is a whole new chapter.
We're not—
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Yes, I'd like to add something.
I met with some watershed organizations this past summer, and I have some questions for the Transport Canada representatives. I'd like a little cooperation from the Conservatives.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Yes, I know. I understand, but that's not a point of order.
Mr. Mazier, the floor is yours.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
It's back to me.
Mr. Chair, as members of the environment committee, we should be alarmed because, for many years, this committee has been misled by this government.
The environment minister testified at this committee on March 27 this year that Canadians “get more money back from the federal government than”—
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Are we able to submit our questions in writing to the witnesses, because I also had some questions I wanted to ask [Inaudible—Editor]—
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Just a moment. I'm going to pause for a second to sort out a couple of things.
I'll have to get back to you. I've noted the desire to obtain substantive answers, but I have to find out if I can do that and make that request.
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
11:25 a.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Francis Scarpaleggia
Yes, I understand, but we'll get back to you on that.
Mr. Mazier.
11:25 a.m.
Conservative
Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB
The environment minister testified at this committee on March 27 this year that Canadians “get more money back from the federal government than what carbon pricing is costing them.”
If Canadians are getting more money back than they paid, then why are the Liberals pausing their carbon tax on home heating?
The environment minister also testified at this committee on May 3, 2022, that a carbon tax “is one of the most effective ways of reducing emissions.”
If the carbon tax is needed to reduce emissions, then why have emissions continued to go up under the Liberal government?
Last year, on March 24, the environment minister bragged to this committee about the carbon tax top-up for rural Canadians. He stated, “There is clearly a rural lens...applied to carbon pricing.”
If rural Canadians were considered, then why did his own government just admit that rural Canadians needed more money?
Earlier this month, the government's own department testified at this committee that the Liberals' second carbon tax, the clean fuel regulations, will disproportionately impact low- and middle-income Canadians. The government knew that its second carbon tax would punish low- and middle-income Canadians, but that didn't bother it. The government plowed ahead with it anyway. It's absolutely shameful.
Never has it been more clear that the carbon tax is not an environmental plan; it's simply a tax plan. Canadians have finally called the government's bluff, and Canadians are counting on us to immediately abolish the carbon tax once and for all.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
