Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Hello everyone.
Regarding our position, we are not opposed to there being discussions between the federal government and the provinces to establish policies that meet each of their needs. However, what the opposition motion is calling for today is that the meeting be used to establish(c) plans for provinces to opt-out of the federal carbon tax to pursue other responsible ideas to lower emissions...
However, those plans already exist. The federal carbon pricing system includes a right to withdraw that is available to all provinces. A province needs only bring its carbon pricing mechanism into force in order for federal pricing not to apply there. In Quebec, for example, we have had our own system for ten years. Quebec is therefore completely exempted from the federal system.
That is our position. I will therefore not be able to support the motion.