Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 20th, 2024

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I would answer that affordability in the north is a real issue. That's why we are addressing it on many different levels. Food is too expensive, but it's simplistic to say that it's only the price on pollution that's causing it. There are many variables and factors in the price of food.

Also, I travel the north a lot, probably more than you do, and I can tell you that what people talk to me about is the environment. The price on pollution is an environmental plan, along with many other initiatives—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Minister—

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

When I go to the Northwest Territories—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

—it's not working. If it's an environmental plan, it simply isn't working.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

—people talk to me about wildfires. They talk to me about all the businesses.... Seventy per cent of the people living in the Northwest Territories had to be evacuated—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Minister, it's a tax plan, not an environmental plan.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

Businesses were shut down—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

The targets you're setting aren't even being met in the north.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

—for months, and it cost literally millions of dollars. It cost Canadians millions of dollars to take care of the repercussions and to prevent—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

You're making life unaffordable for northerners as it is.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

I'm going to stop the clock. There are 45 seconds left.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Our poor translators—how are they able to translate that? This is becoming a debate instead of a question being asked and answered. Let's be respectful of the poor translators who have to go through this.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I am—

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Yes, I'd just reinforce—

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

I gave the minister a lot of time to answer my simple question about the carbon tax, and he went on and talked about something else, so I'll ask—

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

I answered your question.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

—in my last time that I have—

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

It's your last question and we'll give the minister some time.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

—will you support—

[The Chair, Liberal, John Aldag]

Anyway, there are 45 seconds left, so the floor is over to you.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Thank you.

Again, I'll come back to my question. You can answer it with one final simple answer. It's between two options.

Will you support the people of Yukon and exempt—this is the question—Yukoners from the carbon tax, as is being asked, or will you support your colleague, Minister Guilbeault, and his promise that “as long as I'm the environment minister there will be no more exemptions to carbon pricing”?

It's simple.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

That's not a question; that's a slogan.

Eight out of 10 families in Canada receive more money in the rebates.

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

You know that's not true, Minister.

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB]

That is true.