Thank you so much, Chair.
I strongly support this motion. The way the government has approached carve-outs to the carbon tax is inequitable and, frankly, against the spirit of nation building.
Also, it ignores the valid concerns of many first nations communities across the country that are reliant upon different types of heating fuel and may be facing challenges outside of and greater than looking at ways to, let's say, install a heat pump. There are communities across the country that do not have clean drinking water. I find the way the government approached the Atlantic Canadian carve-out to the carbon tax—and then saying nothing for the rest of the country—a blatant piece of disgusting vote-grabbing.
The reality as well, Chair, and the reason why I would encourage colleagues to support this, is that when we are looking at the issue of climate change and coming up with solutions to address that in the country, the government's present carbon taxation policy does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It doesn't work, and the fact that there's such a dogmatic adherence to it is actually stifling policy innovation in other areas.
When we do have subnational governments that are looking at opposing it.... Canada is not Germany. It's not a small European country that is temperate. We're a large, cold, natural resource-based country that is also dealing with nation-to-nation conversations with first nations and indigenous persons, and the carbon tax is a failed and flawed policy instrument as it is designed right now in Canada. It's flawed. It doesn't work and it's problematic.
Given the comments—as my colleague Mr. Zimmer has said—of elected officials in this part of the country, I hope the committee would support this motion. Certainly, it would just spur the government into realizing that they have taken a flawed approach. At the very least, I hope the Liberal caucus raises this in their caucus meetings.
Thank you.