Mr. Speaker, although I think the member makes a good point, there is a point in the analysis where I have to break with him.
I do recognize that people, depending on what part of the country they live in, the nature of their community and perhaps their financial means, have the ability to make different kinds of choices. For example, someone who lives in a rural community like I do does not have the same access to a downtown subway system that my colleagues who represent the city of Toronto do. That being said, there are options that we can all make to reduce our carbon footprint, so to speak. One of the key features of putting a price on pollution is making sure that the money is actually returned to Canadians so they are left better off.
The starting point is not that an expense is being foisted upon people that they cannot handle. That is categorically false with the plan that we are moving forward with. If one is being rebated more than the increased cost of living, that person is going to be able to use the money that is rebated to make the choices that he or she is able to make. If I live in a rural community, I might put my rebate toward the cost of living or toward making my home more energy efficient, whereas my colleagues who represent the citizens who live in Toronto may have their constituents take the train instead of driving to work every day.
The fact is that we need to empower citizens so they can make choices that help them in their lives and reduce their footprint at the same time.