Mr. Speaker, warmer temperatures this week are a welcomed reprieve for Peace Country farmers who have been struggling to harvest flattened crops left soaked by early snow and persistent rain. Official reports have confirmed that a significant percentage of the harvest is still on the ground, and much of it has been degraded by frost and moisture.
Agriculture is the backbone of rural communities, and an estimated $3 billion worth of grain is still on the ground. Unfortunately, the Liberal carbon tax is adding insult to injury. Wet conditions mean that the majority of the grain needs to be dried. This is a major expense for any farm, and carbon tax on natural gas makes it prohibitively expensive.
Canada's Conservatives will always support our farmers. We will always stand against the Liberals' harmful carbon tax that makes Canadian farmers less competitive and limits the prosperity of our hard-working farm families.