House of Commons Hansard #315 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pricing.
Sheila Malcolmson NDP Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, as Liberals put billions into Kinder Morgan, betraying their promised sunny ways renewable future, pipeline spills and accidents are rising. Equiterre's new report on oil pipeline safety found less than 50% of incidents are reported. The National Energy Board is “not capable” of handling the work on its plate and is not protecting citizens or the environment.
Why did the government buy a leaky old pipeline, knowing these risks? How will it police itself when the next leak happens?
Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, as I have just said, it is a duty of government to make sure that we get our resources to market and that is precisely what we are doing.
At the same time, anyone who is responsible for a pipeline must understand that our principle of polluter pay applies and anyone who is responsible for it must take care of any incidents that do occur.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, when I reported to the House that the Fraser Institute had calculated that 81% of middle-class taxpayers were paying more under the Liberal government, the Prime Minister said, “No, that report did not say any such thing”, prompting the authors of the report to go to the newspapers and say, “Yes, most middle-class families are paying more in income tax.” We cannot trust the government on taxes.
We ask the government to come clean and tell us how much this carbon tax will cost these same middle-class families.
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep on saying the same thing. We published a report on April 30. I am happy to personally give it to the member opposite. What does it say? It says that pricing pollution works. It says that it reduces emissions by 80 million to 90 million tonnes and that we have been clear that revenues will go back into the provinces they come from. Eighty per cent of Canadians live in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, or B.C. where there is a price on pollution. The member can ask those provinces what they do with the revenues, but for example, British Columbia gives the revenues back in tax cuts.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. The hon. member for Abbotsford will come to order please.
The hon. member for Carleton.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, we are not asking for their April public relations pamphlet. We are asking for the costing that the departments have already done on this. We are calling on the government to release all costing documents that any department has produced or shared internally since the last election day. That is the only way we will know the real cost of this carbon tax.
Will the minister and the government release all of those documents, unredacted, so that Canadians know what this tax will cost?
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, I am going to talk to Canadians. You should go to provinces and ask what provinces are going to do with the revenue. There is a lot of misinformation here, misinformation from the other side. All revenues will stay in the province and the provinces can give back the revenues as tax cuts. What Canadians really want to know is what the Conservative Party's climate plan is.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Members know about the rule that members should address the Chair. It is designed to avoid members referring to one another as “you” and so forth, but it is best to keep to that rule in general.
The hon. member for Carleton.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, as the Liberals are looking forward to getting to some beautiful cottage on some lake, Canadians are suffering under the burden of higher gas prices, prices as high as $1.60 a litre in some provinces, prices that will only rise further when the Liberal government imposes its carbon tax. We want to know the price.
If the government is going to make Canadians pay the price, we are going to make the government pay the price by keeping them here for 25 hours straight voting on this carbon tax cover-up.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. Members seem to be very excited about that 24-hour prospect.
The hon. Minister of Environment.
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, we do not have to go through a stunt like the Conservatives are going to pull because we have already answered the question.
Eighty per cent of Canadians live in a province where the province has decided what to do with the revenues. The revenues have gone back in tax cuts or into investment in clean innovation. We have been clear that provinces are best placed to decide what to do with the revenues. Once again, what Canadians want to know is what the Conservatives' climate change plan is.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Carleton, ON
Mr. Speaker, we know the Liberals claim they are going to collect all this tax and then give it to provincial politicians. That is not our question. We are asking how much the tax will cost. If it had nothing to do with the federal government, it would not be in the federal budget bill. They have written a bill asking the House for permission to raise taxes on Canadians, but they will not even tell us what that tax will cost. There is no taxation without information. When will they give us the information on the cost of—
Catherine McKenna LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, once again, I refer to the April 30 document that provides the information.
However, let us talk about what we have done. We have created historic numbers of jobs for Canadians. We have the lowest unemployment rate in generations. We cut taxes on the middle class and raised them on the top 1%. We have given money back to Canadians through the Canada child benefit so that nine out of 10 families are better off and we have raised 300,000 kids out of poverty. That is real action. We are going to continue taking real action on climate change and growing our economy. I wish the other party would join us.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, if we take an intersectional gender lens to the cost of the carbon tax, it is arguable that low-income women, particularly senior women and single mothers, will bear the disproportionate cost of the carbon tax.
The Prime Minister has said that poverty is sexist. He knows, he has the data on how much it is going to cost these lower-income women. When will he end this carbon tax cover-up?
Maryam Monsef LiberalMinister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, we are thrilled to see the Conservatives take an interest in gender equality. This is what real change looks like.
I would like to remind the hon. member that we gave more funds to families who need the support the most, with the Canada child benefit. They voted against it.
I would like to remind her that we lowered taxes for the middle class and raised them on the 1%. They voted against it.
We are introducing pay equity legislation. They have worked every step of the way to stop that process.
We are supporting women and families with child benefit and child care opportunities. They voted against it.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, real change looks like imposing a tax grab that does nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which they know, while imposing a tax that is going to disproportionately harm low-income women. That is real change that no Canadian wants.
The government is not providing Canadians representation as they are increasing their taxes. They have this data. Why are they hiding it from Canadians?
Maryam Monsef LiberalMinister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, through the Canada child benefit plan, nine out of 10 Canadian families are better off under our plan than they were under the Conservatives plan. If my hon. colleagues are truly concerned about the well-being of those working hard to join the middle class, why do they take the opportunity at every step of the way to vote against plans and programs we introduce?
We have a housing strategy for 10 years, $40 billion, at least 25% of which will support women and their families with low incomes. My hon. colleague can jump on board and support our plan to grow the middle class.
Ruth Ellen Brosseau NDP Berthier—Maskinongé, QC
Mr. Speaker, after the Prime Minister said he was flexible, it is now the Minister of Agriculture who is leaving the door wide open to the possibility of sacrificing our supply management system in NAFTA renegotiations.
The Liberals keep telling us in the House that they are defending supply management and that they are the party that brought it in. They need to walk the talk.
My question is simple: will the government fully defend supply management in NAFTA renegotiations, yes or no? The key word here is “fully”.
Jean-Claude Poissant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, our government strongly supports supply management and is committed to maintaining it.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, our entire Cabinet and the entire caucus, as well as Canada’s trade negotiators, have been very clear and unequivocal on this since NAFTA talks began.
Our government strongly supports supply management and will continue to defend it and all interests of Canadian farm families.
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Speaker, more than 13,000 family farms in Canada work under the supply management system. The Prime Minister said the government would be flexible with our system in NAFTA renegotiations, and now the agriculture minister wants to wait to see what's on the table. What is that supposed to mean?
When are the Liberals going to stop with the non-answers, protect our family farms, and stand up for the supply-managed sectors?
Jean-Claude Poissant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, as we said, we are the party that brought in supply management and we will defend it. It is a model of stability for the world. We are the party that will continue to defend it. We have repeatedly said that our American partners’ proposals on supply management are unacceptable.
John Barlow Conservative Foothills, AB
Mr. Speaker, The agriculture minister claims Canadian farmers are fully supportive of the Liberal carbon tax. I do not think they are actually consulting with Canadian farmers at all. In fact, the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers said, "Farmers don't agree on everything, but if there's one issue they stand together on, it's in opposition to the carbon tax.”
How can the agriculture minister be misrepresenting farmers? Will he end the carbon tax cover-up? Will he tell us how much the Liberals' farm-killing carbon tax will cost our rural families?