Mr. Speaker, we should always focus on national unity in the House. One of the biggest divides in Canada is between urban and rural areas.
Rural Canadians are part of team Canada, but too often they are picked last and get sidelined. It is more than just slow Internet and cell service. The Liberal plan for a clean fuel standard is exactly the opposite of a team Canada approach. It is nothing but a penalty.
The government's own review of regulation openly states that it will disproportionately impact vulnerable people with low incomes. It also says that rural areas, especially in the Atlantic provinces, along with those of us out west, will suffer from higher fuel and production costs. Heating costs are already going up, but now our workforce and job opportunities will be left out in the cold. Rinks and rural facilities at the heart of our towns and villages will take yet another hit.
Rural Canada, with its people and its communities, should not be punished for their way of life even if the Liberal government does not understand it. These great Canadians, as much as any other, deserve a lot better from their government.