Debates of June 5th, 2023

Indigenous Affairs

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington.

Carbon Pricing

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on July 1, the Liberal government is introducing a second carbon tax, an additional money grab from the pockets of cash-strapped Canadian families. With people already struggling to put food on the table, keep the lights on and make rent, how can the government justify yet another hurdle for them to overcome?

Running historic deficits and racking up reckless debt may be desirable for the government, but for many Canadians it is not an option. Will the government do the right thing and cancel its planned carbon tax increases?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Calgary Nose Hill for her comments earlier in this House. She actually talked about climate change, which her leader has never done and very few of the members of the Conservative Party have done. She begged us to do smarter things like public transport. Well, every time we have proposed public transport, they have voted against it. She said, “building more emissions-free electricity plants”. That is exactly what we are trying to do with our clean electricity regulations, but the Conservative Party opposes them.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, clearly the members opposite are not listening to the people who have put them here.

Canadians are going to be hit by an average of $1,500 annually under carbon tax 1, and under carbon tax 2 it is an additional $573. That is over $2,000 for an average family. The Liberal government needs to reduce interest rates and get inflation under control. It could start today.

I will ask this again after being given such a lacklustre answer the first time. Will the government exercise some common sense and cancel its planned carbon taxes, yes or no?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that in their 2021 platform, the Conservatives were proposing to put in place carbon pricing. It was not a plan for the environment, but at least they was talking about it. It was a plan to encourage people to pollute more. That is not the polluter pays principle, but we are getting there. They even refused last week to let us table their own platform in this House. They are so ashamed, yet it is not the first time they have told Canadians they were going to put in place carbon pricing and then walked back on their promises.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we know, the Minister of Finance said last November that deficits fuel inflation. What happened after that? A few months later, Liberal Party supporters told her they wanted deficits.

That is certainly not good news for someone who dreams of becoming the leader of the Liberal Party, but that is how Liberal supporters responded. What is especially bad news for all Canadians is that there is going to be a second Liberal carbon tax.

Will the Minister of Finance confirm the Parliamentary Budget Officer's conclusion that it will cost families in Quebec an extra $436, on average?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my hon. colleague that, in his party's election platform during the last campaign, the Conservatives proposed introducing a clean fuel standard. The difference between them and us is that, when they come to power, they do exactly the opposite of what they said they would do.

We on this side of the House are doing exactly what we said we would do. We are committed to fighting climate change, creating good jobs and supporting the economy. That is exactly what we are doing.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have absolutely nothing against the Minister of the Environment, but my question was for the future leader of the Liberal Party or at least, its aspiring future leader, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Why? Simply put, the matter directly affects the wallets of every Canadian family. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said it would cost Quebec families $436 on average.

Could the Minister of Finance, Deputy Prime Minister and aspiring prime minister tell Canadians whether or not this is true?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are constantly harping on about the deficit, but let me remind them that when the Harper government came to power, after the Liberal Party, it was left a budget surplus that it burned through. The Conservatives burned through the surplus by cutting revenues, services and programs. Every time something goes wrong, the Conservatives' first instinct is to make sweeping cuts.

We, on the other hand, have decided to help Canadians. We are asking the Conservatives to get a move on so that we can pass the budget and let Canadians reap the benefits.

Climate Change

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, Reuters reported about another $3 billion for the Trans Mountain pipeline. Ottawa co-signed two other loans, in late March and early May, and finally published them quietly last week on a website that has little traffic.

Climate change is happening now; it is happening today. We are right in the middle of it.

How much longer will the federal government persist in wasting billions of dollars to export dirty oil in the middle of a climate crisis?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we know how important it is to get a fair price for our resources on the market. It is important for Canada. It is important for all Canadians.

I would go so far as to say that, from the perspective of Canada's economic sovereignty, it is very important for me.

I want to emphasize that the government does not intend to be the long-term owner of the project.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, these billions of dollars in loans co-signed by the federal government, where can they be found? They are in the Canada account.

The criteria for the account are set out in black and white. They state, and I quote, “the risks are assumed by the Federal government”. In other words, taxpayers are accountable for every penny invested in Trans Mountain.

Who still has the nerve today to say that it is more useful to invest these billions of dollars in Trans Mountain than in combatting disasters caused by climate change?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not intend to be the long-term owner of this project.

Our government also understands the importance of economic sovereignty and of Canada having control over its exports and natural resources.

Yes, I agree with my colleague regarding climate change. That is why Canada has invested $120 billion in our plan for the green industrial transition.

Carbon Pricing

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, carbon tax 1 will add 41¢ a litre to the price of gas. Now carbon tax 2 will add another 17¢ on top of that. To make matters even worse, they are going to tax these taxes by adding GST. It all adds up to a whopping 61¢ a litre. These taxes will make everything more expensive while Canadians can barely make ends meet.

It is time to take their foot off the gas. When will they axe the tax?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying earlier, Canadians are battling forest fires right across the country. It is likely going to be the worst year for forest fires in the history of Canada. While this is happening, just last week in this House, the member for Red Deer—Mountain View rose to tell Canadians that climate change is normal. It is not that they do not care about climate change. It is not that they do not want to even understand it. They do not believe it is a problem, so why have any plans to fight climate change? Why have any plans to help Canadians adapt to what is a changing climate, as more and more Canadians face the impacts of climate—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Calgary Confederation.

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians plan their summer vacations, many are shocked with skyrocketing costs: motel prices, food prices and in particular gas prices. The Liberal carbon taxes will add a shocking 61¢ to a litre of gas, and do not forget the GST on top of that. Not all Canadians get to jet off on a vacation where taxpayers pay for the fuel.

What is the Liberal government going to do to make sure Canadians can afford the gas to see their families, to see their friends and to see their country?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, over my time as a parliamentarian, I have had the honour and privilege of getting to know the hon. member and I respect him deeply. However, I have to say that when we are dealing with the consequences of climate change at home, we know we need to reduce our pollution. We also know the most cost-effective way to combat climate change is to put a price on pollution.

With respect to this specific policy, eight out of 10 Canadian families are going to receive more. What the Conservatives are advocating for is to take that money away from families so they can give it to polluters. This is nonsensical policy. We are going to continue to advance an ambitious environmental agenda and make life more affordable at the same time.

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, after hours and hours of delay caused by the Conservative filibuster, thanks to the hard work of the Liberal members, the Standing Committee on Finance reported on the budget implementation bill last week.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives keep delaying this bill's progress in the House.

Can the hon. Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance explain to the House how the measures in this bill will help Canadians and why it is so essential to pass it quickly?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Fredericton for that excellent question.

After more than 28 hours of delay caused by the Conservatives, the Standing Committee on Finance was finally able to refer Bill C‑47 back to the House. This bill will allow us to move quickly on getting out the Canada workers benefit, improving the registered education savings plan and reducing the tax burden for merchants by reducing their credit card fees.

I ask the Conservatives to stop their ridiculous politicking and get this bill passed.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the tax-and-spend Liberals are at it again. It is not bad enough that Canadians are skipping meals and going to food banks because they cannot afford to eat and heat with the punishing taxes that the government is going to triple. Now the Liberals want to double down with a clean fuel tax and put a tax on the tax. The combination of these taxes will raise the price of gas 61¢ a litre, costing thousands of extra dollars to Canadians who cannot afford it.

When will the Liberals axe carbon tax 1.0 and 2.0 and the tax on the tax?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when the country is literally on fire and tens of thousands of Canadians have had to flee their homes, it is incredulous that the Conservatives continue to denigrate efforts to fight climate change. I am sorry, but it is hard to believe them when they say they take the environment seriously. It is even harder to believe them when they talk about affordability, because every time we have put forward measures to support Canadians, they have voted against them.

This July 5, the grocery rebate will be going out to Canadians, $467 on average. We will continue to be there for Canadians.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let me give members some reality. There has been a carbon tax for years that has done nothing to stop forest fires in this country, and it will never stop forest fires. It is a tax plan; it is not an environment plan. The only thing the carbon tax does is punish hard-working Canadians.

Will the Liberals quit double doubling down on the triple carbon tax and axe the tax?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, this question highlights that the Conservative Party of Canada has no understanding whatsoever of the science of climate change. It is as if we can flick a switch and climate is going to be all right. It is this magical thinking that by investing money in cryptocurrency, all is going to be good with the economy in Canada. This is the same thing.

If the Leader of the Opposition will not take a briefing on Chinese interference, maybe he will take a briefing on climate change. My department would be very happy to provide that to him and any member of the Conservative Party of Canada.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the Liberals are saying, the carbon tax will have an impact on Quebec—we just have to talk to farmers and truckers. As if that were not enough, this government wants to add a second tax, a tax on a tax. That tax represents $436 per family per year in Quebec. Canadians are already struggling with rising interest rates and inflation. People are sick and tired of this.

Will the Prime Minister give them a break and abandon his second carbon tax?