Debates of Sept. 19th, 2023

Carbon Pricing

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the new Minister of Agriculture still believes that farmers support the carbon tax. He is up for a rude awakening.

The previous agriculture minister said it is not like we can pass a law that will reduce the price of food. I have great news: She was wrong. The Prime Minister can reduce the cost of food right now by axing his inflationary carbon tax, which is driving up costs for farmers, processors, truckers and Canadian consumers.

Inflation is up another 4%, and a quarter of Canadian families are skipping meals because they cannot afford food. How much will Canadians have to pay to feed their families when he quadruples the carbon tax?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Canadians have heard the Leader of the Opposition advocate crypto to Canadians. When it comes to groceries, Canadians are saying, “Thanks, but no thanks, Leader of the Opposition.”

We know what we are doing and yesterday was the first step. We called on the big grocers to be part of the solution. We expressed the frustration of millions of Canadians. We asked them to come up with concrete plans to stabilize prices. On this side of the House in this caucus, we will fight for Canadians.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-Bloc coalition seeking to drastically increase carbon tax 2.0 is fuelling inflation across the country. It is outrageous. Everything costs more because of this obsession of the Liberal Party and the Bloc to drastically increase the inflationary carbon tax.

Will the Prime Minister and his coalition with the Bloc listen to reason and cancel their plan to drastically increase the inflationary carbon tax?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have had enough of Conservative buzzwords. Canadians expect their parliamentarians to take real action. That is exactly what we have done by meeting with every major grocery chain for the first time in Canada.

We have a message behind which all parliamentarians should unite: We understand the frustration that Canadians feel, and the major grocery chains have a part to play in stabilizing prices in this country. Instead of throwing buzzwords around, the Conservatives should join us in fighting for Canadians and stabilizing prices.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government and its coalition with the Bloc want to drastically increase the cost of living for Canadians. Voting Bloc is costly. Gas taxes will be sky-high. Electricity bills will go through the roof. Grocery bills will skyrocket. Rent prices will balloon.

Will the government reject the Bloc's demand to drastically increase inflationary carbon taxes? The Bloc is against common sense.

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, that statement was chock-a-block full of nonsense. They want to talk about common sense but, in 2023, not having a climate change plan makes no sense. In 2023, putting assault weapons back on our streets makes no sense. In 2023, rolling back women's rights makes no sense. While they would take us backwards, we move forward.

Labour

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a large union demonstration was held today on Parliament Hill to demand anti-scab legislation now. We may well have tabled, retabled and re-retabled bills to prevent the use of strikebreakers, but Ottawa will not budge. A mockery is being made of the right to free collective bargaining. Honest workers and their family members are paying the price. Will the government prohibit the use of scabs?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, I have complete trust in the collective bargaining process. We are on track to introduce legislation by the end of the year. We have to move ahead quickly without sacrificing quality. This is the most recent version of the policy intended to protect the collective bargaining process.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it has been a year since the longshore workers at the Port of Québec were first locked out. Some of those workers have lost their homes. Couples have divorced. People are drowning in debt. This is more than a labour dispute. It is a real tragedy for dozens, almost a hundred families. What is more, the longshore workers in Quebec City are at a disadvantage in this fight. It is like David and Goliath, but this time David does not have his slingshot.

This government, which claims to be progressive, is 40 years behind Quebec. When will it finally understand—

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Minister of Labour and Seniors.

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, there were indeed a great number of lessons learned over the summer with the B.C. longshore strike, and indeed there were lessons learned over the course of labour relations at both ports, in Montreal and in Vancouver. We will be taking a careful look at both of those situations and the relationships between government, business and employers to make sure that the collective bargaining process is sacrament, but also to make sure that the supply chains of this country are protected.

Carbon Pricing

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the government, Canadians are seeing record inflation, and they are seeing their grocery prices skyrocket thanks to the carbon tax. Tiff Macklem, the Bank of Canada governor, agrees and said that the carbon tax announcements that have it going up increase inflation each year.

The NDP-Liberal carbon tax has increased the cost of apples by 61%, and that is just one example. Everything is more expensive.

Will the Prime Minister cancel his plans to increase his inflationary carbon tax?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time I get to stand in the House on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. I would like to express solidarity with and condolences to all of the families who suffered this year's unprecedented wildfire season.

I will read a quote called “a good idea” from a well-known Conservative: “I wholeheartedly support, especially [in] the production of energy, [identifying] its negative environmental impacts...and includ[ing] the costs of [mitigation] in the price of the product.... It's the idea behind using carbon pricing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions”. This quote is from Preston Manning, the political mentor of the leader of the official opposition.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is not rocket science; it is basic math that the NDP-Liberal government just does not seem to get. If it costs the farmer more to grow the food and costs the trucker more to ship the food, it is going to cost Canadian families more to buy the food.

After eight years of raising taxes on families, farmers and truckers, they want to quadruple the carbon tax. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

When will the Prime Minister cancel his plans to increase his inflationary carbon tax?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives just do not seem to get is that there is a cost to climate change as well.

I appreciate the opportunity to remind Canadians that the price on pollution is a rebate program. Over the next couple of weeks, the tax-free quarterly payment goes out. That is the first week of October. My colleague is from Ontario. For a family of four, this happens four times a year, and it is $244 quarterly for families in Ontario.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister said that she would not pour fuel on the fire of inflation. She added $44 billion in new spending in the 2023 budget, throwing a return to balanced budgets out the window.

Now we have the Bloc Québécois trying to convince people that the carbon tax does not apply in Quebec. They should have a word with our farmers, who receive bills on which the words “carbon tax” are right there in black and white. I could table one if they agree.

On this side, everyone understands that axing the carbon tax is the right thing to do for our farmers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am neither a Quebecker nor a francophone. I am also obviously not a member of the Bloc Québécois. However, there is one thing I know about Quebec: The Quebec nation is the environment leader in Canada. Quebec is the leader when it comes to climate action.

Our government recognizes that. We admire Quebec's environmental leadership. We understand that Quebeckers—

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Pontiac.

Grocery Industry

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, many families in my riding are finding the cost of living to be a challenge, and they are having a hard time making ends meet. Times are tough, especially at the grocery store. Prices are going up.

What gives me hope is the discussions that are currently taking place with the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. He reached out to major grocers, major retail grocery chains, to talk about how to stabilize prices.

Could he update the House on the progress of those talks?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for that important question, which is informed by empathy. This is about understanding Canadians who are having a hard time paying for groceries.

That is why, at the Prime Minister's behest, we invited food executives to come and explain themselves here in Ottawa. On behalf of the entire House and millions of Canadians, I expressed people's frustration with the rising cost of food.

What I can tell members is that this is a step in the right direction. The executives committed to working with us on a concrete plan to stabilize prices. We will continue to fight for all Canadians.

Carbon Pricing

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians simply cannot afford the Prime Minister, as 20% of Canadian families are skipping meals, half of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque and credit debt is at an all-time high, with the average non-mortgage debt being $21,000 per consumer.

Will the Prime Minister not show some compassion for Canadian families and cancel the costly carbon tax?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, as it is my first opportunity to rise as the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, I would like to thank the residents of Kanata—Carleton for putting me in the House and the Prime Minister for his confidence.

We are building a nationwide system of child care that is affordable, inclusive and high quality. This is literally putting hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of Canadian families. This is transformational, and we will continue to work with the provinces and territories to make sure this happens.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is part of the problem. After eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians simply cannot afford the Prime Minister. Even the governor of the Bank of Canada agrees that his costly tax on gas and groceries is increasing inflation. Twenty per cent of Canadian families are skipping meals, but the Prime Minister thinks nothing of spending $10,000 a month on groceries.

Why does he not show some compassion for the Canadians who put food on his table, and axe the tax?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, of course, what is not honest about that statement is that it is not acknowledging the money that is coming back to eight out of 10 Canadians.

I would also say we are not talking about the costs of a climate that will not bear crops. Just take respiratory illnesses. Does everyone know that 15,000 people die a year prematurely as a result of respiratory illnesses related to air pollution? Do we know that in the heat dome that occurred in B.C., we lost 619 lives? Do we know the costs on our health system and productivity are a loss of over $100 billion a year as a result of climate change?

We need to act.

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what the member does not know is our farmers could produce more if he would stop cutting their legs out from under them. There is a 76% increase in the cost of carrots, a 76% increase in the cost of potatoes and a 76% increase in the cost oranges.

There is no doubt the carbon tax is inflationary, but do not take my word for it. Take the word of the governor of the Bank of Canada, who recently said that every time there is an announcement and the carbon tax goes up, that increases inflation each year. When we tax the farmers who grow the food and tax the truckers who truck the food, that increases the price of food across the country. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

When will the Prime Minister and his NDP government cut the carbon tax so Canadians can put food on their table?