Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to come into the House and talk about our efforts to fight climate change.
Canadians across the country are well aware of the fact that 2023 has been a devastating year with historic wildfires in Canada that have impacted people in the member opposite's riding, all across Alberta and all across Canada in unimaginable ways.
However, the member opposite stands there, denies the existence of climate change and denies the importance of pricing carbon. The Conservative member's daily consumption of Tucker Carlson conspiracy theory nonsense and steady diet of climate change denial is also fuelling misinformation.
As we saw entire communities evacuating this summer, he tries to make a joke out of it and basically asked which fire or flood was prevented by carbon pricing. Scientists confirm and Canadians understand that these historic and intense wildfires were made far more likely by climate change, and they are made more intense by climate change. Pricing carbon is basically just a foundation to fighting climate change and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
Last time I looked, there were no members of the House of Commons who have a Nobel Prize in economics. Therefore, we rely on experts in economics, environmental experts and paleoclimatology experts to inform us and tell us how we can do a good job fighting climate change.
Every member in this House ran on a commitment to fight climate change using some form of a price on pollution, a carbon price, in the last election. Not only do the Conservatives have absolutely no credibility on the environment, but they also have no credibility with their voters, as they promised in the last election that they would institute a carbon price if elected. Conservatives did not get elected. They failed to become elected. They did not form government, so they spun on their heels when their new leader decided they were not going to pursue any climate change action. They do not care about climate change. They will not talk about climate change and they will deny its existence entirely.
Alberta-based economist Trevor Tombe recently published research indicating clearly that family grocery bills are only marginally impacted by carbon pricing. In fact, in Alberta, carbon pricing has only increased groceries by about $5 on the monthly bill.
The Conservatives members may not believe in math. They do not believe in climate change. I would not be surprised if they did not believe in gravity because it is right in front of us. Climate change is real. Carbon pricing works. The Conservatives have—