Madam Speaker, today is a really important day because, if there is anything I can say after reading the text of the motion, is that it lays bare something that we have seen throughout the debates of the House, which is that the Conservatives do not care about climate action. They do not take climate action seriously, and that is deeply troubling after the summer we have seen in this country, with wildfires and hurricanes, and the impacts they have had on individuals right across our country.
What some people may find surprising, and I appreciate the opportunity to show again, is that it leaves bare that the Conservatives do not have an economic strategy to build a strong Canadian economy for the future. That is what Canadians are looking to us for. They want to make sure that we are building an economy where there are strong, good-paying jobs for the future, which, when we look at what the Conservatives are asking for from us today, is something they are unable to deliver on. In fact, they are trying to take things apart.
We have a choice as a country. We can stay locked in our old ways, keep our heads in the ground and not look at where the future lies, or we can move to the future. The world is in a global change toward green technologies, a green economy and clean energy.
The questions I would have for the Conservatives as we go forward are these: Are they going to follow the Blockbuster method? How is VHS working for them? That is where they are trying to take Canadians back to. To be serious about this, because this is serious, Canadians want to have those opportunities, such as good-paying jobs and strong, safe communities. Dismantling tools to fight climate change just moves us in the wrong direction.
Climate change is putting homes, farms and businesses at risk from increasing natural disasters, which has a cost, and I will touch on that a bit, but the other piece is that not taking action on climate change also impacts trade and investments in our country, which would impact the average Canadian who needs to know that we are there with a strong plan.
The other question I have, beyond the question about VHS, is this: Why do the Conservatives not trust Canadians to make the best decisions by being able to keep money in their own pockets? In the next couple of weeks, Canadians will be receiving cheques or direct deposits as part of the carbon pricing plan in the federal backstop provinces, which is the underpinning for how carbon pricing works in their country. It is putting money into their pockets to let them choose what they are going to do with that money. That means they could carry on as they did before and spend that money on it, or they may be able to use that money to make some changes in how they are going to do things, such as letting themselves keep more money in their pockets.
It should not come as a surprise to us that the Conservatives do not want Canadians to keep more money in their own pockets because there is another piece they did not support. As of this year, Canadians will have $3,000 more of tax-free earnings when they file their taxes this year than in 2019. In 2019, the average Canadian's personal exemption would have been around $12,000. This year it is $15,000. That is $3,000 more in the pockets of Canadians. They get to choose how to use that.
I am not sure why the Conservatives are opposed to these measures. They are the kinds of things that, when I talk to people in my community, they want to see. They want to be able to make their own decisions with their money. Not only that, they want more tax-free money and want us to act on climate change, so I am a bit surprised when I see that.
It is really important that we talk about how carbon pricing is efficient. That is something that is recognized by leaders in economic thinking. Perhaps the Conservatives do not want to take my word for it, so let us look at what The World Bank said about a price on carbon pollution.
It stated:
A price on carbon helps shift the burden for the damage back to those who are responsible for it, and who can reduce it. Instead of dictating who should reduce emissions where and how, a carbon price gives an economic signal...In this way, the overall environmental goal is achieved in the most flexible and least-cost way to society. The carbon price also stimulates clean technology and market innovation, fuelling new, low-carbon drivers of economic growth.
I want to underline that it “stimulates clean technology and market innovation, fuelling new, low-carbon drivers of economic growth”. I think that is what Canadians are looking for from us.
Let us look at what the OECD had to say about it when it was reviewing the Canadian carbon pricing system. It said, “The carbon pricing benchmark provides an economically efficient mechanism for raising the bar on emission reduction.” “Economically efficient” sounds like what Canadians are looking for from us. I would question why the Conservatives seem to be so opposed to a system that would be economically efficient, fuel economic growth and actually help to build a strong economy.
An economist from the University of Calgary commented on this and said that, while regulations would dictate what one must do to cut back on fossil fuel use, carbon prices leave it to a consumer or a business to decide what works best for them. He said that to let the person or business decide what is best for them makes it the most efficient way, and usually the cheaper way, to address carbon emissions.
It is a personal choice and it is a cheaper way to address carbon emissions. That sounds to me like a win-win, but Conservatives seem to be opposed to that, so I will have to leave it with them to figure out why they feel so strongly. Canadians want that efficiency. They want us to stimulate clean technology and market innovation. They want a solid economy that is creating good-paying jobs. They want to be able to make decisions with their own money.
Let us talk about some other pieces for these businesses in out country. Let us talk about our international relationships. Earlier this year, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, came to speak to us. In her speech, she really emphasized the importance of the work we are doing, including the importance of carbon pricing. I will remind members opposite, in case they were not properly listening, that she said:
As renewable energy is the future, our partnership with Canada is crucial for speeding up the transition to clean energy. Canada and Europe are world leaders in the fight against climate change. We have written our climate targets into law. We have set carbon prices, and we have proven that it is possible to grow the economy and reduce emissions.
New challenges await us, however. The global race for clean technology is on. There is growing competition to attract investment and to control the most important links in key supply chains. In this more competitive environment, Canada and Europe must be on the same side.
That is a trading partner of ours. That is what she delivered to us as a message. Carbon pricing was part of the message she brought to us. I want to underline something, because I believe many of us here celebrated when we signed the free trade agreement with the E.U., the CETA agreement. We were very excited about that.
I have news for members opposite, in case they have not been paying attention to this. Europe is introducing a carbon border adjustment in the coming days. That means that products coming from and being manufactured in a country that has a carbon price in place will face fewer barriers being traded into the E.U.
This is about simple economics. We want to have that access so our businesses can thrive. Then through those strong businesses, we can have good-paying jobs for Canadians. Again, what the Conservatives are proposing today removes those opportunities for us.
I know I am running out of time, so I will just add that the other piece is investments in Canada. We are seeing international industries coming to Canada for battery manufacturing, zero-emission vehicles, battery recycling, solar farms and all that. What do they say? They say they are choosing Canada because we have one of the cleanest electrical grids in the world and because they believe that we are at the forefront of the green transition.
If the Conservatives are that opposed to carbon pricing, they can go into those communities where those jobs are being created and tell those people that they do not support those jobs being created. We have a strong plan for a green economy.