Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed once again that the vast majority of Canadians will receive more money back from the Canada carbon rebate. In Manitoba, that is $1,200 annually, and it is even higher for residents in rural areas. In fact, there is a 20% top-up. It was 10%, but our government decided to double that to give rural constituents and residents across Canada even more money back. Experts agree that putting a price on pollution is the most cost-effective way of fighting climate change. The Premier of Saskatchewan has even confirmed this. Premier Moe has said that his government looked at alternatives to carbon pricing, but they were too expensive.
Our government is committed to fighting climate change while also making life more affordable, and that is exactly what putting a price on pollution does. The Bank of Canada has confirmed this. The Governor of the Bank of Canada said that carbon pricing contributed less than 0.15% to inflation. That is 15¢ on $100 spent. That is not a significant amount; moreover, with the carbon rebate, eight out of 10 families get more money back in their pockets, and those are predominantly lower- and medium-income families. That is a fraction of half a per cent. That puts it in perspective.
The Conservative Party keeps claiming and have continued to claim that they have a plan to fight climate change, but it has yet to produce any kind of comprehensive plan. It has a few slogans here and there, but there is no plan that I can see. In May 2023, the Leader of the Opposition held another fundraiser with more than a dozen lobbyists from the oil and gas industry, accepting over $60,000 in donations. They wanted to ensure that he would not fight climate change and do the opposite of climate action. In essence, he would make pollution free again in this country.
When I knock on doors in my riding, I ask people at their doors who should pay for pollution, the average Canadian or industry. Even among those who are somewhat critical of the price on pollution, every single person says it should be industry. That is exactly what our government does. By putting a price on pollution, we are incentivizing innovation. We are setting a significant price signal in terms of changing behaviour in the market, and that is exactly what we are seeing. If members listen to the environment minister's responses in question period, they will hear that there is a significant amount of emissions reduction in Canada.
It does not end there. Since the Conservative Leader of the Opposition was elected 20 years ago, he has voted against climate action and protecting the environment over 400 times. We cannot find a member in the House who is more opposed to fighting climate change. It is embarrassing and shameful. When I look my two daughters in the eye, I want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to protect our clean water and the environment for a healthy future for all Canadians, including my daughters. I do not know how the Conservatives can look themselves in the mirror when they never take climate change seriously. Not once have I ever heard them say that they believe in climate change and have a plan to address it.