Madam Speaker, I too would like to start by congratulating the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It is a little-known fact that my stepmother is a born and bred Swift Current resident. She moved into our home in 1994, and she is a diehard Saskatchewan Roughrider fan.
I rise to address the member opposite's question and to set the record straight: There is no such thing as a food packaging tax in Canada, and there is no industrial carbon tax on groceries. These claims simply do not reflect the facts.
Canada has in place practical, evidence-based measures designed to reduce pollution, support competitiveness and build a clean economy for the future. Industrial carbon pricing, for example, applies only to large emitters, the biggest polluters in the country. It does not apply to farmers. It does not apply to consumers. It does not apply at the grocery store checkout. The system is structured to keep Canadian industries competitive while achieving emission reductions at the lowest possible cost.
Canada's federal output-based pricing system gives company leaders options. They can innovate to cut emissions, purchase credits from innovators or invest in cleaner processes. It is not a charge on families. It is a framework that rewards cleaner operations and helps Canada stay competitive in a global economy that is rapidly decarbonizing.
Let us be clear about food prices. The federal fuel charge was removed from farm fuels on April 1 of this year. Experts agree that higher food prices are being driven primarily by global forces, supply chain disruptions, the war in Ukraine and energy price volatility. None of these factors stem from Canada's climate policies. In fact, it has been clearly shown that the industrial carbon pricing adds virtually no cost to commercial goods.
As for the so-called food packaging tax, the regulations on single-use plastics are not taxes at all. They are straightforward environmental rules that prevent harmful plastics, such as checkout bags, cutlery and certain types of food containers, from ending up in our rivers, oceans and streams. These rules are expected to prevent more than one million tonnes of plastic waste over the next decade. Many Canadian businesses have already adapted, often finding that reusable or recyclable alternatives save money over time.
Finally, the clean fuel regulations do not require fuel prices to increase. They are protecting the environment and human health by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is also spurring tens of billions of dollars of investment in clean-fuel projects across the country, creating good jobs and positioning Canada to compete globally. These are not taxes on food. They are smart, practical measures that protect Canadians from the rising costs of pollution and climate change.