House of Commons Hansard #146 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was project.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Diesel Prices Members debate a Conservative motion for emergency diesel tax relief, faster approvals for fuel infrastructure, and a goal of producing one million barrels of diesel daily. Conservatives argue high fuel costs burden farmers, truckers and consumers, while greater domestic production would improve affordability and energy security. Liberals cite existing temporary tax relief and long-term infrastructure plans, cautioning that global markets shape prices and refineries cannot provide immediate relief. Bloc members favour targeted assistance and question whether broad tax cuts benefit consumers or oil companies. 50600 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Alleged Premature Disclosure of Information Concerning Bill C-39 Members debate whether government briefings on a west coast pipeline update and Bill C-39 raise a question of privilege, with the government arguing established precedents show MPs were not obstructed in their duties. 800 words.
Youth Criminal Justice Act Report stage of Bill C-231. The bill amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act to let authorities refer young people facing criminal proceedings to treatment, and allow courts in some cases to defer sentencing or make treatment a condition of an order. Its scope includes problematic substance use and other treatment, such as mental health programs, to support rehabilitation and reintegration. 7900 words, 1 hour.
Building Canada Strong Act Second reading of Bill C-39. The bill proposes to coordinate and accelerate major-project reviews, strengthen trade corridors and ports, digitize trade processes, and amend federal labour rules. Supporters say it can reduce duplication and attract investment while maintaining safeguards; critics question the one-year timeline, expanded cabinet discretion and exemptions for regions of national interest, and warn of risks to environmental protections, Indigenous rights, workers’ strike rights and parliamentary scrutiny. 44000 words, 5 hours.
Alleged Premature Disclosure of Bill C-40 Andrew Scheer alleges that media reports disclose specific provisions of Bill C-40 before its introduction, breaching members’ parliamentary privileges, and asks the Speaker to find a prima facie contempt of the House. 1200 words.
Stephen Fuhr Liberal Kelowna, BC
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-40, An Act respecting production, procurement and investment in relation to national defence and national security.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “The Next Phase of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Eric Duncan Conservative Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of Conservative members regarding the foreign affairs committee's review of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy. While this region is vital to Canada's future, the government report papers over four years of empty announcements, inadequate resources and delayed implementation. Instead of confronting threats, the government soft-pedals Beijing's military expansion, economic coercion and human rights abuses while pursuing a new strategic partnership with China.
Most notably, the Liberals refused to sign the Canada-Taiwan trade co-operation framework agreement fully agreed upon since March 2025 and absurdly recommend operationalizing an agreement they refused to sign, simply bowing to Beijing's intimidation. Meanwhile, our weak hard-power contributions lag behind key allies, risking Canada's standing as a reliable security partner. Conservatives demand real action: sign the Taiwan trade agreement immediately, accelerate regional defence investments, publish transparent accountability scorecards and make all new engagement with Beijing strictly conditional on international law.
Karina Gould Liberal Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Finance in relation to Bill C-38, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act on the extension of the federal fuel excise tax relief.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting three petitions on behalf of residents in my riding regarding Canada Post.
The first petition is about something many people thought Conservatives would do but the Liberals are doing, and that is about door-to-door delivery. Community members are calling on the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement to reinstate the moratorium on community mailbox conversions and instruct Canada Post to maintain home delivery to all addresses that currently receive it. Who would have thought?
The second petition is to save rural post offices. The Canadian postal service charter affirms that the provision of postal services to rural regions is an integral part of Canada Post's universal service. These residents call on the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement to reinstate the moratorium on the closure of rural post offices and to direct Canada Post to explore opportunities to strengthen the rural postal network instead of making it weaker.
In the third petition, petitioners in Mission are especially concerned about the future of our beloved post office in downtown Mission. They are calling on the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement to instruct Canada Post to maintain the post office located at 33191 1st Avenue in Mission as a fully functioning post office, as well as a sorting and delivering depot.
These petitioners note that Canada Post needs a new business plan and that the Government of Canada has not taken the necessary steps to make sure the CEOs are doing due diligence with Canadian taxpayer dollars. They do not want to lose their services because of bad management in Ottawa.
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting three petitions.
The first petition was signed by over 7,500 individuals. They are calling upon the Canadian government to ensure that all eligible residents of Canada can access required health care, including gender-affirming care, as outlined in the Canada Health Act and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We know that gender-affirming care is a form of life-saving care and is evidence-based health care.
The Government of Alberta has limited who can have reasonable access to health care through Bill 26.
The petitioners also note that the Canada Health Act states that eligible residents of Canada must have “reasonable access to [required] health care services”.
I am very proud to table this petition on behalf of petitioners today.
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the second petition that I am tabling is in support of my bill, Bill C-247, and to pass it into law without any amendments to repeal section 107 of the Canada Labour Code and stop the violation on the right to strike.
The petitioners call on the government to stop abusing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, which has happened over eight times under the Liberal government. The petitioners talk about how the government has repeatedly invoked section 107 to violate the right to strike and undermine fair collective bargaining, including against striking postal workers, railroad workers, port workers and flight attendants.
Petitioners also point to the Supreme Court of Canada, which recognized, in 2016, the right to strike as an essential and indispensable component of the right to collective bargaining.
At a time when countless workers across Canada are seeing the cost for essentials like housing, groceries and transportation skyrocketing, petitioners are calling on our leaders to pass my bill with haste.
Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB
Mr. Speaker, the last petition I am presenting today calls on the government to suspend the AAFC staff terminations and to continue operating the research centre, research farms and the organic and regenerative research program for at least 24 months to provide cost-benefit transparency and ensure irreplaceable research capacity and long-term studies are not lost due to hasty decisions.
The petitioners are urging that we cannot base our good public health decisions on political sound bites. They have to be based on research.
Terry Dowdall Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of the people of Simcoe-Grey and cite specifically those in Clearview Township.
I present a petition from the residents who are opposing the location of an over-the-horizon radar system. The Department of National Defence has bought one large swath of land of over 700 acres that is prime farm agricultural land and plans to build over-the-horizon. That would be phase one. In phase two, it will be up to approximately another 3,000 acres. Many of the residents are fearful of expropriation and what that will do.
All of the petitioners understand that there is a balance between food security and national security. They realize, from looking at a map, there are other locations out there. They may cost money, but for them and future generations, we need to save this land. It is right beside the Minesing Wetlands as well, so there are a lot of issues with this particular area.
The petitioners are calling on the government to stop the building of the over-the-horizon site on the already purchased property, prevent future acquisition of prime farmland and the building of the over-the-horizon site on the prime farmland of Clearview Township and register the previously purchased property with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve its agricultural status.
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition from Canadians from across the country who are opposed to the expansion of MAID to those who have only the underlying issue of mental illness. They note that mental illness is often recoverable. They are asking for the Government of Canada to recognize this and to adopt Bill C-218. This bill would stop the expansion of medical assistance in dying to those who have mental illness. We need to ensure those with mental illness have hope and not MAID.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time, please.
Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
moved:
That, given that,
(i) Canada's diesel prices have hit record highs over the last several weeks,
(ii) Canada's diesel prices on September 28 were approximately 24 cents per litre higher than the United States average, and 31 cents a litre higher than the world average, showing that high prices cannot be explained by global factors alone,
(iii) diesel powers the tractors that farm our food, and the trucks and trains that transport it, leading to bigger grocery bills for working Canadians,
(iv) Canadians pay more than other countries for diesel because of high taxes, a low dollar and too much reliance on U.S. refineries,
(v) Canada should have the most affordable diesel in the world, given that we have the fourth biggest oil reserves,
the House, in the interest of saving Canadians money and fuelling our country at home, call on the government to adopt the Emergency Fuel Relief Plan that:
(a) provides for emergency pre-permitting and tax relief for the construction of diesel infrastructure, such as refineries, pipelines, rail and storage;
(b) eliminates all taxes on diesel consumption until at least Canada Day; and
(c) permanently eliminates taxes on diesel production; and call on the government to set the goal of boosting Canadian diesel production to one million barrels per day, allowing every Canadian business and consumer access to Canadian diesel.
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with my colleague and friend from Bow River.
I rise today to speak to our Conservative opposition motion calling for an emergency fuel relief plan to cut diesel costs, increase Canadian fuel production and strengthen our ability to fuel ourselves at home.
Across Canada, diesel keeps our economy moving. It powers the trucks that deliver groceries to our stores, the equipment farmers use to bring in the harvest, the fishing vessels on our coasts, forestry and mining operations, construction equipment and essential services in rural and northern communities. When diesel costs more, everything that depends on it costs more too. Families feel it in the price of groceries, building materials, transportation and everyday essentials.
Canada's geography makes these pressures even harder. Goods must travel long distances to reach rural communities. Residents often travel long distances for work, groceries and medical appointments. Higher fuel costs follow them throughout their daily lives and make almost everything more expensive.
Higher fuel costs are not just a problem for the person standing at the pump. They show up in the cost of producing food, moving freight, building homes and keeping businesses open. In rural, northern and remote communities, those costs can be even harder to absorb. Many Canadians have no practical alternative to driving long distances, and businesses have no alternative to moving goods across our sprawling, vast geography.
The national Canadian average of diesel was roughly $2.63 a litre, up roughly 38% in just three months. A week prior, it reached $2.74 a litre. In my riding, diesel in Deer Lake reached $2.77 a litre.
There is no question that events overseas have contributed to higher fuel prices. Conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine have disrupted energy markets and put pressure on fuel supplies around the world. Those pressures are being felt around the world, yet they do not explain why Canadians are paying approximately 24¢ more per litre for diesel than Americans and 31¢ more than the world average. For fishermen filling their boats, farmers running their equipment and truckers delivering our groceries, that premium adds up, and those higher costs are ultimately passed on to families.
Canada cannot control conflicts overseas, but we can control the taxes, regulations and barriers here at home that add to the cost of producing and supplying fuel in Canada. International markets affect everyone, but Canadians should not be paying an additional premium created by taxes and barriers that the Liberals imposed on Canada. From farmers on the Prairies, forestry workers in British Columbia and northern Ontario and truckers moving goods across Quebec to fishermen in Atlantic Canada and workers supplying remote communities in the north, affordable and reliable diesel is important in every area of this beautiful country.
Canada's energy policy must reflect what it takes to live, work and do business across a country as large and diverse as Canada. Fuel costs do not stop at the pump. They move through the supply chain and into the price of food, building materials and everyday necessities. A single piece of harvesting equipment can consume more than 1,100 dollars' worth of diesel in a day. During harvest, those costs hit farmers especially hard. The Grain Growers of Canada estimates that fuel for one large machine could cost $15,000 more this harvest than last year. That is before counting other equipment. I see the impact of those costs in my own riding of Long Range Mountains.
Michelle, a farmer from Cormack, wrote to my office about what those costs look like on the ground. In 2024, her farm spent $86,543 on diesel. This year, she expects that this cost will reach approximately $135,000. That is an increase of nearly 56% in just two years. That is only what her farm spends directly on fuel to keep its tractors and equipment running. Michelle explained that diesel is needed for everyday work, like preparing feed for their cows and cleaning the barns. It is also needed to spread manure and fertilizer; mow, bale and haul hay; and clear snow during the winter.
On top of that, her farm pays higher freight charges and fuel surcharges on feed, fertilizer, supplies and equipment parts, as well as the cost of transporting the milk. As Michelle explained to me, rising fuel prices at this level are simply not sustainable for farms. For farmers like Michelle, diesel is essential and not an option. If the equipment does not run, the farm cannot operate, and if the truck does not move, she cannot transport her product. These pressures extend across our economy. Diesel powers construction equipment, mining and forestry operations, and the trucks and trains that move goods across the country. Higher operating costs ultimately add to household bills.
This is why Canada's energy security matters just as much as immediate relief at the pump. Threats from Washington to restrict diesel exports to Canada further underline the urgent need to strengthen our domestic refining, transportation, storage and supply. Whether that threat materializes or not, Canada needs to prepare before a disruption reaches our communities. We should not wait for the next supply disruption before asking whether Canada has enough refining capacity or whether we can move Canadian fuel when it is needed. A country with our energy resources should have the infrastructure and capacity to better protect Canadians before a crisis happens.
Canada has the world's fourth-largest crude oil reserves, yet parts of Canada remain heavily dependent on imported refined petroleum products, much of them coming from the United States. In 2025, Canada imported approximately 485,000 barrels per day of refined petroleum products. Nearly 80% of those imports came from the United States. For a country with our resources, workers and expertise, we should be doing more to produce and refine the fuel Canadians need here at home.
For 11 years, Liberal antidevelopment laws like Bill C-69 and Bill C-48 have discouraged private investment and held back energy development. Instead of making it easier to build the infrastructure needed to move Canadian energy across Canada, Liberal federal policy has too often added another layer of uncertainty. Companies considering major investments need certainty. They need to know that projects can move through the approval process within reasonable timelines and that Canada is a competitive place to build and expand operations. Canada cannot become more self-reliant on fuel while continuing to impose barriers that make energy infrastructure harder and more expensive to build.
The Liberal government knows that cutting taxes saves Canadians money. It needs to stop making excuses and implement our Conservative emergency fuel plan relief to cut diesel costs, build Canadian energy and put more money back in Canadians' pockets. The Conservative plan is straightforward: lower costs now, increase Canadian fuel production and make Canada more resilient. Our motion calls on the government to take concrete measures to provide immediate relief, while increasing Canada's ability to produce, refine and distribute the fuel Canadians depend upon.
We should eliminate all federal taxes on diesel sales until at least Canada Day 2027 to give households and businesses relief that they can count on. That means removing federal taxes on diesel consumption, including the GST, so that farmers, truckers, fishermen and businesses can reduce their input costs and continue to provide Canadians with the food and goods and services that they rely upon. We should permanently eliminate federal taxes on diesel production, including the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard, so that federal policy encourages affordable Canadian fuel production.
We should increase Canadian diesel and other refined fuel production to one million barrels per day within five years, with the goal of meeting demand across Canada and eliminating the diesel price gap with the United States. We should create emergency permitting for diesel refineries, storage, and transportation infrastructure so that fuel can reach the people and businesses that depend upon it. That includes the pipelines, rail infrastructure and storage facilities needed to move fuel reliably between regions and get it to market.
We should allow businesses to deduct 100% of investments in diesel production and distribution in the first year to encourage private investment in the capacity that Canada needs. If Canada wants new refineries, refinery expansion, storage facilities and transportation infrastructure, our tax and regulatory environment has to make Canada a competitive place to put that capital. We should also build a strategic refined petroleum reserve to protect Canadians during supply disruptions. Our plan would provide relief today while strengthening our ability to fuel ourselves here at home.
More Canadian fuel, better transportation infrastructure and emergency supplies would put us in a stronger position to meet our needs and supply our allies. These measures provide Canadians the relief they need from higher costs, but they also empower us to produce more of the fuel we consume and move it reliably wherever it is needed. Canada cannot control every event in Washington or disruption in global markets, but we can control whether we make it easier or harder to produce and refine fuel here at home.
Members of this House should consider the impact that higher diesel costs are having on Canadians in every region in this country. I encourage members from all parties to support this motion and help build a stronger, more affordable and more resilient Canada.
Marilyn Gladu Liberal Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her advocacy for the citizens of Long Range Mountains.
As she may know, I worked in the refining business for decades. Although there have been some supply chain increases, on the whole, the price of fuel is, as she said, greatly impacted by global situations, which we do not have a lot of control over and are sometimes hard to predict. Our government has introduced measures recognizing the affordability issues that Canadians are facing, and Bill C-38 would take the tax off fuels until next year. Can the member comment on whether the Conservatives will support these measures?
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, oftentimes, the Liberals like to take Conservative ideas and go part of the way, but they do not want to go all the way. I would suggest that they approve of our opposition day motion so we can provide real relief for Canadians. Instead of taking half measures on Conservative ideas, I would encourage them to support our opposition day motion, if they are really serious about the affordability crisis in this country.
Opposition Motion—Diesel PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
October 6th, 2026 / 10:20 a.m.
Conservative
Rob Morrison Conservative Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. I stopped at a small gas station in rural B.C., and the diesel price was over three dollars a litre. We are struggling with our logging industry and our farmers. One farmer in Grasmere cannot afford his cattle. There is another farmer in Creston who has the largest asparagus farm in B.C. Diesel prices are tormenting them.
How will this motion help them get through the tough times they are going through right now, not a month from now, but as of today?
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, I can certainly relate to those stories because I have farmers reaching out to me consistently, all the time. It would provide immediate relief if we eliminated all those taxes right now. They desperately need it.
As I talked about in my speech today, when our farmers are paying a 48% increase from just two years ago on diesel, which is so much a part of their operations' direct and indirect costs, they cannot sustain higher input costs. They are in real trouble and facing real risks. We are fighting for our farmers and want to provide immediate relief to them because we know they are struggling right now.
Opposition Motion—Diesel PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Winnipeg North Manitoba
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, at times the Conservatives need a reality check, quite frankly. At the end of the day, they like to take credit for the excise tax relief. I can tell the member opposite that the new Prime Minister, who was elected 18 months ago, recognized the importance of giving tax relief to Canadians. This is not the only government that has done that. Wab Kinew, the Premier of Manitoba, did it a number of years ago.
The Conservatives say it is a Conservative idea, but in reality it was a good idea, and it was a good thing for the Prime Minister of Canada, after getting elected, to give that tax break, because we are trying to help Canadians. That is what it is all about. Would the member not agree that it is about helping Canadians?
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is any misunderstanding about how much I advocate for the people in my riding and in this country. I find it a bit rich that the member opposite gets up and attacks me for fighting and advocating for Canadians. If we had not put the pressure on, absolutely the Liberals would not have cut the taxes on gas. Yes, we will take credit, and yes, we will continue to fight for Canadians.
Tamara Kronis Conservative Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and I often reflect on the fact that we represent coastal ridings where it feels like we get hit with high fuel costs on the way to the grocery store, at the grocery store and on the way home from the grocery store. I wonder if the member could share a bit more about what she is hearing in her community, because if it is anything like mine, food affordability is a major issue right now, and this would really help.
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, there are vast distances between the communities in Long Range Mountains, just as there is in the member's riding, where places are rural and remote. In order for people to get to their medical appointments or get the goods and services they need, they have to travel long distances and have no alternatives. That is why this is especially important for the constituents we represent.
David Bexte Conservative Bow River, AB
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the member for Long Range Mountains, for sharing her time with me. I truly appreciated the words she had to share with the House. They were fantastic.
It is always an honour to rise on behalf of the people of Bow River. During the debate on Bill C-38, I invited the Prime Minister to Bow River. I asked him to stand in a field in southern Alberta at 10 o'clock at night, beside a farmer and his son facing the rain. That invitation still stands, even though the harvest is wrapping up in southern Alberta. It is probably the most expensive harvest these farmers have faced in their entire lifetime.
At this time of year, the work on our farms does not end when the sun goes down. The crop still has to come off, trucks still have to run and the livestock still has to be fed. The harvest is when a family finds out what a year of work will bring. The seed has been paid for, the fertilizer has gone on the ground and the machinery payments keep coming, and now the family has to bring the crop home. They cannot leave the crop standing until diesel gets cheaper. They cannot ask the weather to wait while Ottawa makes up its mind. It is the harvest.
A modern combine burns 60 to 80 litres of diesel an hour. Harvest days run 12 hours or more. That is 800 litres a day for one machine on one farm in one day. Diesel in this country now averages about $2.60 a litre, and it has hit record highs for weeks. It should not cost this much to fuel the country with the fourth-largest oil reserves on earth. Canada should have the most affordable diesel in the world. The government will point overseas, at the geopolitical and the Strait of Hormuz. Oh my. Wars and global turmoil affect fuel prices everywhere, but they do not explain the extra costs Canadians have to bear.
Canadian diesel is now 24¢ a litre more than the American average and 31¢ a litre more than the global average. A wheat farmer in Montana, just a short drive south of Taber, Alberta, sells into the same world market as my neighbours, but an Alberta farmer is paying 24¢ a litre more for diesel. Before any seed is in the ground, our farmers are already starting the season at a competitive disadvantage. Canadian farmers are paying more for fuel than their competitors in the United States and other markets for three main reasons. These are high taxes, a weak Canadian dollar and an overreliance on American refineries. That is why I support this motion and our emergency fuel relief action plan.
At the end of September, the national diesel price was around $2.60 a litre. For a farmer, this is a bill that grows with every hour the combine runs. The Grain Growers of Canada has put that cost into terms this House should understand. One large combine burning 70 litres an hour and working eight hours a day for 30 days, with bulk diesel rising from $1.10 to $2 a litre, has added to the harvest a bill of more than $15,000. This is the increase for one machine. It is not the increase for the tractor pulling the grain cart, it is not for the trucks hauling to the elevator and it is not for the truck delivering fuel.
That money could pay down the operating loan. It could replace worn tires. It could help carry the farm through the winter. Instead, it goes into the fuel tank. From the fuel tank, it goes into government coffers. A farmer can work longer hours, but a farmer cannot bargain with an empty tank.
This motion is not just for our farmers. It is for every Canadian family that sits down at the dinner table each night. Think about a loaf of bread. Before it reaches the shelf, someone has to grow the wheat, someone has to harvest it, someone has to haul it to be milled, the flour must reach the bakery and the bread must reach the store. Each of those trips requires fuel. The same is true of potatoes, corn, vegetables, meat and the feed that keeps livestock growing. Every step carries tax. The last stop is the family at the till. By the time that food reaches the checkout, the family buying it is paying the compounded cost of every tax along the way.
The government cannot claim to care about food affordability and grocery prices by sending Canadians a few hundred dollars each year and ignoring what is driving those prices higher. It is the fuel for the farmers, truckers and businesses that produce and deliver our food. Parents feel it every week. They put groceries back at the till. They buy less meat. They skip fresh fruit.
The Conservatives are not asking for anything complicated. Our emergency fuel relief plan has two parts.
The first part would save Canadians money today. We would take every federal tax off diesel sales until at least Canada Day. That means extending the full excise tax cut until July 1, 2027, and taking off the GST.
The government announced plans to keep the excise tax off only until January 31, 2027, and half the tax would return in February. The full tax would return on April 1, April Fool's Day, just as farmers are preparing for another growing season. Why bring the tax back just as the seeding bills start to arrive? It only goes to show that the government does not keep farmers in mind when it drafts policy and, by extension, it does not keep Canadians in mind.
Farmers plan their year in the winter. They sit down with their families and then with their bank and work through the numbers before a single seed goes into the ground. They need to know what fuel will cost, because uncertainty at the pump becomes uncertainty on the entire farm.
We would also take the tax out of making diesel, permanently scrap the federal industrial carbon tax and permanently scrap the clean fuel regulations. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada's projections, and as reported by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the clean fuel regulations are projected to add up to 16¢ per litre to diesel and 17¢ per litre to gasoline by 2030. That is not small. Natural Resources Canada's agriculture sector energy use analysis indicates that 2023 fuel use on Canadian farms was roughly 3.8 billion litres of diesel and 1.5 billion litres of gasoline. That consumption would mean $613 million in additional diesel costs and another $254 million in gasoline costs for the agriculture sector alone. Altogether, that is nearly $870 million added in annual fuel costs. These are costs that farmers cannot simply absorb and that ultimately work their way through the entire food supply chain. That alone more than wipes out the $600-million benefit seen by increased canola sales.
The second part of our motion today is about fuelling our country at home. Canadian workers should be turning Canadian oil into Canadian fuel. Instead, we rely too much on American refineries. We pay for that diesel in American dollars, and with a low Canadian dollar, every one of those litres costs more. We need to create shovel-ready zones and prepermit land for refineries, pipelines, rail and storage. A company that follows every safety and environmental rule should know it can build before even applying. We should let companies deduct 100% of their investment in the first year in new refineries, refinery expansions, pipelines, rail, diesel and crude storage and the equipment to run the oil through those plants.
The Conservatives call on the government to build a strategic reserve for refined fuel. Today, Canada keeps no national emergency reserve. That is a problem, especially in a global crisis. The goal is clear. Boost Canadian diesel production to one million barrels a day, give every Canadian business and every Canadian family access to affordable Canadian diesel and close the price gap with the United States within five years.
This comes back to two kitchen tables. At one table, a farm family is working through the bills. The farmers have had a long day in the field and the numbers are bigger than they have ever been before. At the other table, a family is working through a grocery receipt. That family is deciding what needs to be left off next week's list because the bills are higher than they have ever been before. The families might live hundreds of kilometres apart, but the relationship between the two cannot be ignored. The cost of fuel hits both of them. We should not ask either family to accept another speech about affordability without action to follow it. The Liberal government's actions have fallen short. They have made matters worse for Canadian families.
Today, members have a choice. They can call on the government to extend tax relief. They can support making fuel easier to produce, store and move. They can stand with the people who grow our food and the people trying to afford it. The crop will not wait and the bills will not wait, and neither should this House.
I urge all members to support this motion.
Opposition Motion—Diesel PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Winnipeg North Manitoba
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was born in the Northwest Territories and grew up in Edmonton. He understands the importance of building a stronger and healthier economy.
We can look at the number of initiatives that have taken place over the last 18 months. When we take a look at those initiatives, the one I would highlight today is getting rid of the carbon tax on gasoline and now reducing the excise tax. These are substantial savings for Canadians at a time when affordability is such an important issue.
When we have policies of this nature, they need to be done in a measured way. I wonder if the member could provide his thoughts on that issue and do a comparison—
Opposition Motion—Diesel PricesBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
