Taxation  Just yesterday the member for Vancouver Quadra tweeted about her desire to see European-style carbon taxes here in Canada. The member for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville also recently advocated for a global carbon tax. If the Liberals had their way, Canadians would be paying substantially more for gas for their cars, for electricity for their homes, and for everything else that they buy.

Natural Resources  Speaker, the NDP leader said that the disease is now spreading beyond oil sands workers and now includes natural gas workers in the Maritimes, and forestry workers in northern Ontario. It is a pandemic of jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for which his only cure is a carbon tax. One thing is clear. If Canadians are suffering from a disease, it is that they are sick of his talk of higher taxes and shutting down jobs.

Business of Supply  Mr. Chair, could the minister tell us, would the government ever impose a carbon tax on Canadians?

Business of Supply  Despite the misperceptions of some of our colleagues opposite, our government has made it very clear in successive elections and in any number of policy discussions with our colleagues in the provinces, territories and municipalities, and at public policy conferences, that this government will never impose a carbon tax in any form on hard-working Canadian taxpayers. The record to date of the carbon market is one of high volatility and great risk. If one were to look at the European market, the carbon price is less than half of the original investment made by most of the investors.

Business of Supply  Let me clear the air once again, Mr. Chair. This government will not now nor in the future impose a carbon tax on Canadians.

Business of Supply  Canadians support this. I should remind my colleague opposite that her government proposed the carbon tax, a tax on everything that would hurt jobs in this country, and our government will not do that.

Business of Supply  Chair, I can again assure my colleague that ozone monitoring will continue and so will the world-class service. I would remind my colleague that the Liberal plan was to impose a carbon tax on all Canadians which would impact on virtually everything and the cost of living of all Canadians. Our government will not go there. The carbon market itself is one of the most volatile and insecure in the world.

Natural Resources committee  Mr. Chair, I want to thank our guests for coming today. What I remember about the 2008 carbon tax is that the Prime Minister of Canada fought against it and so did I. I am interested in these small modular reactors. Mr. Binder, you mentioned that there were five universities that have them.

Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act  Our manufacturers, our business community, are really concerned about doing business in Ontario because of the cost of energy, and now we have the NDP wanting to bring forth a program with a carbon tax added to the price of energy. I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could contrast our sensible strategy for jobs and growth with the radical plan that the NDP and the left in this country have, and how it affects her in Ontario and the fears—

Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act  We see on the other side suggestions to increase taxes across the board, corporate taxes, taxes on job creators and carbon taxes, a complete 180° from the measures we have taken to put Canada in this enviable position. I hope that all members will take a really good look at the bill, and not just do what their leaders tell them to do when it comes to voting on the bill, but actually vote in favour of Canada continuing that positive momentum that we have made over the years.

The Environment  As for costing in advance of consultations with industry, for example, as we are with the oil and gas industry now, that would be premature and speculative. Costs that my colleague will not see in that report are a carbon tax, increased cost at the gas pump, increased home heating costs and generally an increased cost of living.

Jobs, Growth and Long-term Prosperity Act  Since governments derive their power to control from the power to tax, we would start here. To begin, a government out to wreck our economy would enact a carbon tax, thereby driving up the cost of all goods and services paid by consumers. At the same time, personal income taxes would rise, shrinking the take-home pay of Canadian workers, making it uneconomical to work for an extra $1 of income, say, by taking an overtime shift.

House debate  What we are not going to do is what is suggested by the Liberal Party: raise corporate taxes, put more increases into CPP, enforce a carbon tax and have an EI 45-day work year. These are things Canadians cannot tolerate and cannot afford and would put our country into some dire straits. We will not do that, and I would hope that our Liberal colleague would listen to some of these benefits and perhaps support us on them as we create more and more jobs.

Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act  What will not help us create jobs is the NDP plan: a $10 billion corporate tax increase that would kill jobs, GST increases that would kill jobs, doubling of the CPP that the CIFB said very clearly would literally shut down dozens of small businesses across the country, and, of course, the EI 45-day work year that it advocates for would kill more opportunities and more jobs. The single biggest measure that would negatively impact Canadians would be the carbon tax that it wishes to place on Canadians at this time. It is the worst time possible. We will to stick with our plan. We are the best in the G7 and we will stay there.

The Economy  That government offered Canadians a responsible fiscal plan, economic leadership and a track record of keeping our great country afloat during turbulent economic times. Instead of raising taxes on everything with a job destroying carbon tax or adding regulations, Canadians chose lower taxes to stimulate jobs and growth. Thanks to the policies of our government, Canada has become one of the freest economies in the world, as rated by the Fraser Institute.