Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada  After all, he calls himself a “tax and spend Liberal”. He brags that he was the first to push a carbon tax. He muses about raising the GST, and he openly admits that he will raise taxes. The Liberal leader continuously demonstrates that he does not understand economics, as it does not take a rocket scientist to know that taking more money from Canadians will hurt the economy, not to mention the harm an election would do to our recovery.

Carbon Tax Proposal  Mr. Speaker, the president of the B.C. Cattlemen's Association is saying a carbon tax in B.C. will cost a 200 head cow-calf operator an additional $1,300 in expenses every year, far from revenue neutral. Earlier today the Leader of the Opposition announced that in order to pay for his reckless spending promises he is proposing a carbon tax on everything.

Carbon Tax Proposal  It is also obvious that the Liberal carbon tax is not revenue neutral and is not a tax shift. Politicians impose taxes and raise taxes to raise money. The Liberal carbon tax, despite the green rhetoric, is just a way for Canadians to pay for $60 billion of Liberal spending promises.

Carbon Tax Proposal  Speaker, over the weekend, the Liberal finance critic, the member for Markham—Unionville, admitted that the Liberal national carbon tax plan will actually hurt some Canadians. He said, “I cannot say to you that no Canadian will be unharmed by this”. In fact, one group that will be hurt by this regressive carbon tax is farmers.

Carbon Tax Proposal  Mr. Speaker, my constituents will not be tricked by the Liberals' carbon tax. My constituents know that the Liberal leader has a serious spending problem. He has already made billions of dollars in spending promises to various special interest groups. Now the Liberals are trying to pay for all this irresponsible spending by tricking Canadians into paying a permanent new carbon tax.

The Environment  Liberals MPs are now admitting their plan is a carbon tax. The member for Halton, the Liberal leader's communication adviser, says that he has seen the details and it is a carbon tax. Liberals such as the members for Oakville and Scarborough—Agincourt, star Liberal candidate Justin Trudeau and Liberal strategist David Herle have been calling it a carbon tax.

Finance committee  Furthermore, there are ways to try to design a carbon tax that would take into account the competitiveness concerns, generally by imposing the tax on a destination basis like the GST, imposing a tariff on imports based on the carbon content, and unfortunately--but I think this is probably necessary, it's a short-term step--trying to strip away the carbon tax on exports.

Taxation  Speaker, Canadians can trust us as the party that cuts taxes. What we have on the other side is a party that proposes carbon taxes when it is convenient for it. It is a party that spends billions and raises taxes. Then, it comes around and tries to change it the other way. That party is trying to have an election simply for opportunistic purposes.

Price of Petroleum Products  I hope I am wrong and that is not their policy, but that is not what the Liberal leader has been saying for the last two weeks in the media. That is not what he is saying as he is running across Canada trying to sell his carbon tax plan. He cannot sell his carbon tax plan in his own caucus. His own caucus members came out of their Wednesday meeting fuming, let alone selling it to all Canadians. Those are the facts.

The Environment  There they are, saddled with a carbon tax they never wanted. That flip-flop is so dramatic that they have not caught up on the Liberal website. Today it still says “we do not favour a carbon tax”. I wish they would make up their minds.

Carbon Tax Proposal  This would also hurt farmers and increase the cost of everything transported by truck or train, including food. My constituents know that every carbon tax imposed in Europe has hit gas prices hard, very hard. The Liberal carbon tax plan would be a dirty trick and would hurt all Canadians.

Carbon Tax Proposal  They remember the dawn of the gun registry and the GST. Canadians will not be tricked. Even the leader himself said this carbon tax was simply bad policy. This plan for a carbon tax just reconfirms what we already knew about the Liberals. They never met a tax they did not like. They never met a tax they would not hike.

Carbon Tax Proposal  It's a revenue generating tax to finance objectives that are definitely not of the environmental kind”. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business said, “We do not believe that carbon taxes can be truly revenue neutral. ...it will certainly not be revenue neutral for consumers.” The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association executive director said, “Transportation costs would rise with increased fuel costs as a result of carbon taxes, prices of consumer goods and food would rise....

Agriculture committee  I wonder if it's possible for us to ask the clerk to get a copy of that document talking about the Government of Canada's $65-a-tonne carbon tax, and distribute it to committee members.

Agriculture committee  The truth of the matter is that there's an awful air of desperation. I know the opposition wants to change the channel on this carbon tax, but boy, you're going over the top to try to change it. The truth of the matter is that what's embarrassing is the carbon tax. If you want to talk about things that are going to ruin food safety and agriculture, that's a carbon tax.