Agriculture committee  It's my understanding, and I think it's the understanding of the Canadian public, that the Liberal Party is, as soon as tomorrow, introducing a proposed carbon tax. My agricultural people and other people, as a matter of fact, in eastern Canada have told me that the proposed carbon tax would devastate agriculture, and I don't want to see that happen.

Agriculture committee  I think the motion is pretty clear. It says that this is “to ensure that Canadian farmers are not saddled with a carbon tax that would further increase their input costs”. The agricultural people tell me that in everything they do, a carbon tax would affect anything getting to them, when they're producing it and also when they're delivering it to market.

Liberal Party of Canada  Speaker, I have been hearing rumours that the Liberal leader will finally unveil the details of his massive national carbon tax next week, the tax trick that will raise the cost of everything for all Canadians. However, Liberal MPs are deeply divided and there is infighting over the Liberal leader's plan to sell a tax on everything to Canadians this summer.

Finance committee  Chair, I'd like to move that the committee adopt the following report and the chair be instructed to present it to the House at the earliest opportunity: The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has noted that discussions of carbon taxes cause great nervousness among entrepreneurs, particularly at a time when firms are struggling to adapt to the pressure of rising energy and other input costs. The committee therefore recommends that the government reject any plans for additional fuel or carbon taxes.

Agriculture committee  Chair, for the sake of time and because of our witnesses, maybe I'll just read this motion into the record: That the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-food urges the Government of Canada to ensure Canadian farmers are not saddled with a carbon tax which would further increase their input costs and hurt their competitiveness vis-à-vis their American competitors. Very briefly, Mr. Chair, I want to make this motion because the farmers I've spoken to say that if a carbon tax is put into place, their input costs would skyrocket.

Agriculture committee  The way it is written is absolutely unacceptable. It shouldn't be introduced before the committee. And what type of carbon tax is the parliamentary secretary talking about? Is his government hiding something in its books and is it preparing to present us with a carbon tax? Is it talking about what the leader of the opposition didn't really present officially?

The Environment  Speaker, those members are touchy about this one. The member for Halton confessed yesterday that, yes, there is a carbon tax, and yet minutes later the member for Richmond Hill said no, there is no carbon tax here. We know how bad it is when even the Liberal environment critic's own brother, the premier of Ontario, will not buy into that massive tax.

The Environment  They can scream all they want, but they will not be allowed to conceal the carbon tax. Liberals are now busy concealing the real nature of this tax from the public. Shame on them. Could the government tell this House if there are any plans to impose this punitive carbon tax on Canadians?

The Environment  Last year, in a speech in Edmonton, the leader of the Liberal Party said that under a Liberal government, there would be no carbon tax. He said that. Now, we know that the Liberal Party has a secret plan to tax Canadians on everything. Using a carbon tax, he wants to raise the price of gasoline, the price of everything, but Canadian taxpayers will not be mistreated by the Liberal Party.

Carbon Tax Proposal  Mr. Speaker, the Liberal leader's carbon tax has no friends, certainly not among Canadian premiers. Even Ontario Liberal Premier McGuinty has spoken out against this punitive tax. Last week Saskatchewan Premier Wall said this tax would “knee cap” Saskatchewan's economy.

The Economy  Families affected by job losses are looking for economic leadership, not a hike in the GST and certainly not a job killing carbon tax proposed by the Liberal leader. Could the President of the Treasury Board tell the House why enacting this plan is so important?

The Economy  Speaker, is thank goodness Canadians did not take the advice of the Liberal Party of Canada in the last election, when it wanted to impose a job killing carbon tax on them. Thank goodness Canadians saw through that. Thank goodness we do not have the Liberal Party in power, which would have meant thousands upon thousands of jobs lost because of its poor policies.

The Economy  They have the option of the Conservative plan of cutting taxes, providing help for those hardest hit, investing in roads, in bridges and in infrastructure, or they can have the Liberal approach, which is no plan at all and a not so hidden agenda of imposing a crippling carbon tax and taking the money away from families who need it for child benefits.

The Economy  In fact, someone wants to raise the GST. Our Prime Minister and this government have consistently opposed a job killing carbon tax. Someone wants to introduce it. Our Prime Minister and this government introduce the $1,200 a year for every child under six universal child care benefit. Someone admits that he just might take that away.

The Economy  Speaker, what Canadians understand is that they would have had no chance had the Liberals been in power. There is no question about that. In fact, they would have imposed a crushing carbon tax on our industries. They would have even deprived families of the universal child benefit that they consistently indicated they would do away with. What has our government said? We will lower taxes, stimulate the economy and get money into the hands of the people who need it, and the Liberals refused.