The Economy  We are reducing debt and taxes. We are certainly not going to impose a massive new punitive tax on Canadians through a carbon tax, advocated by the member for Markham—Unionville and by his party. We have a strong labour market in Canada. We have 120,000 net new jobs this year alone. In fact, we have labour shortages in most regions of the country.

The Environment  My premier, D. McGuinty, the provincial Liberal member for Ottawa South, believes that a carbon tax is wrong for Ontario, that it is bad, and I agree. That is why we are going to force the big polluters to clean up their act and we are not going to go after seniors living on fixed incomes.

The Environment  Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that British Columbia's carbon tax plan was consistent with the Conservative plan. It is not very often that the Canadian government sends the two biggest provinces packing. Yet that is what the Minister of the Environment is doing by attacking Ontario and Quebec for their joint plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Environment  The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada wrote in the Edmonton Journal last year, “I promise you I will not bring in a carbon tax”. Now he is breaking faith with the people of Canada and doing what Liberals do, which is they love to raise taxes.

The Environment  I read a few interesting quotes from the Toronto Star that members will be very interested in. It said: Imposing a new carbon tax on fuels and other products is not the best way to combat climate change. Do we know who said that? My friend Dalton McGuinty.

Industry committee  The discussion was really between the Conservatives and the Liberals and had to do with a carbon tax, and so on. So, it seems to me it would be very positive signal to send to the people of Canada that the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology is a committee that is working hard in a non-partisan spirit.

Budget Implementation Act, 2008  The member talked about low income Canadians and Canadians who are struggling to pay their bills. I would love to ask the member a specific question about the Liberal carbon tax plan, which we have heard the Liberals muse about. I know the NDP does not agree with this because those members know how much it would hurt low income Canadians, families and seniors relying on fixed incomes, and I would love to hear the member's comments on it.

Budget Implementation Act, 2008  We do not need the type of economic policy the professor across the way would have, which would max out the national credit card and pay for it with a new carbon tax. It would kill jobs. It would drive up the cost of everything, gasoline, diesel, home heating oil. It would reduce the standard of living for all individuals and families. Those are the kinds of things we do not need.

House debate  This is an initiative the Liberals have refused to support. Shame on them. Unlike the Liberals, who want to bring forth a carbon tax that would cause more job cuts, more uncompetitive environment and challenges to working Canadians, this Conservative government is making our industry more competitive today. The days of Liberal inaction and rhetoric are over.

The Economy  Mr. Speaker, Canadians know full well they cannot trust the Liberals, who want to impose a carbon tax, who want to increase the price of gasoline, who want to increase the price of home heating fuel and electricity, and particularly put this burden on those Canadians with fixed incomes who can least afford that kind of tax burden.

The Environment  The other option, of course, which Ontario and Quebec do not seem to like, is to impose carbon taxes. I can assure everyone that when I was in Europe last week nobody wanted that either.

Budget Implementation Act, 2008  We have stuck them at the end of a line of almost a billion people long, I should say a million. When I listen to the opposition suggestions of what the carbon tax is going to cost Canadians, that is where my billions come from. Many people want to come to Canada. The legislation before us would actually break the back of a broken system and bring us to a system that would help.

Climate Change Accountability Act  What the NDP is proposing would require a 40% reduction in greenhouse emissions from where we are today. Much like the Liberals' hidden carbon tax plan, this simply is not possible without causing massive job losses and huge price increases in electricity, heat and gasoline. The costs that this bill would impose on Canadian families and businesses could be quite considerable.

Climate Change Accountability Act  Every witness group that was heard at the environment committee, including the leader of the NDP, said the bill should be costed, yet the NDP is moving forward without it being costed, I believe because they are ashamed of the costs for jobs and to heat our homes and the cost of energy. When we include that with what the Liberals are proposing with their carbon tax, we can imagine what would happen to the cost of energy in Canada. I would like to contrast the NDP plan and its approach with that taken by the government. In setting our greenhouse gas targets, the Government of Canada is not only looking at targets but it is looking at the best way to achieve them.

Taxation  Speaker, the Liberal leader has some explaining to do. He has spent the last two years telling Canadians that he opposes a carbon tax, but now the flip-flopping Liberal leader has changed his mind. He has decided to punish hard-working Canadians by imposing a massive gas tax. He wants Canadians to pay even more to drive their cars and heat their homes.