Pierre Poilievre asked Prime Minister Trudeau if he would remove the carbon tax
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
The first mention of anything related to agriculture, farmers or rural communities in question period last week happened on May 8.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre outlined how the Liberal government plans to “quadruple the (carbon) tax to 61 cents per litre on the farmers and truckers who bring us our food,” if re-elected.
The prime minister’s response highlighted how the Canada carbon rebate supports families.
“Families are already using that rebate to help pay their bills and plan their monthly budgets,” he said.
In a follow-up question, Poilievre said since the government introduced the carbon tax on farmers and truckers, the price of food and food bank usage has gone up.
The prime minister highlighted the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s (PBO) report that says eight of 10 families receive more from the Canada carbon rebate than they pay.
On May 9, Jasraj Singh Hallan, asked the government about the carbon tax.
He wondered if it was fair for the Liberals to increase the carbon tax when almost 70 per cent of Canadians, according to a Leger poll, opposed the April 1 hike.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser responded by telling the House the Conservatives plan to put the GST back on apartment rentals in Canada.
Scot Davidson, the Conservative MP for York-Simcoe, asked the government to remove the carbon tax because of its effects on rural communities, “where driving father for longer is just a fact of life.”
Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson responded, highlighting the PBO’s report on the Canada carbon rebate, and explaining that because of Bill C-69, the rural top-up is doubled.
Bob Zimmer, the Conservative MP for Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, also asked about the carbon tax.
He said in Nunavut, people are going hungry because the carbon tax raised the price of apples to $3 each, and a bottle of ketchup is over $13.
Dan Vandal, the minister of northern affairs, responded by reminding the House that Conservatives voted against nutrition programs for northern communities.
On May 10, the Conservatives asked questions about removing the carbon tax because of its effects on food prices.
The Liberal responses reiterated that eight of 10 Canadian families receive more from the Canada carbon rebate than they pay into it.