Conservatives launch carbon tax relief campaign

Nov 15, 2023

The campaign will include agriculture, the party says

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The Conservative Party of Canada is taking aim at the carbon tax and how its affects Canadians, including farmers, in a new national campaign.

On Nov. 13, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced his party’s intention to raise awareness about the carbon tax and how it contributes to higher food prices.

The party provided detailed information a day later about the campaign, which will run on radio, TV and on digital platforms.

“The campaign will be focused on asking for fairness in carbon tax exemptions on home heating for all Canadians, and on raising awareness of the plight of farmers who pay the carbon tax on natural gas and propane, which drives up the price of food for Canadians who are struggling to pay for groceries,” a Nov. 14 Conservative press release says.

The party has so far made two English ads available.

One is geared towards farmers, truckers and grocers.

Conservative Party - Parti conservateur · Trudeau's carbon tax on the farmer, the trucker, and the grocer

“Trudeau’s carbon tax on the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who ships the food is a tax on all who buy the food,” the ad says. “Now he wants to quadruple the tax. Had enough? Pierre Poilievre will axe the tax, so you pay less and bring home more.”

And the other is targeted at communities in northern Ontario.

Residents in Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay will hear similar messages.

Conservative Party - Parti conservateur · Out in the cold

“Last week, Justin Trudeau and your Liberal MP voted to raise the carbon tax on your home heating,” the ad says. “Worse, Liberals want to quadruple the Trudeau tax - forcing seniors and struggling families to choose between eating and heating. So if your Liberal MP votes to leave you in the cold, why not vote him (or her) out of a job? Vote for Pierre Poilievre and the common sense Conservatives to keep the heat on, and take the tax off.”

The Conservatives also have an online petition available for Canadians to sign.

The petition calls on “all senators to fast track and pass (Bill C-234) to carve out Trudeau’s tax on our farmers and bring home lower food prices for all Canadians.”

Video: Democratizing Gene Editing - Pairwise’s Vision for the Future of Agriculture

Pairwise has built its business around an idea that runs counter to how many companies approach innovation: make transformative technology easier to access.

In this Seed World interview, CEO Tom Adams discusses why broader access to gene editing could speed crop improvement, expand innovation opportunities and help agriculture address emerging challenges. He explains why Pairwise believes no single company can solve all of agriculture's problems alone—and why making advanced breeding technologies available to more organizations could accelerate progress across the industry.

The conversation explores how consumer trust influences technology adoption, why innovations like pitless cherries and seedless blackberries matter beyond convenience, and how future crop improvements could help address labor shortages, automation, harvest efficiency and other production challenges. Adams also shares his perspective on what the industry may be underestimating about the next wave of gene editing innovation.

Watch the full interview to hear why Pairwise believes agriculture is approaching an important inflection point for gene editing, and why the pace of innovation over the next decade could surprise the industry.

Topics Covered:

o Democratizing agricultural innovation

o Consumer trust and technology adoption

o The business case for sharing innovation

o Expanding innovation beyond major crops

o Next-generation breeding technologies