Canada's top Ag minister's been facing a lot of heat on the hill recently, mostly about the government's aid package announced a couple of weeks ago but also about another issue that's been ongoing for sometime now.
Many farmers are relying on grain dryers to condition their crops before they can take them to the elevator. Most of those dryers are fueled by either propane or natural gas, which are not exempt from the federal carbon tax. As a result, many have seen the amount of tax they pay on those fuels, soar in recent years. Groups like APAS say the impact is significant, but the federal Ag minister insists her numbers say the opposite. MP Earl Dreeshen spoke in the House of Commons in regards to this topic. In his question to the Prime Minister he noted that farmers have the burden of paying the carbon taxes but cannot pass those costs on to the price of their products. He asked if the government would directly acknowledge the detrimental affect the carbon tax is having on the agricultural industry. Federal Ag Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spoke to Dreeshen's question by noting that the government deeply believes in lowering emissions. She also commented that the government estimated that most farmers in our country will pay between $210 to $819 in carbon tax per year. Dreeshen disputes the estimates from the government and asked for clarification on the information the government has and corolate where all of the money is going.
Minister Bibeau was provided with a great deal of information about the impact of the carbon tax. She based her findings on numbers from the agriculture tax data program. This battle between the agriculture industry and the government will continue over the carbon tax.
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