QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Loblaws Funding Agreement
May 2, 2019
Honourable senators, my question today again is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Leader, Canadians were rightly outraged last month when the Liberal government announced a grant of $12 million of taxpayers’ money to be given to Loblaws to help pay for new refrigerators for its grocery stories. I bought my own refrigerator last week. I didn’t get any subsidy.
Last night it was reported that two lobbyists for Loblaws who have given thousands of dollars to the Liberal Party in recent years met with Minister McKenna and her officials two weeks after this grant program opened last March. These lobbyists also attended a Liberal Party donor appreciation event last June, attended by the Prime Minister and members of Minister McKenna’s staff.
Senator Harder, why does your government think it is appropriate to pay for refrigerators for Loblaws, and how do you justify this to middle-class citizens, taxpayers such as myself, who have to buy their own refrigerators?
I thank the honourable senator for his question. Let me say that I look forward to the leader returning next week, and we can get into the habit of Senator Smith asking me questions.
The honourable senator will recall that Senator Smith, in fact, asked the very same question the day after the announcement was made with respect to Loblaws. I will remind him of my answer, which is that the Senate, along with, obviously, the House of Commons and Parliament, passed a budget that provided for accelerated transition measures to reduce our carbon footprint, and programs were put in place for which applications could be received to save the carbon footprint.
Loblaws is a large and distinguished Canadian company that wished to contribute to the reduction of its carbon footprint. It is investing a significant amount of money in this effort. As a result of the effort that has been agreed to and the contribution from the Government of Canada, the equivalent of, I believe, 50,000 cars are being taken off the road in terms of the carbon footprint. I dare say, senator, your refrigerator doesn’t compare.
Well, neither does my income compare.
Yesterday, Loblaws reported revenue of over $10.66 billion for the first three months of 2019. Indeed, they are a large company; you are right. That was the only correct part of your answer.
Loblaws could easily replace its refrigerators without money from middle-class taxpayers — a middle class which, by the way, includes customers that this company cheated through a price-fixing scheme over bread during the course of 14 years.
Middle-class taxpayers don’t have well-connected lobbyists to advocate on their behalf. They need a government that respects their tax dollars and keeps their interests in mind, first and foremost.
Again, Senator Harder, why does it always seem that this Liberal government is willing to help its friends at the expense of the middle class and those working hard to join it?
Again, I thank the senator for his question. Honourable senators may remember that when Senator Smith asked this series of questions, this was, in fact, a supplementary as well — although it’s been embellished with a certain style and flair, which I admire in the honourable senator.
Let me say again that Canada has put in place a series of measures to accelerate decarbonization, or at least a reduced carbon footprint. These measures should not be restricted to whether you are a profitable company or not a profitable company, but to whether or not you meet the criteria that have been established by Parliament and through regulation. Therefore, I certainly support and defend this decision.
