QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Carbon Taxes for Farmers
June 17, 2020
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader. It concerns the Trudeau government’s decision not to compensate grain farmers for their increased costs due to the carbon tax.
Keystone Agricultural Producers said Manitoba farmers paid about $1.7 million in carbon tax just for the cost of drying their corn crop in 2019. Minister Bibeau thinks this is “a very small percentage in the operating costs.” What is even more incredible is her department dismissed Keystone’s figures and came up with their own flawed estimate.
Leader, I never want to hear this government claim that it makes policies based on evidence. The minister asked for evidence, received it and then chose to discount it. The minister’s figures are completely out of touch with the carbon taxes already paid by grain farmers.
Will your government accept its numbers are wrong, listen to these farmers and provide them with the compensation that they deserve?
Thank you for your question, senator.
The government does listen to farmers. The government is well aware of the hardship that the agricultural sector generally, and indeed all sectors, are suffering because of this crisis and for other reasons as well.
The government continues and is committed to making decisions that are informed by evidence. It may not always agree with the submissions, but that doesn’t mean that it disregards them. The fact is, the government has continued to invest in various supports for Canadian farmers, for producers and for exporters. This includes the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a $3-billion federal-provincial-territorial agreement for strengthening the sector with funding for all kinds of measures; the $1.26-billion Strategic Innovation Fund; the $2 billion for rural infrastructure and so on.
