QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Carbon Tax
March 26, 2021
Senator Gold, yesterday, of course, there was the ruling in the Supreme Court on the carbon tax.
Farmers today pay about $3 an acre in taxes; that will go up to $4 an acre next year. It is a huge amount when it comes to drying grain. These are the people who grow and produce our food and who contribute to global food security. They had a tax increase in the middle of COVID, at the height of COVID, and the minister announced there will be another one in April.
Can you give us any assurance that there will be some kind of exemption for grain drying costs for Western farmers under the carbon tax plan?
Honourable senator, thank you for your question. The Government of Canada is very pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the measures it introduced to combat climate change, and is disappointed with the reaction of some of the provinces who opposed it, but remains committed to working with those provinces so that they can work together to put into place a proper program; an effective program to combat climate change and help us transition to a more sustainable economy.
The Government of Canada will continue to provide support, along with provinces, to the important agricultural sector. However, I’m not in a position to make a commitment on behalf of the government for any exemption from the carbon tax to which you referred.
