Alberta Premier Danielle Smith urged senators to reconsider Bill C-234, An Act to amend the greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, in a letter sent Wednesday. The bill, which passed its third reading in the House of Commons, would provide a carbon tax exemption for farmers who heat their barns using propane and natural gas. Last week the Senate shut down the debate on the bill, in an unexpected turn of events. Bill C-234 would save farmers $1 billion by 2030, which would provide “desperately needed relief to consumers as well.” Smith is not done with the issue yet.Smith points out farmers across Canada “are struggling to deal with the impact of the carbon tax” — however, it’s not just farmers who are struggling. “The pain is also being felt by ordinary Canadians,” Smith wrote, noting the record numbers of visits to food banks each month. “Out of control food inflation [is] forcing Canadians to skip meals or choose between rent and groceries,” Smith said. “Food is not a luxury — it is a basic necessity.” She points out in the letter that Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government announced a temporary pause on the carbon tax for home heating oil recently, but has since “publicly claimed there will be no more exemptions, pauses, or carve-outs related to the carbon tax.” “This lifeline to our farmers and regular Canadians should be passed in its original form and without delay," Smith wrote.
