A Tory private member’s bill to give farmers a $235 million carbon tax break got through a House of Commons vote Wednesday night..The Liberal cabinet opposed the bill but it still passed by a vote of 177-145, said Blacklock’s Reporter..“Farmers are the most independent, hardest working people,” said Conservative MP Philip Lawrence (Northumberland-Peterborough South, Ont.), sponsor of the bill..“They are among the hardest working in Canada. All they need is for government to get out of the way.”.Parliament in 2018 passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act that exempted marked farm fuels, so-called purple gas, from the carbon tax..Bill C-206 An Act To Amend The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act would further exempt on-farm use of propane and natural gas. MPs endorsed the bill on Second Reading and referred it to hearings of the Commons agriculture committee..Farmers’ carbon tax costs will total at least $235 million nationwide over five years, according to a December 3 Legislative Costing Note by the Parliamentary Budget Office..Lawrence told the Commons he knew of farmers hit with steep carbon taxes for running propane grain dryers and other equipment..“Many farmers have sent my office their bills,” said Lawrence..“These are exorbitant bills, particularly during last year’s harvest when the grain was wet and they had to spend extra time and money drying it..“I have numerous invoices that show that the carbon tax was $10,000 to $20,000. To add insult to injury, the government decided to charge HST on the carbon tax. Come on.”.Even MPs who opposed the bill acknowledged carbon tax charges are costly..“I agree with MP Lawrence 100 percent on the cost,” said Liberal MP Wayne Easter (Malpeque, P.E.I.), chair of the Commons finance committee..“I have spent a lot of time in Western Canada and I know some farmers have bills for drying grain that are over $30,000 just for propane and natural gas. That is a cost burden I recognize.”.Farm groups in 2020 petitioned Parliament for carbon tax relief..“We cannot pass that cost on,” said Jeff Nielsen, then-chair of the Grain Growers of Canada..“Farmers don’t mind paying taxes as long as we’re being treated equally.”.Shane Stokke, vice-chair of the Grain Growers, told reporters the carbon charge was equivalent to eight percent of net farm income including higher costs for transport..“A five thousand acre grain farm in Saskatchewan, it will take about $8,000 to $10,000 on their bottom line to pay this bill,” said Stokke..“This is a punishing cost.”.Cabinet last December 11 proposed to increase carbon taxes an average 240 percent by increments beginning in 2023. The higher charge, increasing from $50 to $170 per tonne by 2030, is equivalent to 27¢ more per litre of propane, 34¢ per cubic metre of natural gas, 40¢ more per litre of gasoline, 44¢ for aviation fuel and an extra 47¢ per litre for diesel..“I am excited,” Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna earlier told reporters..“We will win the race against climate change.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
A Tory private member’s bill to give farmers a $235 million carbon tax break got through a House of Commons vote Wednesday night..The Liberal cabinet opposed the bill but it still passed by a vote of 177-145, said Blacklock’s Reporter..“Farmers are the most independent, hardest working people,” said Conservative MP Philip Lawrence (Northumberland-Peterborough South, Ont.), sponsor of the bill..“They are among the hardest working in Canada. All they need is for government to get out of the way.”.Parliament in 2018 passed the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act that exempted marked farm fuels, so-called purple gas, from the carbon tax..Bill C-206 An Act To Amend The Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act would further exempt on-farm use of propane and natural gas. MPs endorsed the bill on Second Reading and referred it to hearings of the Commons agriculture committee..Farmers’ carbon tax costs will total at least $235 million nationwide over five years, according to a December 3 Legislative Costing Note by the Parliamentary Budget Office..Lawrence told the Commons he knew of farmers hit with steep carbon taxes for running propane grain dryers and other equipment..“Many farmers have sent my office their bills,” said Lawrence..“These are exorbitant bills, particularly during last year’s harvest when the grain was wet and they had to spend extra time and money drying it..“I have numerous invoices that show that the carbon tax was $10,000 to $20,000. To add insult to injury, the government decided to charge HST on the carbon tax. Come on.”.Even MPs who opposed the bill acknowledged carbon tax charges are costly..“I agree with MP Lawrence 100 percent on the cost,” said Liberal MP Wayne Easter (Malpeque, P.E.I.), chair of the Commons finance committee..“I have spent a lot of time in Western Canada and I know some farmers have bills for drying grain that are over $30,000 just for propane and natural gas. That is a cost burden I recognize.”.Farm groups in 2020 petitioned Parliament for carbon tax relief..“We cannot pass that cost on,” said Jeff Nielsen, then-chair of the Grain Growers of Canada..“Farmers don’t mind paying taxes as long as we’re being treated equally.”.Shane Stokke, vice-chair of the Grain Growers, told reporters the carbon charge was equivalent to eight percent of net farm income including higher costs for transport..“A five thousand acre grain farm in Saskatchewan, it will take about $8,000 to $10,000 on their bottom line to pay this bill,” said Stokke..“This is a punishing cost.”.Cabinet last December 11 proposed to increase carbon taxes an average 240 percent by increments beginning in 2023. The higher charge, increasing from $50 to $170 per tonne by 2030, is equivalent to 27¢ more per litre of propane, 34¢ per cubic metre of natural gas, 40¢ more per litre of gasoline, 44¢ for aviation fuel and an extra 47¢ per litre for diesel..“I am excited,” Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna earlier told reporters..“We will win the race against climate change.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694
