SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 144

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 8, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)
  • Dec/8/22 10:14:31 a.m.
  • Watch
 moved: That, given that, (i) Canada's Food Price Report 2023 states that a typical farm will pay $150,000 in carbon tax per year when the carbon tax is tripled, (ii) families will pay an additional $1,065 for groceries in 2023 for a total of $16,288 due to increased costs being passed on to consumers, (iii) food bank visits were at an all-time high reaching 1.5 million in March 2022, a 15% increase from the previous year according to Food Banks Canada, (iv) 20% of Canadians are skipping meals and grocery price inflation is at 11%, the House call on the government to cancel the carbon tax that is applied to all food inputs and production, including: (a) all farm fuels; (b) grain drying; (c) fertilizer; (d) transportation; and (e) other appropriate aspects of the food supply system.
146 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mr. Taylor Bachrach (Skeena—Bulkley Valley, NDP)
  • Dec/8/22 10:29:41 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would offer that the impact on food prices from the climate crisis and from the price gouging of the big box stores and big grocery retailers far outstrips the impact of carbon pricing. My question is this. When farmers across this country are facing massive crop failures and the infrastructure needed to ship our food is being ripped out by climate disasters, why do the Conservatives not have a plan to tackle the climate crisis, the most significant crisis facing us as a population? Why do they refuse to come up with a credible plan?
98 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)
  • Dec/8/22 10:44:12 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking my colleague for his excellent private member's bill. It would be an improvement for farmers. I am surprised, though, that the Conservative motion did not mention the grocery store chains. First of all, we know we are plagued by lack of competition. We know some of these chains actually hedge some money overseas and had to pay a CRA fine for hiding money in Barbados. They fixed the price of bread; the Competition Bureau proved that was true. They have excessive profits from COVID-related policies because restaurants were closed and the chains lacked competition. They ended hero pay to their workers unilaterally, despite the fact they should not be working together behind the scenes. Their CEO bonuses and manager salaries would make a robber baron blush. Finally, they have predatory pricing for local produce on shelves that restricts some of the distribution by farmers. How can the Conservatives not mention the situation with the grocery store chains?
167 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)
  • Dec/8/22 11:43:31 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I was surprised that there was no mention of grocery store chains and no connection to getting the produce of local farmers and their production into the chains without farmers being taken advantage of or being in a situation with a lesser advantage regarding product placement and so forth. I think this was at least worth a mention, because it is affecting the price of groceries. At the end of the day, if Canadian access is prevented from being competitive, it really hurts consumers.
86 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mrs. Julie Vignola
  • Dec/8/22 11:44:09 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the situation with the big grocery store chains is worrisome. The increase in consumer prices caused by a desire to maintain a profit margin is worrisome. That being said, I delivered a 10-minute speech to explain why we are against this opposition motion and to propose other solutions. There are many other solutions that I did not mention. I only had 10 minutes, not 20.
68 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 144 - Dec/8/22
Mr. Warren Steinley
  • Dec/8/22 5:14:48 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, if I had had more time for my speech, I would have gone down that path. The carbon tax hits at different points in the supply chain, so taking the carbon tax off food would also help lower the price of transportation and agriculture inputs, thus lowering the price of food across the country. It is not just at the grocery store that the carbon tax gets added onto the price of groceries; it is throughout the supply chain. That is why this motion would almost immediately help lower the price of groceries across the country, in the provinces that have the federal backstop and the ones that have their own.
113 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border