Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Finance. Just last week, the Liberal member for Kanata–Carleton said that the vast majority of Ontario households are better off with a carbon price. However, a report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, provides further evidence that calls her statements into question. The PBO concludes that most households will experience a net loss of income from the disastrous federal carbon tax when accounting for both direct and indirect costs. Specifically, the PBO report finds that 60% of households in Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba will pay more in carbon taxes than they receive in rebates.

Speaker, through you: Can the Minister of Finance please provide his views regarding the impact of the disastrous carbon tax on Ontario families?

It’s concerning that while you were answering your question, I was hearing the Liberal members in the back corner disagreeing with you and saying that people are still going to be better off with the carbon tax.

Overall, on average, Ontarians will pay $478 more per household because of the federal carbon tax, and in the year 2030, the average financial loss for Ontarians will be close to $2,000 per household. Increasing the carbon tax will only negatively impact Ontario families and our economy, not improve it, despite what the Liberals might think.

The carbon tax adversely affects our businesses and negatively impacts our economy and Ontario workers.

Speaker, through you: Can the minister please set the record straight about how the carbon tax hurts all sectors of Ontario’s economy?

I’m proud to represent thousands of hard-working truckers in my riding. Every day, they ensure our grocery store shelves are stocked, our hospitals have the equipment they need, and our manufacturers have the resources they need to build Ontario-made products. But they tell me all the time the carbon tax adds unnecessary costs to each delivery. This only makes the cost of everything more expensive.

According to the Ontario Trucking Association, the carbon tax of 17.4 cents per litre increases fuel cost for a long-haul truck between $15,000 to $20,000 per truck per year.

Speaker, it’s clear that the carbon tax is hurting our economy and making life more expensive. We call on the federal government to do the right thing and get rid of the carbon tax.

Speaker, the NDP and the Liberals are so out of touch with reality right now. They claim that the carbon tax is designed to help people transition to other options. When it comes to long-haul trucking, there are no other options. The carbon tax is only a tax on the hard-working people who fill up their car, heat their homes, and rely on truckers to deliver their goods.

I don’t know the last time the member from Kanata–Carleton actually met with a trucker. I invite her to come to Brampton and meet with the hard-working men and women who deliver our goods. They will tell her that the carbon tax is making it harder for families to put food on the table, and it’s adding to inflation.

Thank you to the minister for those examples of this outrageousness. The carbon tax is, in essence, a tax on everything: your groceries, your gas, your home heating fuel, and so much more. It’s outrageous that the federal government is imposing this regressive tax that negatively impacts individuals and families, especially those in northern communities.

Instead of supporting northern Ontario, the previous Liberal government, supported by the NDP, spent more time insulting the region, calling it a “no man’s land.” Unlike other parts of our province, the north faces unique barriers regarding fuel costs that need to be understood and respected. Individuals downplaying the carbon tax’s impact on northern Ontario is ultimately disrespectful to all of its residents.

Will the minister please elaborate on the detrimental impacts of the carbon tax on the people, the communities and the businesses across the north?