The federal government made the pitch to the municipalities that this carbon tax would have a net benefit for them, and opposition members here in this place have rallied around that thought. But let’s test that theory for a second.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, 10% of tax revenues are used to fund environmental projects for small businesses, municipalities, hospital, schools and Indigenous communities. Wow. Meanwhile many municipalities have seen significant increases in their operating expenses because of the carbon tax. In Kenora–Rainy River, the local district services board tells us that their fuel costs have doubled since 2020.

Even in the NDP-governed British Columbia, we’re seeing strong opposition by the municipalities to this regressive tax. Fort St. John said it best. They said a carbon tax on home heating and everything else is an unfair financial burden for residents in northern cities in their province. We agree. Let’s scrap that tax.

The Canadian Energy Centre reports that the forestry and logging sector in Ontario alone will see a cost increase of 5%. Now, a lot of those trees create board foot. That board foot goes to build homes, which we badly need. So we can see those costs being buried in the very things that we’re trying to build for Ontario in the midst of a housing crisis. The same study suggests that the carbon tax will result in a 4.4% increase in the cost of creating legacy infrastructure for mining operations and those mining operations. That’s not helpful when we’re trying to develop critical minerals to transform a green economy and incredible opportunity for Ontarians. Let’s just scrap the tax.

Thank you to that member for that question. The federal carbon tax is hurting Ontario’s economy and is really hurting families and making life harder.

Speaker, the federal government doesn’t seem to understand that for parents filling up their cars in places like Peterborough, Kenora and Wawa, there are, in many cases, no alternatives, and the carbon tax adds unnecessary costs for families who need to rely on a car to drive their kids to school, to go to work or to visit their doctor. Unlike in Toronto, communities like Kenora, Peterborough and Wawa don’t have access to rapid transit and subways, and we need to recognize this.

It’s clear that the federal Liberals and their provincial counterparts are out of touch with the needs of Ontario families, and we urge the federal government to do the right thing: Support Ontario’s families and scrap your carbon tax.

Thank you to the minister for that response. The minister is correct: The federal Liberals are out of touch when it comes to understanding that the carbon tax is leading to soaring fuel prices that make life unaffordable and difficult for everyone. Anyone sitting in this chamber that agrees the carbon tax is good for the people of Ontario is out of touch.

The reality is that Ontarians are already struggling with the high cost of goods, groceries and gas because of that carbon tax. The carbon tax adversely affects every business and negatively impacts our economy and every single worker in Ontario. That’s why our government must continue to call on federal government to do the right thing and eliminate the tax completely.

Speaker, can the minister please elaborate on how future carbon tax increases are going to negatively impact the people of Ontario?

My question is for the Associate Minister of Small Business. The federal government has already raised the carbon tax on gasoline five times, and they intend to raise prices another seven times in the coming years. The carbon tax adversely affects our businesses and negatively impacts our economy and Ontario workers. That is why it was truly shocking to hear that the Liberal member for Kanata–Carleton actually stood up in the Legislature and praised the carbon tax as beneficial for Ontarians.

While the opposition NDP and independent Liberals continue to believe that increasing taxes is the best solution, our government realizes that’s wrong and unfair to hard-working Ontarians. Speaker, can the associate minister please explain the negative impact of the carbon tax on the province’s businesses?

According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, by 2030, Ontario households will experience a decline in their quality of life due to the additional costs resulting from the carbon tax. A financial loss of $2,000 per household will bring even further hardship to individuals and families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

Speaker, increasing the carbon tax will negatively impact the people of Ontario and, yes, our economy. Contrary to claims made by the Liberal Party, the carbon tax adversely affects our businesses and negatively impacts our economy and Ontario workers. Can the associate minister please elaborate on the impact of the carbon tax on small businesses and communities across our province?

My question is for the Minister of Finance. When meeting with local businesses in my riding of Thornhill, they consistently tell me about how the federal carbon tax is so detrimental to our local economy and making their businesses more expensive to operate.

Our government is very clear that local businesses are essential and serve a vital role in driving our province’s economic prosperity. Local businesses in all communities need to feel supported, not penalized. It’s not fair or right that our businesses are being punished because of this regressive tax forced on them by the federal Liberal government. Can the minister please explain how a carbon tax negatively impacts our local businesses?

When it comes to the negative impact of the carbon tax, everyone shares the same message of concern. From the governor of the Bank of Canada to the parliamentary budget officers, academics, economists, business leaders and even Premiers of all political stripes agree that the carbon tax is making life more challenging and unaffordable for everyone. The carbon tax is also increasing prices and is creating unfavourable conditions that weaken our competitive economic advantage. Local businesses are struggling and this regressive tax is only making their work more difficult.

During this time of economic uncertainty and affordability concerns, Ontarians should not be taxed more. Can the parliamentary assistant please explain how our government is supporting Ontario businesses and families?

My question is for the Minister of Energy. An increasing number of constituents from my riding have voiced their concerns about the carbon tax and its harmful impact on their lives. We are already in a cost-of-living crisis here in Ontario, and people are especially fearful about how the carbon tax will make things more expensive. Most Ontarians are already feeling the negative impact the carbon tax is having on their lives, and sadly, the federal government does not care.

The carbon tax adversely affects our businesses and negatively impacts our economy and Ontario workers. Can the minister please explain how further increases to the carbon tax will hurt Ontarians?

For people living in rural, remote and northern Ontario communities, the negative impacts of the carbon tax are truly devastating. For many individuals, the carbon tax is creating additional hardships and challenges for all sectors of the economy. The carbon tax harms hard-working individuals, businesses and farmers by taking away money from them. The delivery of every single consumer good in our province, particularly fresh and processed food, is being affected by one of the most economically harmful taxes.

Speaker, can the parliamentary assistant please elaborate on how the carbon tax negatively impacts all Ontarians?

Thank you to the member for Brantford–Brant for the excellent question. It’s a topic that needs to be addressed, for sure. I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but if the carbon tax persists, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that by 2030, the tax will cost families $2,000 a year, and that is after the federal government’s climate incentive program.

Speaker, it’s important for the federal Liberals to understand that our government has shown time and again through our programs that we do not need the carbon tax to cut emissions. We are currently looking at the expansion of the CHHI program, the Clean Home Heating Initiative, to cut heating emissions by a third, and Ontario already has one of the cleanest energy grids in the world. It makes no sense for the federal government to keep increasing this tax on the backs of families.

The increased fuel costs for a farmer in my riding, in Glengarry–Prescott–Russell, make the food they deliver to a Toronto supermarket more expensive, which in turn affects the buyer. In this case, one person affected by the carbon tax is felt by another person who lives across the province from them.