My question this morning is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

The hard-working people of Simcoe–Grey and across Ontario are being punished by the regressive, federal carbon tax, Speaker. The tax is forcing individuals and families who are already struggling in these challenging times to stretch their hard-earned incomes like never before.

As the Parliamentary Budget Officer found, the federal Liberals’ carbon tax rebate program is not providing residents in rural communities with the relief that they were promised. Speaker, this is not fair and it is not acceptable.

Our government, under Premier Ford, will continue to stand up for the residents of Simcoe–Grey and rural Ontario, and call on the federal government to end this punitive tax.

Speaker, can the minister please tell this House why the federal carbon tax and its failing rebate program are disproportionately affecting the residents of rural Ontario?

I thank the members for their comments on this important piece of legislation. I represent a rural riding. I’m certainly not from the industry, although I’m told through Scottish heritage, a “byre,” which is my last name, is a cow barn, so I guess in some way I’m connected to this legislation.

I want to ask my colleague from Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston: When I’m around the riding, I hear a lot from farmers about access to veterinarians and how that makes their business more challenging and how, when they look to pass on the business to their family, lack of access to vets makes that more of a challenge in the future. I’m interested in his thoughts, given his actual experience in the industry, how this bill may improve on both those points.