Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): We do agree, of course, that seniors are an important and valuable part of our community. We owe them the respect that they deserve and that they have afforded us who have come after them.

This is not a punitive measure. The carbon tax that is coming into effect in the provinces that you mentioned, first of all, is a function of the fact that those provinces have chosen in the exercise of their own jurisdiction to not put into place an adequate carbon pricing or equivalent regime.

Second, as I’ve mentioned on many occasions, the measures that will be put in place in those provinces are also accompanied by rebates to individuals and families of a significant amount of money. At the end of the day, the carbon pricing that is put into place in those provinces that do not have their own plan is one that is necessary to address climate change, and it is one that protects Canadians from the full impacts of that on their daily lives.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for the question.

Any product or technology that will assist producers to do their part to reduce emissions is welcome. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. I will make inquiries and report back as quickly as I can.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question, and thank you for underlining the important relationship between the federal government and provincial and territorial governments in the shared challenge of both addressing climate change and also maintaining and securing a prosperous economic future for all Canadians.

I don’t know the specific answer to your question, and I will make efforts to find out. I do know that the Government of Canada is in regular discussions on a variety of issues surrounding climate change initiatives, resource development, environmental assessments and the like. Some provinces are more keen to engage than others, but it’s an ongoing process. I’ll certainly make inquiries with regard to more formal consultations that may be taking place.