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. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, I think there is one thing that you and I can both agree on, and that is that our seniors are valuable citizens and deserve to be looked after. But yesterday, the environment minister announced that the Trudeau government will also be applying its carbon tax in Newfoundland and Labrador, which means the price of home heating oil, gasoline and other fuels will be going up, and this impact will likely be felt much more among seniors.

In a recent CBC article, the Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Sector Pensioners’ Association, Sharron Callahan, said that she has heard from seniors that are being forced to make choices between food, medication and heat, and even some who may be forced to leave their homes if they can’t afford to keep them warm.

Senator Gold, at a time when the cost of living is already making it difficult for Canadians, and especially our most vulnerable citizens, why is your government punishing them with this tax hike?