Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Again, I will simply say that we will have to await the budget to know exactly what measures the government is taking going forward, including the measures to continue to assist Canadians through this difficult economic time.

The Prime Minister has made it clear — the government has made it clear — that the carbon tax will remain in place. Those provinces who, in their own wisdom, have decided not to have measures in place that are equivalent and therefore are subject to the carbon tax — as you know, in our home province and many others, the change tomorrow will have no effect because of the decisions that the Quebec government and others have taken to do their part to reduce the impact of carbon emissions on our climate. In that regard, the Government of Canada remains committed to its strategy to address climate change through the most effective, efficient and market-sensitive mechanisms.

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. Again, the budget will speak for itself and we will see what measures are there to help Canadians, to help our economy and otherwise to move our country forward.

It is simply not the case that this government, and indeed no government, colleagues, if we are to be fair, ignores the impact of the economy, whether it be inflation or the cost of living, on the well-being of Canadians.

Our governments, regardless of the partisan stripes and orientations to the left, centre or right, are better than that. We can disagree about the policy tools that governments deploy. We can disagree about the priorities that governments choose to bring forward, whether it’s climate change, the economy, reconciliation or the like. Canadians will judge and have judged, and this government will continue to act in the best interests of Canadians.

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