She highlighted climate change’s role in higher food prices.
“Mr. Speaker, the opposition party likes to talk about farmers, but let us talk about what farmers were going through last year, when 66% of agricultural land in Canada was experiencing drought, extreme drought, which drove up the price of beef,” she said. “Not only that, but all across the world, prices for imports like coffee and tea and cocoa and strawberries and oranges went up as a result of climate change.”
Larry Brock, the Conservative MP for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, also wanted answers about higher food prices and food bank use.
It’s time for the Liberals to take responsibility for these issues, he said.
“After all of this damage, will the Liberals finally admit that their taxes and reckless spending caused this crisis and scrap them now before even more Canadians go hungry?” he said.
Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald replied.
He cited a report that highlights uncontrollable issues like climate change and geopolitics are contributing to increased food costs.
“It is not the Liberal Party. It is what is happening around the world, everywhere around the world. Let us get serious about this and help Canadians,” he said.
Brock’s second question asked if the Liberals would commit to scrapping the industrial carbon tax and fuel tax on food production.
Minister MacDonald’s answer included figures from the Canadian Climate Institute, which said the carbon tax has a 0.08 per cent impact on the price of food.
On Dec. 9, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pointed at the carbon tax “that still applies to farm equipment, to fertilizer and to those who deliver food,” as a reason for high food costs, and asked the prime minister to cut those taxes.
Prime Minister Carney responded.
“Mr. Speaker, there is no carbon tax on Canadian farms that emit less than 50 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. That is the first point,” he said. “The second point is that the impact of the industrial carbon tax on food prices in Canada is virtually zero, according to the Canadian Climate Institute.”
On Dec. 11, a Liberal MP asked a question of Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu.
Peter Fonseca, the MP for Mississauga East—Cooksville, asked the minister to discuss trade negotiations with Indonesia.
The minister told the House the agreement “will cut tariffs and open new opportunities in aerospace, agri-food, agriculture, critical minerals and so much more.”
Dec. 11 marked the final House sitting day until the new year.
MPs will return to Ottawa for House of Commons proceedings on Jan. 26.