QUESTION PERIOD — Environment and Climate Change
Carbon Tax
May 7, 2024
My question is for the Government Representative.
Senator Gold, my son’s best friend is 32. Over the last number of years, he built up his little empire of three service trucks, selling produce, milk and eggs, cheese and ice cream to independent small grocers along the roads in southern New Brunswick. However, the price of diesel has risen so exponentially that it costs him almost $3,000 a week to fuel his trucks, and then, because of inflationary measures, the price of produce rose as well so that many of the grocers could not afford what he wanted to sell. The insurance for his drivers and his trucks rose to a prohibitive level.
Over time, he had to lay off one driver, then the second and then sell the trucks. With only one truck, his little produce empire floundered, and with a wife, two children and a new house, he had to declare bankruptcy.
Senator Gold, we are speaking about compassion here. How does our government, which flies off to Scotland and Dubai to meet with princes and presidents, who themselves fly about our world, who groom each other with theoretical solutions in splendorous meetings, a government hierarchy who in many respects has never known what it was like to struggle with this kind of livelihood —
First of all, Senator Richards, I’m very sorry to hear about the struggle and the bankruptcy to which you refer. Canadians are still struggling with both the businesses that they are running and with the cost of living. This government has and will continue to provide support for Canadians. It will continue to do its best to manage the economy in a responsible way. Though it is true that inflation has come down, that employment is up, that Canada is doing as well or better than its G7 counterparts, that doesn’t change the fact that individual Canadians face challenges, and the government will continue to do what it can to assist them in all respects.
As a follow-up, this man and his family took their first plane trip last year, with my son and his family, to see a baseball game. These are the Canadians we are sworn to protect. How can we say we do so when so many new taxes and burdens have betrayed them to such an extent?
It is the position of this government, senator, that the measures the government has taken — whether it’s to increase the contribution rate on capital gains or whether it is to provide for continued investments as our economy responds to worldwide trends, capital trends, technological trends — are, in fact, the responsible things to do for your son’s family and his generation and generations to come.
