Canadian farmers are anxiously waiting to hear whether they will be hit with thousands of dollars in carbon pricing this year. The legislation designed to exempt farms from the levy on natural gas and propane is still stuck in a political stalemate.
According to Kyle Larkin, the executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada, farmers have already been waiting for years to see if they will receive relief. Last year, all parties with the exception of the Liberals voted on a bill providing an eight-year exemption on natural gas and propane used for heating farm buildings and drying grain. However, the Senate made amendments in December, limiting the exemption to only three years and solely for propane used in grain dryers.
The situation has led to Conservative MP Ben Lobb calling for the House of Commons to reject the amendments, a motion the Liberals intend to oppose. The Bloc Québécois may also follow suit, dragging out the debate for weeks before yet another round of debates and votes takes place in either the Senate or House.