Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre’s motion asking the Senate to pass a carbon tax exemption bill for farmers was defeated in the House of Commons, with the motion being struck down 178 votes to 135 on Nov. 29. The Liberals and their Bloc allies are blamed for the bill’s defeat, with the Tories suggesting that they are making everything more expensive. The motion called on the Senate to pass the private member’s bill tabled by Tory MP Ben Lobb, which seeks to remove the carbon tax from gas and propane used by farmers to heat or cool barns, or to dry grain.
The Liberal government opposes the bill, arguing that most of the fuel used by farmers is already exempt from the carbon tax. The bill requires only one last vote in the Senate to become law, but Liberal-appointed senators have sought to delay the process with last-minute amendments. Conservatives argue that the Senate should respect the will of the House and pass the bill.
The Liberal government has faced criticism for announcing a pause on the carbon tax being applied to heating oil in late October, which was framed as an affordability measure for Canadians but mostly affects Atlantic provinces. The Conservatives argue that this demonstrates the financial burden of the carbon tax on households and was intended to appease Liberal MPs and voters amid declining polling numbers.
After the Liberals have placed a pause on the carbon tax on heating oil, the Conservative Party has made affordability a central part of their platform and have promised to eliminate the carbon tax once elected. The carbon tax currently adds over 10 cents to a litre of propane in most provinces and is projected to increase to over 26 cents by 2030. The tax also adds over 12 cents to a cubic metre of natural gas.