Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to rise this evening on behalf of Saskatchewan's small businesses, communities and people against the NDP-Liberal government's greedy carbon tax.

Canadians are rightly fed up with the Prime Minister and his cruel tax. I hear it at each opportunity I have to meet with people as I travel throughout my riding. Their frustrations, despair and desire for a change of government grow day by day.

Let us start with the facts. The Liberal carbon tax increased to $80 per tonne on April 1 of this year. If the government has its way, the goal is to quadruple the tax to $170 per tonne by 2030. Let us also be clear: That means the carbon tax will be quadrupled on everything Canadians buy. From gasoline to clothing to fresh produce, the carbon tax is a punishing tax that affects every pocketbook decision a family makes.

It is not a matter of a mere 3¢ more per litre of gasoline or whether the federal carbon tax charge is clearly defined on a monthly energy bill. Time and again, the Liberals fail to understand a very simple truth about the carbon tax. When they tax the farmer who grows the food we consume, or any product for that matter, they also tax the trucker who ships those goods. The farmers, the businesses and the truckers have no choice but to pass those added costs on to consumers. The government knows that. That is why families are paying an extra $700 for groceries this year. That is why food bank lines and homeless encampments have become all-too-familiar sights in our towns and cities. It does not even look like Canada.

The carbon tax is quite literally a tax on everything that only gets more burdensome year after year, all while Canadians struggle to make ends meet in the cost of living crisis. None of my constituents voted for this, and that is not an unrealistic statement at all. Those who voted to elect the Liberals in 2015 were told by the Prime Minister that his carbon tax would max out at $50 per tonne. They were falsely told they would receive more money back through rebates than they paid in taxes.

Shockingly, they are still being told the same old story by the NDP-Liberals. Those assurances have been completely thrown out the window. The stories of desperation we hear from our constituents do not align with what the government says, and neither do the hard numbers. It came as no surprise to the House when the Parliamentary Budget Officer released an updated carbon tax report that shows most Canadian families are worse off as a result of the carbon tax.

In my province of Saskatchewan, by 2030, the average family will have to pay $894 more in carbon taxes than they get back in rebates. It is in the numbers. That is second only to Ontario families, who will have to pay $903 more. Canadians will not only have $1,000 less in their pockets to provide for their families, but the carbon tax scheme will shrink our economy.

The PBO estimates that by the start of the next decade, the Liberal fuel charge will increase the federal deficit by $4 billion as a result of decreased employment and investment income. This aligns with the NDP-Liberal government's own data, which it shamefully tried to hide from Canadians. The Liberals know the carbon tax will cost the Canadian economy $30.5 billion per year by 2030.

This is only further proof of what Conservatives have been saying since the inception of the carbon tax. It is nothing more than an expensive scam. It is not an environmental plan. It is a tax plan. What an insult to the people of this country, and particularly the people of Saskatchewan. My province is known globally for its environmental stewardship and innovation. We are proud of what we do and we will continue to do it without a carbon tax on our heads.

Cathay Wagantall

$479,184.00