OTTAWA, ON – Today the Liberal majority on the House of Commons’ human resources committee voted against studying the impact of a carbon tax on poverty.
Carleton Member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre moved that the committee study the effects of a carbon tax and call witnesses from Employment and Social Development Canada and Statistics Canada to give their expert testimony on the matter.
“The $50-a-tonne carbon tax will cost approximately $1028 per Canadian per year, or $4112 per family of four when fully implemented,” said Poilievre. “It will raise the costs of heat, fuel, and groceries. As well, it is inherently regressive, meaning that it will impact low-income families more than high-income families.”
“The House of Commons’ human resources committee (HUMA) is currently studying poverty reduction, so we could have easily factored in some meetings to discuss how this carbon tax will impact low-income Canadians,” Poilievre said.
“Witnesses from Statistics Canada have told our committee that any policy that raises food and fuel prices pushes more people below the poverty line. That makes sense – poor households spend a third more of their income on those items than do rich households. As well, witnesses from Employment and Social Development Canada have told us that they have not even studied the impact of a carbon tax on low-income Canadians.”
The Liberal majority on the committee first attempted to discuss the motion in-camera, but agreed to bring the discussion into public.
After Poilievre’s motion, the committee considered an NDP motion to limit the use of in-camera meetings. Immediately following that motion, the Liberals returned the committee to in-camera.
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