Sault Ste. Marie M.P. Terry Sheehan issued a response regarding a carbon tax rally held Thursday morning by local Conservatives and former Federal Leader of the Conservative Party, Andrew Scheer in Sault Ste. Marie at Sheehan’s constituency office on Queen Street.
The following is Sheehan’s full statement issued to media Thursday afternoon.
When Pierre Poilievre and Andrew Scheer talk about getting rid of carbon pricing, they are just saying that they will stop taking action against climate change; they are saying that they would rip the rebate right out of middle-class Canadians’ hands. Conservatives can keep debating whether climate change is real. We will stay focused on building a cleaner economy so the middle class can reap the reward.
The federal Climate Change Action plan has been intentionally designed NOT to be punitive to ordinary Canadians, and includes the Canada Carbon Rebate, through which 4 out of 5 households receive more money back than they pay in, as confirmed by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) and the Canadian Climate Institute.
In addition to the standard rebate, in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District, local households qualify for additional rural supplement of 20%. This means that a typical family of four in our community will receive $1,344 every year.
This is a system that works, and it is a major reason why we are bending our emissions curve down faster than any other G7 country. Expert analysis has shown that pollution pricing will account for approximately one-third of the emissions reductions that will occur between now and 2030. As a result, Canadian emissions have already decreased by 7%, positioning us well to achieve our climate targets. By actively contributing to global emission reduction efforts, we are mitigating the severe impacts and costs of climate change.
It is also important to note that NOT acting on climate change would come at a cost, including through higher insurance premiums and damages to local infrastructure. It is estimated that Canadians already pay about $720 yearly for climate-related damages, which is projected to rise to approximately $2,000 by 2050 if we don’t take action to address increasingly severe climate impacts.
Tragically, the Conservatives continue to spread misinformation about the government’s plan to fight the increasingly harmful effects of Climate Change.
The scheduled April 1 increase to pollution pricing will also increase the corresponding Canadian Carbon Rebate. The price on pollution is revenue neutral, which ensures that 80 per cent of Canadians receive more back through the Canada Carbon Rebate than they pay through pollution pricing.
Make no mistake – Pierre Poilievre would cut the Rebate, which right now allows a family of four in our community to receive up to $1,344. He would also cut other signature Liberal programs like our Middle Class Tax Cuts, increases in support for seniors, the Canada Child Benefit and others, which have successfully helped millions of Canadians.
It is obvious Andrew Scheer hasn’t a got a clue about the Soo. Instead he rhymes off Conservative talking points.
When the Conservatives were last in power, the economy here in Sault Ste. Marie was at an all-time low. We had high unemployment, Algoma Steel and Tenaris Tubes future viability in the city was in question after years of a Conservative government that ignored the industry and allowed the market to be flooded with cheap, foreign-dumped steel.
We turned that around. By working with industry and workers, we brought in trade policies to combat foreign dumped steel. Not only have we dramatically cut unemployment in our region, our major employers are thriving and at the same time many of our largest businesses are partnering with our government to reduce their carbon footprint.
At every turn, Poilievre, Scheer and the Conservatives have voted against programs to help Canadians – like a healthcare deal that will inject $3 billion into Ontario’s health care system for doctors and nurses, and expand training opportunities in Northern Ontario.
They also voted against funding for new housing across Canada, including ones here in Sault Ste. Marie. In the past year, our federal government has done more for housing than the Conservatives did for their entire decade in office – including when Poilievre was the housing minister and led the charge to get the federal government out of the business of building homes for Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre is blatantly deceiving Canadians, exploiting the anxieties of many by resorting to fear-mongering instead of presenting the truth. The Conservatives have no plan to help you, your family, or our community.
The carbon tax is nothing but a huge scam and massive money grab of epic proportions that is ruining the lives of 70% of Canadians.
Trudeau and the lowdown lying liberals (Sheehan included) are out of control criminals, the worst we have ever seen in our lives. They need to go and so does this ridiculous tax.
We can’t afford to drive, we can’t afford to heat, we can’t afford to eat, we can barely afford to live at all. We are being robbed daily, sadly, legally robbed.
Election time is NOW.
You make more in your rebate than you pay in tax.
Do the math
You need to spend $40,000/ year on groceries to pay enough tax to use up your rebate. OR ..you need to drive 60,000 km a year.
Math is easy…try it.