Frustrated local farmers protest carbon tax

Local farmers made their way into the region today in protest of the federal government’s recent carbon tax hike and its cost on production. They say the tax is costing them and making it hard to compete in international markets. Lexi Benedict has more in tonight’s top story. This is wrong and I really believe that we have to fight. This carbon tax is the wrong time. Local farmers have had enough taking their tractors to the streets today in response to the federal government’s recent carbon tax hike. Of course, to protest the carbon tax and. Its effect on farmers and the big thing is the effect on the cost of groceries. It’s getting shoved down our throat As farmers at at society, starting in Manila, they made their way into Pickering, dropping off letters to local Liberal MPs across Durham Region and to raise awareness. Farmers here today say they’re frustrated and are hoping to send a message to Ottawa to eliminate the carbon tax on food production. And we also know what’s happening to the food bill. With his tax with exporting products, we have to compete with farmers in other countries that don’t have it. The added cost like this, Canada’s price on carbon pollution increased by $15 per ton on April 1st, leaving local food producers to eat. The cost, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, a couple of $100 million a year that farmers are paying in carbon tax that then have to get, then has to get passed on through consumer prices at every other stage of production. And while the federal government does offer a rebate to consumers, that’s not the case for farmers. We are hurting. I I got people in my area can’t pay for the gas anymore. In a statement to Global News, MP Ryan Turnbull says the federal government recognizes the additional strain on farmers and acknowledges that they use natural gas and propane in their operations and have offered a refundable tax credit to farmers. They’re sitting on 2 1/2 billion dollars. That’s going up to $3.1 billion later this year. And they’ve made promises to return that money to to business, but they’ve not yet delivered on it. In the meantime, farmers continue to make noise in their fight against the increase. Lexi Benedict Global News.