The Carbon Tax is disproportionately affecting farmers and those living in rural Ontario, says Nater

The Government of Canada introduced a price on carbon pollution across Canada in 2019 as a way to combat climate change, but farmers across Perth County say this tax is not only hurting their pocketbooks but is also forcing prices on food and goods to rise in an already trying time.

John Nater, Perth-Wellington MP, spoke at the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario (CFFO) annual general meeting at The Arden Park Hotel on Monday to discuss how he believes the carbon tax disproportionately affects rural areas in Ontario and how the opposing government is fighting back with Bill C234: An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

“I’m opposed to the carbon tax across the board,” said Nater, “especially as it relates to agriculture and the agri-food system. What I fear the government doesn’t entirely recognize is the real impact of the carbon tax on the food supply chain.

“Transportation costs are not exempted, commercial grain farming is not exempted, processing isn’t exempted, small businesses aren’t exempted.”

Pricing the carbon pollution is meant to incentivize citizens to decrease their carbon output, but Nater notes this is not actually solving the problem and, in turn, causing more harm than good.

“Each point along the food supply chain is paying the carbon tax. So, when we’re looking at the cost of food specifically, every step in getting food to consumers encounters the carbon tax, making everything more expensive.”

“[The carbon tax] doesn’t achieve what it sets out to do and instead adds cost to everyone.”

Farmers pay a carbon price on essential farming activities such as irrigation, grain drying, feed preparation, barns heating or cooling and other agricultural growing structures.

Bill C234 would provide an exemption, limited to on-farm fuel use for these necessary farm practices, allowing farmers to invest their money in the efficiency of their operations, keep money in their pockets, and help lower the cost of goods for consumers.

During a question-and-answer period, CFFO member and local dairy farmer Gerald Pol asked Nater why the carbon tax was implemented in the first place, to which Nater expressed that he believes the intention was there, but it’s just not working to effectively reduce carbon emissions.

“The intention was to move Canadians away from fossil-fuel usage,” said Nater, “From an economic standpoint, you increase the cost of fossil fuels, and the idea is to drive people away from using those fossil fuels. What the government fails to recognize is that there are no alternatives. It’s just a tax. It just drives up the cost of everything.”

Ben Lobb, Conservative MP, Huron-Bruce, initially introduced the private member’s bill to support farmers and those living in rural communities; he says it was important to bring forward the amendment to help keep money in Ontarian’s pockets.

“There are challenges, but there are also opportunities,” said Nater. “We live in one of the greatest countries on earth and we live specifically here in Perth County. Perth-Wellington has the largest number of dairy farmers anywhere in the country, the largest number of chicken farmers anywhere in the country, the top two or three for egg producers, and the top four or five for beef and pork. And we have the most fertile farmland in Ontario.

“There will always be challenges. We’ll have to address those challenges, but we still live in a pretty darn good place.”

Nater said that Bill C234 may take time to pass and different outcomes could occur, however he is hopeful the Canadian Government will rule in favour of the bill.

Amanda Modaragamage, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Stratford Times