Kurt Holman

“Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise here tonight on behalf of the hard-working people of The Eastern Peninsulas and Newfoundland and Labrador to speak to this bill, Bill C-38, the Canadian fuel affordability act. When I heard the Liberal government was bringing forward legislation to extend the suspension of federal fuel taxes, I was surprised. I was pleasantly surprised, but surprised. Conservatives have been telling the government that Canadians cannot afford to keep paying more just to get to work, just to put food on the table and just to support their families, but the Liberals refuse to admit there is a problem. Even today, the Liberals voted against our motion to recognize that Canada is in an affordability crisis. Just a few months ago, the Prime Minister got up in the House, looked in the camera and told Canadians that affordability is the best it has been in over a decade. Who believes that? The Liberals always refuse to admit there is a problem until we Conservatives use common sense to pressure them into doing something that is right. First, it was the carbon tax. The Prime Minister was advising Justin Trudeau when they kept adding more and more carbon tax, trying to get it to raise the pump price by 45¢ a litre. This was making Canadians less and less competitive in the business world and driving up the costs for everyday Canadians on everyday items. It was not until they needed a Hail Mary to save their skin in the 2025 election that they finally caved and did the right thing and reduced the carbon tax to zero, admitting that the Conservatives were right all along. We also saw this with housing. The Liberals refused to do the right thing and take taxes off new homes until they needed that little boost in the polls. Months after saying it would not help, they copied our idea, once again admitting we were right. What if people did not vote for such a strong Conservative Party and strong Conservative leader? We are one of the most successful opposition parties in Canadian history, driving taxation reduction from the backbenches. Once again, the Liberals finally recognized that reducing the taxes, specifically fuel taxes, can provide much-needed relief. I am glad they are listening to us again. Unfortunately, as they always do, they take our idea, but they never do it right. This bill just does not go far enough. This bill would extend the suspension of the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel until January 31, 2027. That is great. That is 10¢ off a litre on gasoline and four cents off diesel. They can bring it on. On February 1, though, the government plans to bring half those taxes back, and on April 1, the full tax returns. What do the members opposite think will happen between January and April? Do they think groceries will suddenly become more affordable? Do they think seniors will have enough money to stop worrying about their next heating bill? Do the Liberals have some kind of magic eight ball that tells them fuel prices are going to be reduced by April? Why does this bill not simply have an escalator clause that says a certain amount of tax goes on when the fuel drops by this amount, and a little bit more tax goes on when the fuel drops even more? I think the answer is pretty clear. The Liberals want to waste time and public dollars to come here and talk about, once again, a problem they created. It is like they are a broken record or an excited parrot that wants to say the same things over and over without any real change. I come from a province where driving is not a luxury. It is a necessity. In my riding, we have communities spanning hundreds of kilometres. In just one week of travelling in my riding, I put 3,000 kilometres on my truck. We have construction workers, truck drivers and families who depend on their vehicles every day. We do not have a subway system, trains or buses connecting our communities, so people see their fuel costs directly. When someone needs to see a medical specialist, they might have to drive several hours. Members can imagine being a senior on a fixed income, trying to decide whether they can afford gas to go to a medical appointment, put food on the table or heat their home. We can imagine a young family with two children, both parents working, having to drive 40 kilometres in two different directions, now struggling to pay their grocery bill and to pay for heat. These are the realities facing people in Newfoundland and Labrador. I have spent much of my working life in industries that kept the province moving. I have worked in construction, mining and the oil and gas industry. I know first-hand how important affordable energy is. When fuel prices increase, it does not just affect someone filling up their pickup truck. It affects the contractor operating the equipment, the trucking company delivering the materials and every small business depending on deliveries. These costs do not simply disappear. They get passed along through the economy, and Canadians end up paying more for the goods and services they depend on. Just the other day a taxi owner called me, frustrated and discouraged. He explained to me how the price of fuel is killing his business, and he said he cannot pass the price on to the consumer, because the people, often seniors and struggling families, who use his service just do not have any more money to spend. Construction is another major employer in my riding, but every excavator, loader and other piece of heavy equipment needs fuel. When operating costs increase, projects become more expensive. Sometimes the consumer pays more, sometimes the business makes less and sometimes the project just does not go ahead at all. This means fewer jobs and opportunities for the people who depend on these industries. Fuel affordability is not just about saving a few dollars at the pump. It is also about keeping our industries competitive and protecting Canadian livelihoods. I have spoken in the House before about the enormous industrial potential sitting idle in Newfoundland and Labrador. We have shipyards, construction facilities and mining operations, but businesses need affordable energy, reasonable regulations and an environment that encourages investment. That is why Conservatives continue to call for the elimination of the industrial carbon tax and of policies that we believe are making Canada less competitive. Conservatives have been calling for fuel tax relief for some time. We brought forward proposals in April and May, calling on the government to provide relief at the pumps, but the Liberals voted against them. Now we are debating a government bill that expands the very kind of ideas the Conservatives proposed. I guess it is better late than never, but Canadians could have had this help earlier. The Liberal government tells us that global events are responsible for many of the pressures on fuel prices. There is no question that there is some truth to that. We cannot control what happens in every country in this world, but we can control what decisions are made in Ottawa. Fuel is more than 30¢ a litre more expensive in Canada than in the U.S. This is because of additional taxes that we as Canadians control. I will finish with this one for the Liberal government: If reducing fuel taxes is the right thing to do for Canadians today, why is increasing those same taxes the right thing to do in February and April? Our construction contractors will still need fuel for their equipment. Our families will still need to bring their kids to hockey tournaments. Canadians deserve more than a temporary break. They deserve an affordable economy, affordable energy, good-paying jobs and a government that puts their livelihoods first. That is what Conservatives will fight for. That is what I will fight for.”