Official Hansard
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating the new Premier of Quebec, Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon, all the candidates who won their races, and my old friend of 25 years, Éric Duhaime, who has been fighting for Quebeckers for so long and has made historic gains. Obviously, the Conservatives do not want a referendum on sovereignty, neither in Alberta, nor in Quebec, nor anywhere else. Ten years ago, under a Conservative government, there was no referendum on sovereignty. In fact, there was not even a sovereignty movement in Alberta. The Bloc Québécois had all but disappeared, and the Parti Québécois was defeated. Ten years later, there is a referendum looming in Alberta, and the new government in Quebec is threatening to hold another one. National unity is a prime minister’s primary responsibility, and as the future government, the Conservatives aim to unite Canadians through hope and the core principles of our country. We want to bring all Canadians together to create a truly united country. One way of doing this is to make life more affordable and help Canadians save money. Diesel is expensive at the moment. Even people who do not own a car or truck that runs on diesel are feeling the pinch, because every item they buy—whether it is groceries, clothing, furniture or anything else for their home—is transported in a truck or on a train that uses diesel fuel. Diesel prices have hit record highs over the last three weeks. Obviously, we are not going to blame the Prime Minister for the war in Iran or for the war between Russia and Ukraine. That is beyond his control. However, the price of diesel here in Canada is between 24¢ and 30¢ per litre higher than in the United States, and it is about 32¢ per litre higher than the world average. Every other country is grappling with the same wars in Iran and between Russia and Ukraine, yet they are not paying as much as we are here in Canada. Why is Canada paying more under this Liberal government? First, many hidden taxes are still embedded in the prices we see here in Canada. There are the clean fuel regulations, which add between six and seven cents per litre, according to government documents. Other experts say that the figure is more like 10¢ per litre. There is also the industrial carbon tax. The Liberals love to say that there is no consumer carbon tax, but when they tax the production of something, that obviously increases the cost to consumers, because those refineries have to add that to the price. The GST also still applies to diesel fuel, so that adds another 12¢ or so per litre. All of that feeds into the costs paid by our farmers, our truckers and other businesses that provide us with essentials, and that is one of the reasons prices are higher. Then we need to sell our oil to the United States to buy back the diesel they refine. The U.S. benefits while we pay the price. Obviously, we produce a lot of diesel here in Canada, but the problem is that the diesel produced in Canada is not available to all Canadians. We are paying foreigners a refining margin instead of keeping that money here at home. Lastly, we do not have a reserve of refined petroleum products. Today, the Conservatives are presenting a positive plan to save Canadians money, make our country more self-reliant and increase affordability. First, we are proposing eliminating all taxes on diesel until at least July 1. We are proposing eliminating some taxes permanently, like the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel regulations. That would allow us to produce and supply diesel for Canadians more cheaply. Second, we are proposing emergency permitting, emergency pre-permitting and tax relief for businesses that invest in diesel infrastructure, refineries, storage and transportation here at home. That would allow businesses to invest that money now to build. In the United States, I found at least five examples of refineries that were built in less than three years. Some people say that it takes 15 or 20 years to build a refinery or to make small improvements to our energy infrastructure, but that is not true. It is a self-imposed limit. For example, British Columbia has to import diesel from the United States, even though we have the fourth-biggest reserves of diesel here at home. By lowering costs today and becoming more self-sufficient in the medium term, we will be able to protect our consumers and make groceries, clothing, furniture and other products more affordable here in Canada. We will also be able to safeguard our self-sufficiency. Our aim is to produce one million barrels a day within five years, to supply every Canadian market with Canadian diesel and to build up a strategic reserve. We would build up this reserve during periods when prices are at their lowest. That way, we would have it at our disposal when prices are higher. That is how we will ensure Canada remains affordable and secure, and that is how we will become masters in our own house. Before I begin, I would be remiss if I did not offer congratulations to the newly elected Premier of Quebec, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, and the PQ. I also congratulate all others who were elected. In particular, I congratulate my friend of 25 years, Éric Duhaime, who made major gains in this election and has been fighting for Quebeckers his entire life. We wish him much success in the National Assembly. Obviously, we, as Conservatives, do not want a referendum on national unity in any province. We do not want one in Alberta or in Quebec. We want the country to be united. Unfortunately, we see that there is now a referendum in Alberta and there is a referendum threatened for the future in Quebec. About 10 years ago, there were no referendums to separate in any part of the country. There was no separatist movement in Alberta whatsoever. The PQ was defeated. The Bloc did not even have party status. Here we are, 10 years later, with one for sure and another possible referendum. These are in two of our most cherished provinces. The measure of the Prime Minister is how he can keep our country united. As a future prime minister, my mission will be to truly unite the country and to make all those who have lost faith in the country regain hope that they can have a great life, their hard work will pay off, young people will be able to afford homes and that every single province and its industries will be fully respected. That is the hope we offer to truly unite our country from coast to coast. One way to do it is to make our country affordable, independent and safe here at home. Our plan today is the diesel relief plan. It proposes to tackle the fact that we have diesel prices that are 24¢ to 30¢ a litre higher in Canada versus in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Our mission is to eliminate that gap, produce the equivalent of a million barrels of diesel every single day and supply every Canadian market with Canadian-made diesel. We have a plan to eliminate all federal taxes on the production and consumption of diesel to incentivize the fast construction of refineries, transportation and storage of diesel through 100% one-year expensing of investments and emergency permits, and to create a strategic petroleum reserve that would prepare us for moments just like this. This approach would bring down the cost of not just the diesel, but also everything that comes in a truck, such as food, groceries, appliances and clothes. Everything would be more affordable in a more autonomous country. Let us make Canada the most affordable, richest and most secure country anywhere on earth.
