Only by passing the original version of Bill C-234 can Canadian farmers and families benefit from the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.
By Andrew Joseph, Farms.com; Photo via the Canadian Propane Association
King of the Hill alumnus, Hank Hill, would not be happy.
When teaching his son, Bobby, how to clean a propane tank, he explained: “Head to feet you don’t cause a leak. Feet to head, everyone is dead.”
In other words, propane manipulation must be done properly, especially when it comes to GHG emissions and low-emission farm fuels.
The Canadian Propane Association (CPA) is joining agriculture groups from across Canada in calling on the Senate of Canada to reject the proposed amendment to remove heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses from Bill C-234, an Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act (GGPPA).
In its original form, Bill C-234 permits exemptions for low-emission fuels such as propane and natural gas under the GGPPA. Under the Act, similar exemptions already apply to high-emission fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
The savings that would be gained under C-234 would be good for farmers and good for families, explained the CPA.
“The Parliamentary Budget Officer has estimated that if passed, C-234 will save farmers nearly one billion dollars by 2030,” said Shannon Watt, President of the CPA. “It will provide huge savings in input costs for farmers and those savings can be passed along to consumers in the form of lower food prices.”
The CP wants the federal government to include propane in its three-year carbon tax pause for rural heating.
Watt continued: “Quite frankly, opposition to C-234 reflects a lack of understanding of life in rural Canada. Decarbonization in rural and remote communities will be more difficult than in the cities, given the lack of access to services such as public transit, EV stations or renewable electricity. Supply chain costs also increase for those living in rural communities."
The cost of the carbon tax on critical fuel sources places an unwarranted strain on farmers’ livelihoods, as well as on Canada’s food security and independence, which are already facing heightened challenges due to escalating costs. There has also been a surge in food bank usage, which is a stark reminder of the difficulties many Canadians are currently facing.
“The CPA has been clear that the rush to decarbonization risks leaving folks behind, especially those who live in rural Canada,” added Watt. “[Bill] C-234 would offer low-emission energy choice and savings for farmers which can result in much-needed lower food prices for consumers.”
Bill C-234 was successfully passed in the House of Commons in March 2023, with the support of MPs from all political parties from right across Canada.
“Efforts to remove the exemption for heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses will simply gut the Bill,” said Watt. “It's time for some Senators to stop playing politics with important legislation, start putting farmers and Canadian families first, and pass the original version of C-234.”
The Canadian Propane Association is the national association for a growing, multi-billion-dollar industry that impacts the livelihood of tens of thousands of Canadians. For more information, visit https://propane.ca/.