Farmers Concerned About Carbon Tax

Prime Minister Trudeau told the Commons this week, when it comes to having Canadians pay the federal carbon tax, people are "better off."  That comment comes as farm groups on the prairie look to Ottawa to exempt farm fuels...especially those used for drying their crops. 

 

Ian Boxall with APAS says the PM's comment was disappointing, but he remains optimistic the government will help producers.

 

"I think maybe they haven't had time to look at the numbers yet. We fulfilled their request and provided those numbers on all aspects that we could quantify and there is stuff we haven't been able to quantify, like additional costs and manufacturing. The numbers we could quantify we gave them and they requested those. People have to remember that farmers are the biggest stewards of the land. It produces livelihoods for the family's, boosts our communities, provinces and the country. We are well aware of climate change and the effects it has on our livelihoods and we don't have the opportunity to pass those extra costs that the carbon tax along to the people that he talks about that are getting more of a rebate," explained Boxall. 

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.