Newsline Press Releases: Bill C234

Dec. 6, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – The Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA) expresses profound disappointment following the Senate’s recent adoption of a previously rejected amendment to Bill C-234, an Act to Amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act. 

After weeks of procedural delays, marked by the re-introduction of amendments that were already debated and defeated and repeated adjournments, Senators voted 40-39 in favour of an amendment previously rejected by both the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food as well as the whole Senate at report stage.

“While the Senate is supposed to be the chamber for sober second thought, Canadian farmers are bearing the brunt of political delays driven by partisan interests,” says Dave Carey, co-chair of ACA. “The reintroduction of a previously defeated amendment weeks later is unprecedented. Seeing this outcome at such a late stage is profoundly disappointing.”

The narrowly passed amendment effectively restricts the exemption to grain drying, removing the proposed exemption for heating barns, greenhouses and structures used to grow food. This means that hundreds of thousands of farmers, growers and ranchers will be left behind and won’t receive much-needed financial relief at a time when they need it most. 

ACA is also very disappointed that several supportive Senators were not in the chamber to vote against what amounts to a procedural amendment. 

Bill C-234 seeks crucial exemptions from carbon pricing for propane and natural gas, vital for grain drying and heating due to the lack of viable fuel alternatives. Scalable and accessible technology that could offer alternatives is still years away. In the absence of such solutions, carbon pricing worsens financial strain and steers capital away from crucial efficiency investments.

“If the government is truly concerned about supporting a sustainable Canadian food system that people can count on, then they need to enact practical policies that benefit all Canadians,” adds Scott Ross, co-chair of ACA. “Farmers are seeing historic levels of debt and costs that continue to rise. Expecting producers to pay tens of thousands of dollars in carbon pricing annually will only delay investments in sustainability while waiting for technology to catch up. This is not a workable solution.” 

Bill C-234 passed the House of Commons in March with support from all Conservative, New Democrat, Bloc and Green MPs, along with a few Liberals. In the prior Parliament, MP Phillip Lawrence’s Private Members’ Bill C-206 and retired Senator Dianne Griffin’s S-215 aimed to secure natural gas and propane exemptions under the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act for farming activities. Bill C-206 made it to the Senate but died on the Order Paper when the 2021 general election was called.

“Members of Parliament face a critical opportunity to not only support farmers and ranchers but rural communities and food affordability,” emphasizes Carey. “We urge them to stand by their decision and prioritize the best interests of all Canadians by maintaining the bill in its original form and passing it without further delays.”

The amended bill will now be voted on at third reading. If passed the legislation returns to the House of Commons, where its fate remains uncertain. The ACA urges all members of Parliament to swiftly restore the bill to its original form, as passed by the House.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Hayley Stacey
Hayley@colesag.com
Communications Lead
204-804-3333

ACA is a national coalition of 16 farm organizations committed to meaningful and collaborative dialogue with the federal government around carbon pricing. Our membership encompasses all major agriculture commodities and represents 190,000 farm businesses that steward 62 million hectares. Canada’s farmers are the heart of our agri-food value chain, which contributes $135 billion annually and provides one in nine Canadian jobs.

Our members include Canadian Canola Growers Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattle Association, Grain Growers of Canada, Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, the National Sheep Network, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, Mushrooms Canada and Canadian Nursery Landscape Association. 

ACA urges swift passage of this crucial legislation into law

Nov. 8, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – The Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA) commends the Senate of Canada for rejecting an amendment to Bill C-234 and preserving provisions for heating barns, greenhouses and food growing structures. 

ACA now urges the Senate to promptly pass the bill at the third reading, emphasizes ACA Co-Chair Dave Carey. 

“This legislation is a lifeline,” Carey says. “Paying tens of thousands of dollars in carbon pricing annually while waiting for technology to catch up is not a reasonable solution for Canadian farmers. Bill C-234 serves as a practical solution that will put capital back in the hands of farmers so they can continue to do what they do best – feed a growing and hungry world.”

“Relentless pressure from carbon pricing on those necessary farm practices that do not have viable alternatives threatens farmers’ competitiveness and plans to invest in the future of their operations”, adds Scott Ross, fellow co-chair of ACA.

“With no other way to keep the lights on and the cold away, carbon pricing places an undue burden on our country’s producers. This has far-reaching effects, not only on productivity, but also on food security and the adoption of available efficiencies.”

ACA expresses gratitude to Senators who supported Canadian agriculture by voting against the C-234 amendment. Sponsored by Senator David Wells in the Senate, the Bill provides a vital exemption for necessary farm practices utilizing natural gas and propane including irrigation, grain preparation, and heating of barns, greenhouses, and other growing structures.

“The rejected amendment would have denied financial relief to tens of thousands of hardworking livestock producers, greenhouse growers, and farmers while placing undue pressure on their livelihoods and our food security,” Carey adds. “We want to thank Senator Wells and the Senators who championed the preservation of this legislation.”

Over the past two weeks, more than 1,300 farmers and industry partners raised their voice in support of this legislation through a letter writing campaign developed by ACA. Bill C-234 is scheduled for third reading on Thursday, November 9, 2023. ACA urges Senators to swiftly pass this legislation at third reading. Canadian farmers have waited too long for essential support they urgently need.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Hayley Stacey
Hayley@colesag.com
Communications Lead
204-804-3333

ACA is a national coalition of 15 farm organizations committed to meaningful and collaborative dialogue with the federal government around carbon pricing. Our membership encompasses all major agriculture commodities and represents 190,000 farm businesses that steward 62 million hectares. Canada’s farmers are the heart of our agri-food value chain, which contributes $135 billion annually and provides one in nine Canadian jobs.

Our members include Canadian Canola Growers Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattle Association, Grain Growers of Canada, Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, the National Sheep Network, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, Mushrooms Canada and Canadian Nursery Landscape Association.

Oct. 25, 2023 (Ottawa, ON) – The Agriculture Carbon Alliance (ACA) urgently calls on all Senators to defeat the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry’s (AGFO) proposed amendment to remove heating and cooling of barns, greenhouses and other food growing structures from Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act.

ACA, representing 190,000 farm families from coast-to-coast, expresses profound disappointment at AGFO’s decision to adopt this amendment and urges the Senate to restore Bill C-234 to its original form, as passed in the House of Commons.

“C-234, in its original form, recognizes the industry’s widespread lack of viable fuel alternatives,” states Dave Carey, Co-Chair of ACA. “Adopting this amendment establishes an unjust precedent within the industry. Our farmers, ranchers and growers pay tens of thousands of dollars in carbon pricing annually, and it takes time for the needed infrastructure to be built and emerging alternative technology to be scaled up and be readily available to all farmers at a reasonable price.”

Scott Ross, ACA’s Co-Chair, says the consequences of the amendment could be far-reaching for poultry, egg, cattle, dairy, pork, sheep, fruit and vegetable and mushroom growers. 

“In the absence of viable alternatives, this amendment doesn’t just impact farmers’ competitiveness, it jeopardizes our future sustainability and efficiency. Continuous carbon pricing without viable alternatives for essential farm practices diverts funds from critical investments in innovation that drive efficiency,” he says.

“We’re burdening ranchers and growers with punitive taxes, sometimes reaching tens of thousands of dollars, limiting their ability to adopt technology. Further delays in passing Bill C-234 could indefinitely stall progress, hindering our farmers who have waited far too long for this crucial support.”

ACA is deeply concerned this amendment will dramatically change the scope, spirit and intent of the bill, as passed by the House of Commons. This violates typical Senate practices as was acknowledged by some members of the AGFO committee during clause-by-clause review. Furthermore, the amendments were deemed inadmissible by the Chair of the AGFO committee, who ruled it out of order.

Witnesses during AGFO committee proceedings underlined that emerging technologies that would provide alternatives are at least eight years away from commercial viability. C-234 includes a sunset clause to revaluate its context in eight years, ensuring justification for such an exemption. ACA commends Senators for rejecting an amendment aimed at shortening C-234’s sunset clause from eight years to three years.

To safeguard the profitability and sustainability of farmers, as well as to defend our food production and food sovereignty, ACA urges all Senators to reject the AGFO committee’s amendment and uphold the integrity of Bill C-234.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Hayley Stacey
Hayley@colesag.com
Communications Lead
204-804-3333

ACA is a national coalition of 15 farm organizations committed to meaningful and collaborative dialogue with the federal government around carbon pricing. Our membership encompasses all major agriculture commodities and represents 190,000 farm businesses that steward 62 million hectares. Canada’s farmers are the heart of our agri-food value chain, which contributes $135 billion annually and provides one in nine Canadian jobs.

Our members include Canadian Canola Growers Association, Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian Cattle Association, Grain Growers of Canada, Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, Canadian Forage and Grassland Association, the National Sheep Network, National Cattle Feeders’ Association, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canadian Seed Growers’ Association, and Mushrooms Canada.