Guilbeault Talking to Senators to Stop Carbon Tax Exemption Bill for Farmers

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he’s been having conversations with a number of senators to explain his government’s position on a bill that would grant further carbon tax exemptions to farmers. But the minister told reporters on Nov. 14 that those efforts do not amount to “lobbying.” “It was more of a conversation than a lobbying effort on my part,” says Mr. Guilbeault. The environment minister says he has engaged with around “half a dozen” senators over the last two weeks on the matter of Bill C-234, a private member’s bill sponsored by Conservative MP Ben Lobb. The bill would grant an exemption to farmers on the carbon tax being applied to propane and natural gas for agricultural purposes such as heating barns or drying grain. The piece of legislation is at the very last stage in the Senate before becoming law, only needing to pass third reading before receiving royal assent....